Why is my betta losing color

Why is my betta losing color

If your betta fish is losing color, there may be a health issue or fish disease. Deep, rich body colors are always present in a healthy betta fish. A new hobbyist may ignore pale fins, but if a condition is left untreated, it only gets worse!

Color fading is a symptom of one or more health conditions. A fish keeper needs to consider various diseases if the betta is pale and fins lose color. Any type of color issue is serious.

  • Reddish areas on various parts of the body
  • Yellowish-gray cast on the body, which extends to the fins
  • Body-color changes to any degree
  • Pale areas on the head
  • Markings appear on the body

Color fading is a common symptom and a red flag of a range of fish diseases. A betta or any sick fish with a poor appetite and a pale body means there is a serious health issue.

Any pale betta covered in mucus suffers from chlorine poisoning and needs to be moved to a hospital tank. There are appropriate chemicals available to remove the chlorine.

Velvet is common in anabantoids (bettas), and your betta may appear to be wearing gold dust. Betta fish may also look gray. Unfortunately, this is the cause of a parasite. There is a commercial malachite green remedy available.

This is a common fish disease, and new hobbyists need this illness on their radar. Swim bladder diease a bacterial infection, and it is important to add an antibiotic.

If you notice small white spots on the body, your betta is sick with ich. A parasite is a cause, and there is a commercial ich remedy available.

Any white growth on the body is a fungus. The fungus may resolve with a spot treatment of gentian violet.

If you see a gray color on the body or fins, the parasite Costia may be the cause. There is a commercial remedy of malachite green available, and a water change is important.

Never allow any materials of metal to come into contact with the fish tank water. This is a potential source of poisoning.

Poor environmental conditions may cause stress and illness. Always check the water conditions and equipment to determine if there is an issue with your filter. Stress is a common cause of pale fins.

New hobbyists may decide to get the assistance of a professional if a commercial remedy is not available. Fish are easy to manage until an illness happens and a home remedy is also effective.

Ich and fungus may resolve with a salt water bath. Add one teaspoon of table salt for each gallon of water in a hospital tank. Repeat this twice a day for five days. After this time period, the bath typically resolves both conditions.

Fish keepers need a baseline for what a healthy fish looks like on a good day. When you look for a healthy betta to add to the tank, there are specific traits to keep in mind. The general characteristics of a healthy betta may serve as a guideline for new hobbyists.

Why is my betta losing color
  • Rich body colors
  • No visible ulcers or skin problems
  • Clear eyes, neither clouded
  • Long and flowing, or short and erect, fins
  • Flat, smooth scales

Regularly examine your betta fish. Do you know your betta's habits? Everyday habits look much different than abnormal tank behaviors. If your betta fish is losing its color and acting a little off, then take notes and start your research.

  • Bloated behavior
  • Moving slowly
  • Floating upside down
  • Swimming sideways
  • New patches anywhere on its body

A pale betta fish is a clear sign your pet needs medical attention. The healthy betta fish is always colorful. Fish keepers need to be vigilant and refer to common fish diseases' typical symptoms to narrow down the health condition. Treatment is typically straightforward. Always watch the aquarium or fish tank conditions first, as the cause may be as easy as a water change. New hobbyists need to pay careful attention to their colorful betta fish.

Seeing your betta fish losing color is startling, but there’s often a remedy for it. With the exception of old age, the reason why a betta fish loses its color often comes down to a well-meaning but misinformed owner.

For example, you may introduce a fish into the tank that brings in bacteria or parasites. Alternatively, you might put a toy in the tank that has a rough edge.

By using the strategies we discussed here, you should be able to get your betta back to living a happy, healthy life.

Why is my betta losing color

There are several reasons that your betta fish is losing its color, including:

  • Illness
  • Stress
  • Injury
  • Old age

Illness:

Many diseases can cause a betta fish to lose its color or turn a different color.

For example, ich is a white parasite that attaches to the outside of a betta’s body. As its name implies, the parasite makes bettas feel itchy.

To treat ich, you’ll need to quarantine your betta if he’s in a tank with other fish and put a heater in the tank to get it up to 80°F. Within four days, the ich parasite will die.

Another disease in bettas is velvet, which changes the color of your betta to golden.

Velvet is yet another parasite and often enters a tank if you introduce a new fish. Like ich, you should raise your betta tank’s temperature to kill it. You can also add aquarium salt and keep the lights off.

Stress:

The research is in: People’s hair really does turn grey from stress. So, it should come as little surprise that your betta’s color changes when it’s stressed, too.

Often, when bettas feel stressed, their color becomes pale or even white.

Bettas usually become stressed because of environmental conditions. Factors that impact a betta’s happiness include:

  • Plenty of space (you should have a minimum of a five-gallon tank)
  • Feedings once or twice per day
  • Frequent water cleanings
  • Constant water temperature around 78°F

So, if you have a betta fish losing color and have a hunch that it’s due to environmental reasons, try making these adjustments to see if your betta’s color returns.

Injury:

A betta’s fins are beautiful, but it’s easy for them to scratch against toys in its tank or get caught in the substrate. Just like humans get scabs and scars when they get injured, a betta fish’s skin can change color, too.

Once your betta’s skin recovers from injury, it’s common for it to have a darker or lighter color in that area than it used to have.

To avoid preventable injuries for your betta, ensure that any toys and plants you put in its tank don’t have sharp edges. Furthermore, don’t create any setups where large stones on the bottom of the tank could move and fall on your betta’s fins.

Old Age:

If you eliminate stress as a reason that your betta is changing color, then it could be because your betta is getting old. Bettas don’t have a long lifespan; three to five years is typical.

When betta fish age, the pigment in their skin usually gets lighter. So, you might notice your betta losing its color as “young” as two years old.

There’s nothing you can do to get your betta’s scales back to their original color if the lightness is due to age. So, embrace the change and continue providing your betta with nutrient-dense food.

The Color Changing Exception: Marble Bettas

We’ve all seen how people with hazel eyes seemingly change eye color depending on what they wear. Well, it’s a similar situation with marble-colored betta fish—changing color is natural for them.

So, there’s no need to worry if your marble-colored fish changes color frequently.

Why Is My Betta Fish Turning White?

While it’s fun to watch marble-colored betta fish changing colors since it’s Mother Nature at work, it’s troubling if a non-marble-colored betta begins to turn white.

When betta fish begin to turn white, it’s often the sign of a more serious condition. Examples include:

  • Columnaris—a bacterial infection that can cause fluffy-looking white spots on your betta’s skin.
  • Anchor worms—parasites that live on your fish and are often white. They can cause your betta fish to rub and scrape its skin, creating even more discoloration problems.
  • Fin rot—a disease that stays strictly on a betta’s fins. It causes the fins to fray and become white.

Tips for Keeping Your Betta a Healthy Color

Although color changes are expected in betta fish as they age, there are many things you can do throughout your betta’s life to keep him healthy and maintain vibrant colors.

Assess Your Betta’s Tank:

Happiness starts at home, so to make sure your betta doesn’t lose its color from stress, put him in a tank that’s at least five gallons. You should also have a heater to maintain a warm temperature and a filter to prevent ammonia build-up.

Feed Your Betta Quality Food:

Just like people who eat unhealthily don’t have the radiant, glowing skin of people who do look healthy, choosing the types of food you feed your betta makes a difference with its color. Certain foods have more color-enhancing properties than others, such as:

  • Daphnia
  • Salmon
  • Fresh, frozen, and freeze-dried foods

Be Mindful of Giving Your Betta Space:

Betta fish aren’t very social, which is why you often see them in their own tanks at pet stores. That’s not to say that your betta can’t share a tank with another fish, though.

If you choose to introduce your betta to other fish, make sure to increase the tank’s size accordingly. As a general rule, you should add a minimum of one gallon of water per inch of fish after the five-gallon base.

By doing so, your betta will feel less stressed and will maintain its beautiful color.

Related Article: Why is my betta fish bloated?