betta's unusual behavior

[folix]

Hi, I'm getting a bit worried about my betta. I got him on February 11th, and it took him some time to adjust to his new environment and start eating. But recently, I've noticed some changes. He's still active and eating, which is good since he's been living with me in my dorm. I've attached some photos so you can see what I mean - he's lost some scales or something on his face and side. I remember seeing a few white spots on his side not too long ago, but I didn't think much of it since he had them when I first got him. His belly looks a bit reddish too. I've included some photos from when I first got him, and some from yesterday and today.

[duskrose]

Hey, I'm really sorry to hear your betta's not doing great. Do you have a water testing kit? If so, could you please share the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels? Also, some pics of the tank itself would be super helpful. Are there any tankmates with your betta? And did you cycle the tank when you first set it up?

[coltin]

I'm not convinced it's an issue with the tank or environment, could be a natural trait. Some betta's have a marbling gene that causes irregular color patterns or scale loss, it's possible your fish is just expressing that.

[folix]

Hey, I'm really sorry to hear your betta's not doing great. Do you have a water testing kit? If so, could you please share the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels? Also, some pics of the tank itself would be super helpful. Are there any tankmates with your betta? And did you cycle the tank when you first set it up?

I didn't cycle the tank, to be honest I'm not even sure what that means. I also don't have a water testing kit, I just have a one gallon tank and my betta's in there by himself.

[happyone]

It seems like he might be dealing with ammonia poisoning, his symptoms are pretty telling.

[belleora]

Hi, I'm getting a bit worried about my betta. I got him on February 11th, and it took him some time to adjust to his new environment and start eating. But recently, I've noticed some changes. He's still active and eating, which is good since he's been living with me in my dorm. I've attached some photos so you can see what I mean - he's lost some scales or something on his face and side. I remember seeing a few white spots on his side not too long ago, but I didn't think much of it since he had them when I first got him. His belly looks a bit reddish too. I've included some photos from when I first got him, and some from yesterday and today.

I'm concerned about the water quality in your tank. Do you ever do water changes to keep the environment clean for your betta? Is there a filter in place to help with that?

The water looks really murky and cloudy in the pictures, and I can see a clear waterline where it's been evaporating.

[happyone]

Hi, I'm getting a bit worried about my betta. I got him on February 11th, and it took him some time to adjust to his new environment and start eating. But recently, I've noticed some changes. He's still active and eating, which is good since he's been living with me in my dorm. I've attached some photos so you can see what I mean - he's lost some scales or something on his face and side. I remember seeing a few white spots on his side not too long ago, but I didn't think much of it since he had them when I first got him. His belly looks a bit reddish too. I've included some photos from when I first got him, and some from yesterday and today.

I'm concerned about the water quality in your tank. Do you ever do water changes to keep the environment clean for your betta? Is there a filter in place to help with that?

The water looks really murky and cloudy in the pictures, and I can see a clear waterline where it's been evaporating.

It seems like I've got some bad news for you. Tank's not cycled, which is probably the root of the problem.

[duskrose]

It seems like he might be dealing with ammonia poisoning, his symptoms are pretty telling.

happyone is right, if your tank wasn't cycled, it's likely filled with toxic ammonia. Don't worry about learning about cycling just yet, we can get to that later. For now, do a 75% water change with dechlorinated water that's the same temperature as your tank, and clean the gravel thoroughly. Then, head to your local pet store and grab some test strips or a testing kit, as well as Seachem PRIME if they have it. This will help remove harmful chemicals and neutralize the ammonia/nitrite for a bit. Stop feeding your fish for the next couple of days to reduce the ammonia output. From now on, test the water daily and do large water changes, along with gravel cleans.

Unfortunately, a 1-gallon tank just isn't suitable for a betta. They need at least 5 gallons, and even that might be too small. I get it, having a pet in college can be great company, but it often leads to complications. If you're not comfortable dealing with this, I recommend calling your local fish store and explaining the situation. They might let you return your betta. I know it's hard to part with your new friend, but if you're not up for this, the fish will suffer. We're here to help if you want to start over and set up a new tank.

[belleora]

It seems like he might be dealing with ammonia poisoning, his symptoms are pretty telling.

I'm aware the tank isn't cycled, that's why I'm asking these questions. Do you even have a filter on the tank? And do you have some kind of water conditioner for when you do water changes?

[happyone]

Hey, I'm really sorry to hear your betta's not doing great. Do you have a water testing kit? If so, could you please share the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels? Also, some pics of the tank itself would be super helpful. Are there any tankmates with your betta? And did you cycle the tank when you first set it up?

Good advice indeed, and I totally agree on the tank size - 1 gallon is far too small for a betta, the absolute minimum should be 2.5 gallons, but 5.5 gallons would be even better.