Help- Blue Beta turning Red

[Willem]

Hi
I bought a beta two weeks ago had him in quarintine for the two weeks then put him in my 60L with some
neons and white tips water temp 25deg ph 7.6 , fed him frozen brine shrimp and flakes.
He first started turning into a grey-ish colour and then that changed to red, today I took him out and put him in my 100L that just finished its cycle and now he's nearly completely red.
PLEASE HELP........!!!!!!!!! :sad2:

[Vis]

Hi Willem

How big was your betta?
How is it behaving now?

Bettas were all bred from wild stock. In the wild red is a very prominent color in bettas.
People have spent years trying to breed different clean colors like blue, yellow etc.
Even these days when judging they look if the bettas has a red wash to it and if has a clean
solid color.

So if your betta was young and now settling its not that rare to change color to a degree.

If its eating good and swimming actively and does not look bloated or ill in any case its normal.

Gerhard

[wearsbunnyslippers]

what flakes are you feeding?

check for the ingredient astaxanthin. if it has this in, do not feed it these flakes. also stop feeding them brine shrimp this also contains astaxanthin. this is not harmful in anyway, and is used in a lot of high quality fish foods to bring out the reds in fish. if your fish are not red, do not feed them this food. removing astaxanthin from its diet should allow it to revert to its previous colour.

there are some nice betta designed foods, rather get some of those..

[Willem]

@Vis (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/member.php?u=530) don't know how old it is but it's swimming actively but not eating to well, it's eating but not like a little pig like they discribe in the beta forums

@wearsbunnyslippers (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/member.php?u=319) the flakes name I dont know I got this from my brother from when he used to breed them, but I will stop with the brine chrimp

and look for beta flakes, mm can I feed normal life brine chrimp or is it also not a good thing ?

[Willem]

Vis don't know how old it is but it's swimming actively but not eating to well, it's eating but not like a litle pig like they discribe in the beta forums

wearsbunnyslippers the flakes name I dont know I got this from my brother from when he used to breed them, but I will stop with the brine chrimp

and look for beta flakes, mm can I feed normal life brine chrimp or is it also not a good thing ?

[Vis]

Hi WillemI don't like feeding bettas flake food in general.You can still give him brineshrimp but not each day ifyou are really bothered by the red.Bettas need some frozen or live foods to keep them healthy.Sera makes a granule food especially for blue discus. Maybe geta small tub of this. You might have to cut the granules a little smaller.Its a good high proteien food.I also like the Tetra prima mini granule.It might also just be in his genes.

[Willem]

Mmm Hi Vis actualy not bothered by the red just had a big "skrik" but I'l look for that granule and give him of that.
You never know maybe he'l stay red and blue........LOL

[Wyvren]

Willem - my blue betta used to be a blue with white fins. In the last 4 months (since I got him), he has turned a stunning midnight blue on his body with a lighter blue for his fins. My red boy was a light orangey red when I got him and now he is maroon!

Their colouring is mostly dependant on their age. The younger they are when we get them the bigger the surprise I have learnt. Plus I suspect the brighter the colour the happier and safer they feel? Not that I mind at all. Ive been feeding mine the Terta Prima granules - they each get about 4 granules a day and I feed them at night because having watched them that is their most hyper active period (basically when Im home and can pay them attention - I have to put my dog away when I do this or else she has a fit and goes green with envy!)

I also feed them Brineshrimp, daphnia and bloodworms once a week - I rotate the food so that its something different every time or else I found they wont touch the other foods.

[Anine]

my black delta boy also coloured up significantly after I brought him home. he now has a metallic dark blue back and red to the base of his fins.
he gets betta granules, ground tetra bits, ground tetra tropical flakes, frozen bloodworm and cooked/deshelled pea bits. he's a greedy pig and eats (or tries to eat) anything that enters his tank, including my fingers!

that said, if yours is not eating well or looking a bit clamped, test your water or just up your water changes for a bit

[Willem]

@Wyvren (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/member.php?u=1535) Thanks for the info now I'm a bit more relieved if this is whats happening to him, I think I should get him a female or two
then he'l light up like a candle.....lol

@Anine (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/member.php?u=1779)Thanks for the info aswell I'l take a look at those foods and start giving him that too but I think I'm feeding him to much aswell cause he use to be in a comunity tank but he is in the 100L now with one friend (featherfin catfish)


Thanks againt

[Vis]

I'm feeding him to much aswell cause he use to be in a comunity tank

Willem be very carefull off overfeeding your bettas as this can kill him because of bloat and other related things.

Try and skip at least one day and if you can give him boiled pea once a week.

[Wyvren]

My guys refuse peas tho, hence the daphnia. Even that took a few days of trying to get them to eat it.

[Vis]

Ja they can be stubborn.

Easier to train then to eat it when they are younger.

Also find they eat it easier when in a group like 5 females because they compete for food.

[Wyvren]

Yea ive noticed that with the fry I am raising, they will eat anything and everything given half a chance. My two boys whom I guess is about a year old are fuss pots. The one only eats mysis the other one brineshrimp. Both will eat daphnia and bloodworms. Daphnia will only be eaten after their fasting day tho otherwise they ignore it.

[Anine]

mine would happily eat until he burst! this guide shows you how to judge by your betta's stomach if s/he's eaten enough: http://bettatalk.com/food.htm

f (http://bettatalk.com/food.htm)or mine it's two or three very small bits of food once a day. supposedly their stomachs are the size of their eyes