Can a Betta get burned by a heater?

[Mr. Limpet]

Betta Back Story:

I have a 8g community tank, planted with a 1.5 year old Betta, 4 Cardinal Tetras (was 5, but they're dumb as dirt) and some ghost shrimp. Water parameters are perfect (ammo 0, no2 0, no3 >10ppm, temp 76, pH 7.8 pH same in all tanks due to tap water KH 12) and everyone seems happy as clams.

Elvis (Our Betta):

He's eating fine, shows dominance over tank mates (no fighting) whenever he chooses and is a bubble nest maniac. Coloring has really taken off and the blue iridescence has improved dramatically over the past 3 weeks. He's staked out the spot to wedge himself as being between the tank wall and the heater body under the bottom suction cup.

The Issue:

Today I noticed a circular brown spot (flat, no lump) on his right side where he lays up against the heater. The heater in question is a new Aqueon Pro 50w, I felt the heater and it's not even warm, just feels like the tank water temp so I don't suspect a short, only I'm not touching it for 20-30 minutes like he does between breathes.

What else could it be? Could he be rubbing scales off because of the metal casing on the heater? I can't find anything in my goto links other than a possible color change, which seems odd given his age.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I've only ever had one burn, and it was white so it was deep. Your burn may be a surface burn and the description you give does sound like it... I transfered all my tanks to a Fluval E Series because of this, they have a plastic covering so fish cannot get burned.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I've only ever had one burn, and it was white so it was deep. Your burn may be a surface burn and the description you give does sound like it... I transfered all my tanks to a Fluval E Series because of this, they have a plastic covering so fish cannot get burned.

So you've had good luck with those? I was warned away from them and read some less than stellar reviews. Thing that gets me is, why now? A month and not a sign of any issues just seems strange.

 

[wilmo]

+ 1 on the fluval E's. I have a 50 and it's brill.

 

[siva]

Wow I have so many of those heaters and I've never had a problem. Can you post a pic of his wound?

He might not hang near the heater so much if you make the tank a bit warmer. IME bettas are most comfotable at 80...I know if a tank has dipped lower because they will hang by the heater alot.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

+ 1 on the fluval E's. I have a 50 and it's brill.

I'm checking them out now. Thanks!

Wow I have so many of those heaters and I've never had a problem. Can you post a pic of his wound?

He might not hang near the heater so much if you make the tank a bit warmer. IME bettas are most comfotable at 80...I know if a tank has dipped lower because they will hang by the heater alot.

In my research, best temp range was between 74 & 78, so I hit the middle ground. Can't post pics till the app is working again .

As for his hang outs, that's his favorite spot, but it doesn't seem to be a hot/cold issue, since he came from a tank with no heater (1.5g betta special). He sometimes hangs out under a Java fern leaf attached to DW and on occasion can be found laying on top of the intank filter housing (submerged about 1") so it's all kinda random since he's got the run of the tank.

 

[wilmo]

My Betta (Thai) alway sits on the heater, behind airline or among the plastic plants.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

So you've had good luck with those? I was warned away from them and read some less than stellar reviews. Thing that gets me is, why now? A month and not a sign of any issues just seems strange.

Things can change for fish inside a tank even if you change nothing. An example of a difference I've seen is that the sun now rises at a different angle and the sunlight entering the room with my two main tanks fills with light (nothing directly on the tanks), the fish shy away from the lighter side of the room (which is now different). This is a seasonal thing I've noticed during our time here.

I should note not everyone has the time to notice such things, but I work from home and literally glance at my tanks all day long while I'm thinking what word to type...

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Things can change for fish inside a tank even if you change nothing. An example of a difference I've seen is that the sun now rises at a different angle and the sunlight entering the room with my two main tanks fills with light (nothing directly on the tanks), the fish shy away from the lighter side of the room (which is now different). This is a seasonal thing I've noticed during our time here.

I should note not everyone has the time to notice such things, but I work from home and literally glance at my tanks all day long while I'm thinking what word to type...

Great point and I thought about too in trying to find the culprit. The sun doesn't hit the tank, but the room is warmer with summer coming on and even on a warm day the floating thermo reads 76-77, so if anything the 50w heater is on less now than it was a month ago. I'm in my home office today too .

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I've just had to put our AC on today and probably won't be able to turn it off until October. Our home is extremely warm all winter and it only gets worse in the summer! My heaters are off a lot of the time and have a red flashing light telling me they are at about 82 degrees. With the AC on they should drop and the tanks should actually be cooler in the summer than they are in the winter.

 

[undercutter]

most heaters have plastic cover around it, no?

 

[siva]

I'm checking them out now. Thanks!



In my research, best temp range was between 74 & 78, so I hit the middle ground. Can't post pics till the app is working again .

As for his hang outs, that's his favorite spot, but it doesn't seem to be a hot/cold issue, since he came from a tank with no heater (1.5g betta special). He sometimes hangs out under a Java fern leaf attached to DW and on occasion can be found laying on top of the intank filter housing (submerged about 1") so it's all kinda random since he's got the run of the tank.

My opinion on the temp is strong...years of research and more importantly owning and observing so many bettas has proven to me 80 is best for them. I've seen clamped fins at 76 more than once, and bettas who constantly hang at the heater.

 

[siva]

most heaters have plastic cover around it, no?

No. Just the bottom.

 

[siva]

Sometimes velvet is initially indentified by a brown or red looking spot. You might want to do the flashlight test to make sure. Shine the light on the betta’s body, if it looks like it is covered with a fine gold or rust mist, then it has velvet.

 

[Hubert90]

Sometimes velvet is initially indentified by a brown or red looking spot. You might want to do the flashlight test to make sure. Shine the light on the betta’s body, if it looks like it is covered with a fine gold or rust mist, then it has velvet.

But if mr limpet uses aquarium salt, it shouldn't be a problem. But doesn't hurt to confirm.

 

[siva]

Well it would rule out the heater as the problem.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

My opinion on the temp is strong...years of research and more importantly owning and observing so many bettas has proven to me 80 is best for them. I've seen clamped fins at 76 more than once, and bettas who constantly hang at the heater.

OK. How will that effect my Cards and Ghosties?

Sometimes velvet is initially indentified by a brown or red looking spot. You might want to do the flashlight test to make sure. Shine the light on the betta’s body, if it looks like it is covered with a fine gold or rust mist, then it has velvet.

WOW! Great tip Siva!

Did the flashlight test (kinda PO'd Elvis lol) and I can see the area that looked brown is actually missing scales and it's fleshy colored lit up. His body doesn't look covered in dust (gold/rust), he has some areas that are dark and when I lit them up they looked copper colored but I wouldn't say they looked like dust.

 

[Hubert90]

Could it be an ulcer?

 

[siva]

Ok that's not good. If it is velvet, it would have most likely started at the head. To be sure, do you see the copper color on his head/gill area?

The ghosts and cards are fine at 80. But if it is velvet, the temp should be raised high enough that it may not be great for them. I would start bumping the heat right away, 1 degree every 12 hours. Is a hospital tank avail for the betta?

 

[siva]

I've never heard of other fish getting velvet, but I think it is contagious, so now that I think about it you would need to treat the whole tank. I would start the same as you would treat ich, salt and heat. The cardinals don't always do so well with salt unfortunately.