Betta Has Faded Body Color (1 month now)

[Katie B.]

I purchased Ruby a month ago. We thought he would be all red but it seems that he is supposed to have a blue body (see picture). 

After three days he started acting very lethargic and his body and fin color faded tremendously. I narrowed it down to either a bacterial or parasitic infection. Nothing else appeared wrong with Ruby except the following...

• lethargic
• faded color
• interest in eating but wouldn't eat (tried pellets, flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms, frozen bloodworms)

After treating him with Maracyn & ParaCleanse for 5 days, performing a water change on day 6, and waiting a week he started eating Xtreme nano pellets but then I noticed he had a hole in his top fin and his body color was faded again (fins have stayed consistently red with occasional fading throughout the day). 

I started treating him with Maracyn again (we are on day 3) and his body is still very faded; however, his activity level is up.

So, the question is... am I doing the right thing??? 

The water parameters have been constant with the following data:

• Temperature - 81
• Nitrate - 0 PPM
• Nitrite - 0 PPM
• pH - 7.6
• Hardness - 150 PPM
• Buffer - 40 PPM
• Chlorine - 0 PPM
• Ammonia - 0

I am anxious for his body color to return and him be as healthy as he can be.

Is there anything else I should be doing?

[Colu]

As you have no nitrates your tank mite not have  cycled I would keep an on that just in case you get any ammonia or nitrites spikes  that will stress him out I would add some Indian almond leaves as they have antibacterial and antifungal properties to get the benefial effects you need to add 1 leaf per gallon Betta can change colour though out their life if he's lethargic and not readily eating I would do a course of maracyn if you can get him to eat as maracyn only treats external infection unless add to food I use a quarter of a packet of maracyn one table spoon of pellets one scoop of seachems focus 1 cap of garlic guard a few drops of water mix well feed a small amount twice a day for 7 days store any leftover medicated food in the fridge

Edited March 29, 2022 by Colu

[Katie B.]

Update on Ruby! I stopped medication, gave him a day, and then applied 1/3 tsp per gallon of aquarium salt to his tank and a few days later I am seeing huge improvement! He is moving constantly, back to his curious self, and his color is returning. He definitely had fin rot so I have been doing water changes to remove excess food and I can see new fin growth 😄

*** Below is a video of his new active self! (Please excuse the conversation I was having with my toddler lol)

 

[BAT]

Yay @Katie B.!! That is great news. Salt is a wonder!