Who Gives A Fish Forums

Noticed my betta has some white spots on its fins. Could this be ich? Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank is 5 gallons, heated to 78F, filtered with a sponge. Been doing weekly 25% water changes.

microb wrote: ↑Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:12 am Noticed my betta has some white spots on its fins. Could this be ich? Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank is 5 gallons, heated to 78F, filtered with a sponge. Been doing weekly 25% water changes.

Yep, sounds like ich. 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 the filter flow, bettas don't like strong currents.

Ich is common but preventable. Always quarantine new plants or tankmates for at least two weeks. I've had success with Paraguard as a preventive measure during water changes. Also, avoid sudden temp drops, they stress the fish.

My betta had fin rot last month. Treated with Kanaplex and daily 10% water changes. Took about three weeks to heal. Key is catching it early. Look for frayed edges or discoloration on the fins.

Yo, my dude had the same thing. Raised the temp and added salt like finchlord said, worked like a charm. Just make sure you don't overdose the meds, that's sketchy.

Prevention is better than cure. Maintain stable water conditions, feed high-quality food, and avoid overcrowding. A stressed betta is more prone to diseases. Also, clean the tank regularly but don't overdo it.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Gonna try raising the temp and adding salt first. Will update in a few days.

microb wrote: ↑Mon Jul 21, 2025 1:51 pm Thanks for the advice, everyone. Gonna try raising the temp and adding salt first. Will update in a few days.

Good luck! Hope your betta pulls through. Keep us posted.

Another thing to watch for is velvet. It's less common but deadly. Looks like gold dust on the fish. If you see that, act fast with copper-based meds and dim the lights.

I've found that bettas in planted tanks tend to stay healthier. The plants help with water quality and give them places to hide. Just avoid sharp decor that can tear their fins.