Daughters new betta doesn't look right

[folkartmom]

My daughter got a betta last week for her birthday. One of those little bitty tanks and sick bettas from Petco. It wouldn't eat and died the next day. We decided to do this right. We got a Eclipse System 6, bought a fish from the aquarium store and introduced it slowly. All the PH and temperature things are set.

He's very active, eating and seems happy but he came with little blue green reflective dots at the base of his tail. Those dots have now spread and he has them on more of his body and his fins. It doesn't seem to fit any of the described betta diseases so I don't know what to do.

Please help, I don't think she's ready for another betta to die.sick fish (http://home.attbi.com/~michaelkaren/images/sickfish.jpg)

[ChilDawg]

Blues and greens showing up are deposits of guanine in cells called iridiocytes. These are just metabolic waste products, and have no negative effect on the fish (with the exception of the gradual color change).

[ChilDawg]

In other words, it's fine. I realized that I didn't actually come out and say that...

[folkartmom]

You can't believe how worried I've been. Does it need to be treated or anything? How far will this go? I have a feeling today she's going to notice that her red fish is turning a weird green color and start to panic.

[demon_surfer]

chillidawg you are starting to need a translater, LOL

from the picture the fish looks normal...in fact it looks beautiful. good on you for buying it a decent tank :)

[folkartmom]

I don't think 50 tanks are going to fit into my kitchen. We're hoping to add a few tetras down the road, is that ok?

[folkartmom]

or is this permanent?

[ChilDawg]

Originally posted by folkartmom
You can't believe how worried I've been. Does it need to be treated or anything? How far will this go? I have a feeling today she's going to notice that her red fish is turning a weird green color and start to panic.

It's completely fine. If you want a book to back you up ("It says it's okay in this book, honey!"), I would get "A Complete Pet Owner's Manual: Bettas" by Robert J. Goldstein, PhD. It's only $7.95 at your local book store. (No, I'm in no way related to Goldstein, nor do I see the profits from recommending his book. It's just a great source.)

[ChilDawg]

I can't find anything that says that this isn't permanent...and my Betta never had those cells change back. I'd ask at www.thebettabubble.com to see if Megan has ever had hers revert to the initial color and how she'd handle changing the colors back (if such a thing is possible).

I wouldn't put tetras in a 6g...you just can't fit enough in with the Betta.

[folkartmom]

I will get the book though, we just have a general one on all tropical fish and it's not much help. I really appreciate the quick answers!

Will he turn back red or are the changes permanent?

[folkartmom]

Thanks for the input on the tetras. I'll break the news to my daughter.

[demon_surfer]

no! the 50 tanks are for me all for me you cant have any!!! :mad:

[ChilDawg]

From rereading Goldstein's passage, it seems as though Bettas are bred to have iridiocytes in certain areas. Ones that are indiscriminately bred have them in random locales throughout...and it seems as though breeders take advantage of the permanence of iridiocytes -- well-fed Bettas will fill them quickly and one can tell if they have a cull or perfectly colored betta. Unfortunately, most Bettas from stores aren't bred so well, nor are they well-fed enough to show the locations of their iridiocytes. I would just celebrate the change, but if you want a second opinion, Megan at www.thebettabubble.com would be a good one to ask about this.

[folkartmom]

Just to ask if there's anything I can do to prevent it or change it back. This was a reputable aquarium store I bought from (I thought). Where should I be buying my fish instead?

[ChilDawg]

Well, I wouldn't say that they aren't reputable. It is tough to get a perfectly-bred Betta without spending quite a bit of cash! If you are serious about getting top-notch Bettas, I would join the International Betta Congress (their site -- ibc.bettas.org -- has been down for a bit, but Goldstein has other contact info for them). Otherwise, I'd just celebrate the Betta that I have...which is what I have done (college student, little money, etc., etc.) I have two female bettas coming to me from eBay, so I'll let you know if they're of good quality and then give you the name of the guy and his e-mail address if he did a good job with his bettas...

[demon_surfer]

folk, i dont think chillidawg means that the betta you have is substandard by anymeans. When he talks about the bettas bred for the placement of these spots he is talking about betta show prize winners. Think in terms of dog shows. Your betta is perfectly healthy. and is merely showing that it is well fed and happy in its tank! :)

[ChilDawg]

Ah, yes, I'm referring to the difference between pet-quality and show-quality. Thanks for rephrasing it, demon! :)

[folkartmom]

I don't imagine I'll buy another one soon. I can't fit another big tank in my kitchen and refuse to keep them in those little tanks. We used to have a betta in a two gallon tank but had too much trouble keeping the tank cool in the summer. I'm hoping this big one will be a little more forgiving.

Good luck with your ebay buy! I'm an ebay buyer and seller but would never have thought about buying fish there. I guess you really can buy everything there.

[demon_surfer]

omg blasphemer! there is always room for more tanks!!

Im about to put a third 55 gallon in my bed room...my girlfriend wouldnt let me put an 800 hundred gallon pond in there so im try to persuade her a paddleing pool wouldnt take up too much room! :D

[folkartmom]

I'm glad he's happy! You've all given me lots of information and I can explain it all to my 9 year old. She hasn't noticed the spots yet and now I can tell her it's a sign that the fish is happy.

Whew!:)

[folkartmom]

My daughter is a budding veterinarian. She loves animals. As she gets older and a little more responsible we'll talk about putting an aquarium in her room. I can see how this fish thing could be "more-ish".

We bought a SpongeBob house for the betta tank and my husband won't let us use it. He's worried the betta will get stuck in the windows. So I guess we'll eventually have to get a tank with little fish that will be safe with the SpongeBob house. Can't let it go to waste.

[CordyRoy]

You mentioned a problem keeping the temp stable. If you don't have a heater, you should get one. They're really inexpensive for such a small tank, maybe $10-15. This will keep your water temperature stable year round. Good luck!

[CordyRoy]

One more thing--here's a good place for all your betta questions--

http://www.tropicalresources.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=39

It also has some good posts on proper housing, feeding, etc.

[Slappy*McFish]

This is one of the best betta sites on the net...
http://www.bettastarz.com/home.htm