Betta white scales, hiding

[Oto]

Hello,

I've about a month ago that my crowntail betta, Hassium had a thin white outline around the edges of his scales. I didn't think that this was such a big issue because he was active and swimming around.

He's living in a three gallon unheated tank. The temperature is usually around 72 degrees, and there are some floating plants and an anubias. I know this is not ideal, and he was living in a heated and filtered five gallon before. This is only temporary because the endlers' ten gallon leaked, and they are living in Hassium's old tank for now. Hassium has been in the tank for about three weeks.

I do two 50% water changes a week, and just did one today.

Yesterday, though, he started hiding in his temple decoration and refusing to come out. His scales have more of the white stuff. I'm pretty sure it's not fungus because it doesn't look fuzzy. Instead, it looks almost flat, like it's part of his coloring.

I fed him some freeze-dried bloodworms for the first time earlier this week, but I soaked them in water for five minutes before: could this have caused the problem, or is the problem some sort of disease?

These pictures were from about two weeks ago. You can see the white, especially on his head. I can't get a very good picture of him now because he's always in the decoration, but I'll try to get one up.

Thanks.

 

[Autumnsky]

It seems like his color from the bottom pic, but the top almost looks like he is getting specs like Ich. Does he have white spots in random places not at the edges of his scales?

Betta will develop more color and pattern as they grow up.

Have you tested the water before pwc to see what the levels of Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte are? You might want to make sure there isn't any uneaten food left over, and since you changed the fish and tanks does he have a filter?

The excess / uneaten bloodworms may have created an ammonia spike. I would do an extra pwc just for good measure. Did you soak the freeze dried BW in tap water or tankwater or treated tap water. Best treated or tank.

You did the right thing soaking them (maybe even a little longer) and it shouldn't have made him sick from eating them, they love those things! Just the leftovers could have made the water quality poor and he could be reacting to that by hiding. If the water quality is within healthy range you might just want to keep an eye on him. Having cooler water and no filter could also be making him sluggish.

 

[Oto]

Thanks for the reply. I soaked the blood worms in tank water for 2 minutes. Unfortunately, I don't have a test kit, but I've been changing a gallon, about 35% of the water daily. I also got a heater yesterday, which is now keeping the water at 78 degrees. I started feeding him frozen peas which he been boiled with some garlic, then chopped in case he's constipated, but I haven't t noticed a difference. The spots are mostly at the edge of his scales, but I've noticed them on his mouth and his gills when he breathes too (he's breathing a bit heavily, so I can see his gill flaps sticking out slightly.) I gave him a salt bath both the day before yesterday and yesterday, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in 1/2 gallon of water, then moving him to a bucket with 1/2 teaspoon salt in 1/2 gallon water. This seems to help a little, but he started scratching on things around his tank, so I haven't repeated the treatment today... should I continue ?