White spots on Betta - is it Ich

[wavekeeper]

Noticed tiny white spots on my betta's fins and body yesterday. They're scattered but not fuzzy. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank is 5 gallons, heated to 78F, sponge filter. Could this be ich?

[fluxive]

Sounds like classic ich to me. The spots are usually uniform and spread fast. Raise the temp to 82F slowly over a day, add aquarium salt (1 tsp per gallon), and treat with ich meds. Keep an eye on your filter bacteria, some meds can mess with it.

[Lynx]

Sounds like classic ich to me. The spots are usually uniform and spread fast. Raise the temp to 82F slowly over a day, add aquarium salt (1 tsp per gallon), and treat with ich meds. Keep an eye on your filter bacteria, some meds can mess with it.

Agreed. Also, dim the lights if possible, stress makes it worse. How often do you do water changes?

[SeaWavz]

Yo, def ich. Had the same prob last month. Upped the temp, dumped in salt, and used Kordon Rid Ich. Cleared up in like 4 days. Just don't go overboard with the meds, bettas are sensitive af.

[mounta7]

Before jumping to meds, confirm it's ich. Are the spots raised like grains of salt? Any flashing or rubbing against decor? Sometimes fungal infections can look similar but need different treatment.

[journy]

Before jumping to meds, confirm it's ich. Are the spots raised like grains of salt? Any flashing or rubbing against decor? Sometimes fungal infections can look similar but need different treatment.

True that. My dude had white patches once, turned out to be columnaris. Pics would help if you can upload.

[rhythms]

Ich usually starts on the fins first. If it's spreading to the body fast, that's a red flag. What's your water change routine? Consistency is key to prevent this stuff.

[wavekeeper]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll try raising the temp and salt first. Water changes are weekly, 25%. I'll grab some meds tomorrow if it doesn't improve.

[Flarex]

Make sure the salt is pure aquarium salt, not table salt. And dissolve it in tank water before adding. Sudden changes can shock them.

[lunas]

Good call on the salt. Also, keep the tank clean, ich thrives in dirty water. Maybe bump the changes to 30% for a bit.