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Post by kellytrance on Jan 16, 2004 0:19:55 GMT -5
Trogdor (or as I call him lately trugen van londanshtad, hehe) is the coolest. I have had him for a year and a half and have grown quite attached. Anyway, he is a dark blue, with a beautiful red in his fins. However I have noticed that lately his color is not as strong. He does not act unhealthy or unhappy. He eats normally, swims a lot, hides out in his cave and flares up at his reflection. So I was just curious, do bettas lose their color as they get older? He was grown when i bought him, so I assume he is over two years old.
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Post by abm on Jan 16, 2004 0:33:03 GMT -5
I have heard that color loss can be a sign of aging  but also a sign of illness, so do keep an eye on him. It sounds like you have taken great care of your little guy so I'm sure you will pick up any other symptoms that might be present. One factor might be cold - is your water any cooler than usual? My red betta especially reacts and looks faded when his water gets cool... |
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Post by palepinkvase on Jan 17, 2004 10:09:22 GMT -5
You might also consider adding something to his water. Alot of people on this site use BettaMax. From their experience it seems to be a good pick-me-up for Bettas. Good Luck.  |
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Post by kellytrance on Jan 22, 2004 0:23:39 GMT -5
aaaah trogdor is so cute!! he is halfway out of his house right now resting on a rock.
okay anyway, thank you for the input. i notice that the cooler his water is the sharper his color is. and i have him in a new tank with a light on it and this definetly warms his water up, in fact, i can't leave it on too long or the water gets too warm. maybe that is it or maybe it is the combination of the temp. and his age.
i have heard of bettamax. i am going to get some. i originally just bought him some expensive food which i can't get him to touch, hehe. it is supposed to have all this good stuff in it but he hates it.
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Post by Emerson on Jan 22, 2004 6:50:55 GMT -5
Hi, Cool water really isn't good for your Betta. Do you know how cold the water is getting when the light is turned off? How warm when it's on? A consistent 76-80 is about right, so if the water is heating up and cooling down to extremes, the stress could be causing some color change.  It does sound like your Betta could be getting up in age, too, if you've already had him a year and a half. Pet store Bettas are *usually* right around a year old when they are sold, which could make Trogdor 2 1/2 years old or maybe even older. That's a ripe age for a Betta, so some of what you're seeing could indeed be related to that. I still think water temp might be a factor, though, and would be curious to see what the temperature of his water is both when the light is on and when it is off. sef |
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Post by BettaRic on Jan 22, 2004 7:50:41 GMT -5
Right: the most important for the health of your fish is STABILITY - stability of everything, pH, water, temperature, etc  . |
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Post by kellytrance on Jan 22, 2004 23:07:38 GMT -5
well his water isn't cold and never has been, but with that light on, it was making it way too hot, so i leave it on for very short periods of time. my house stays very warm already....so his water is definetly not cold.
and bettaric, trogdor usually leads a very stable life, i just recently got a new tank and its taking some adjusting, sorry to make you mad.
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Post by kellytrance on Jan 22, 2004 23:09:29 GMT -5
also, i see what you are saying with the temperature extremes, i just didn't realize that light was so hot! now his water should be staying a consistent temperature and he is looking better.
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but also a sign of illness, so do keep an eye on him. It sounds like you have taken great care of your little guy so I'm sure you will pick up any other symptoms that might be present. One factor might be cold - is your water any cooler than usual? My red betta especially reacts and looks faded when his water gets cool... 
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