Betta turning white, very sluggish

[abm]

To preface - I am in the process of re-reading threads here b/c I know I remember someone having posted about a betta with a white patch appearing under his chin and on his head, but since i can't find it right now - I am posting my concern.

This morning Taz, a dark blue vt w/ some ct genes, did not jump out of the water for breakfast. My son nudged the tank and finally called me b/c Taz was laying on the bottom not responding. I finally got him to come up and eat two pellets, but very unenthusiastically, and I noticed a large white patch under his chin extending around both sides of his head/shoulder area.

Tank is 2 gallons, uncycled, full changes every 10 days, last change Monday 4/12. Water temp 80 degrees, pH around 6.8. Water contains aquarium salt, NovAqua and Amquel+ and Vitachem liquid vitamins. Nothing has changed in this setup since Christmastime when he moved into this tank. He gets two Biogold pellets around 7am and 5 BettaBites at night. Normally very active, jumps around a lot, very responsive.

I was unable to observe him for long this morning as I had to go to work. Hopefully he will be back to himself when I arrive home tonight but any ideas ya'll might have are welcome.

thanks,
~abm

[Rachel]

How long have you had Taz? How is he doing this evening?

Were you able to find any past threads about the issue?

[abm]

Thanks for replying Rachel:)
I've had Taz about six months; he was a wallyworld impulse buy that I've never regretted.

Tonight he looks FINE. Perfectly normal, no weird whiteness, behavior is normal, eating is normal, reactions are normal. Of course I'm relieved, but what in the heck was wrong today? Did my betta just get up on the wrong side of the silk plant or something?

There was another thread about someone having similar white areas recently but no, I haven't had time to look for it. I will just watch him for now.

Thanks to all for reading and thinking good thoughts

[Rachel]

I'm not sure what exactly may have caused it. Sometimes when bettas have been sleeping on the bottom for a while, they may pale slightly before they go to the surface for air. Perhaps he was just feeling a bit off that day.

Do you use Vita-Chem as a regular water additive? I am not that familiar with the product. What are the benefits to doing so? Is it usually used as an additive to food?

[abm]

VitaChem drops are used in the water (2 drops per gallon) and to soak food a few times weekly. I discovered them at DrsFosterSmith.com and BettaRic highly recommended them as general health strengtheners. They are supposed to help fish ward off illness like any vitamin product. I'm not looking at the label right now but I have been using them since the holidays with no problems with any of my guys.

I hope Taz doesn't have another off day like that! I worried all day at work! He seems fine today too:)

[starlight]

Do you use Vita-Chem as a regular water additive? I am not that familiar with the product. What are the benefits to doing so? Is it usually used as an additive to food?

I've used Vita-Chem for several years. It's good stuff. I add 2 drops per gallon to the water and one drop to frozen food.

[ACKislander]

Someone asked if it is normal for Bettas to have a white patch under their mouth... Like a beard. And yes, it is totally normal so long as what you're seeing is part of the bettas coloring. If you see something growing like a "fuzz" or cottony white or brownish patches then it is something else. Most bettas do have natural white coloring on their chins that may round up to the sides of their face. It may also begin to expand as they grow older. Like an old man with a beard.

Your water parameters are all good, but I do have to point out that you're overfeeding your betta by quite a lot.

2 bio-gold in the morning and 5 betta bites at night are more then twice as much as a betta should really eat. A full grown male betta can usually eat about 2 pellets (soaked so they expand) in the morning and two at night. The general rule is a betta's stomach is only as big as one of his eyeballs and should not be fed more then that amount at a time. This is especially important when feeding dry food like pellets which may cause digestive problems in some bettas. I'm not sure if this is what caused your betta to be lethargic the other night, but it wouldn't hurt to cut back anyway. It'll lesson his chances for digestive disorders and obesity.

Glad to hear he's feeling 'betta.' ;D lol, it's been a while since I told a really bad joke.