Betta fish comes in varied species and colors naturally and through breeding. Betta fish’s beautiful and elaborate color makes them the best pet choice for fish enthusiasts to begin with. However, if you are a rookie in the business, you might not know that betta fish changes its colors. Betta fish turning blue is what people are generally concerned about.
Betta fish tend to change colors for many reasons. They are sensitive to any water or tank changes and react to them almost immediately. One of the ways they express their emotions is by changing colors. Hence if you have a betta fish turning blue, then it is probably trying to tell you something. There are various reasons why your betta fish might be turning blue. For instance, it might be a marble betta that has the jumping gene, or it might be because your betta fish is stressing over something. To know why your betta fish is turning blue, keep reading.
Why Is My Betta Fish Turning Blue?
Are you worried about your red betta fish turning blue? Here are a few reasons why this happens. The majority of reasons why you have a betta fish turning blue is because of stress. Betta fish is very peculiar about its tank conditions and does not like any significant changes in its habitat. Here are a few reasons why your betta fish is turning blue, due to stress or otherwise.
Water Parameters
Since your betta’s habitat is mostly water, any changes in any of the water parameters, such as temperature, pH, salinity, color, algae content, etc., will stress out your fish. The ideal water temperature range for a betta is 74-82 degrees Fahrenheit. It also requires a neutral pH measure that is 6.5-7. Any temperature other than the mentioned range or pH range will stress out your betta.
Your fish excretes, eat, swim, and live in the very same water. Hence, if proper filtration is not provided along with decent cleaning of the water, nitrate and ammonia content in water may make water contaminated and unbearable for fish to survive. This condition will naturally make betta change its bright red or orange color to dull blue or black due to anxiety and strong alkaline water.
Fungus, Bacteria, And Parasites
Any bacterial, fungal, or parasitic disease in beta could be fatal for it. Illness with fungi is fairly prevalent in betta fish. The cotton wool disease affects afflicted fish’s fins and jaws. On the tail and surrounding its lips, it develops into a foamy extended white cloud. It’s frequently discovered in areas that have been previously infected, parasitized, or wounded.
It grows extremely quickly and is a highly contagious pathogen that, if left ignored, can wipe out a whole aquarium.
These infections weaken their immune systems, making them more susceptible to future bacterial or parasite infections, such as ich. These diseases damage your betta’s mental stability as well as its physical capacity, which is why you might notice your bright, cheery, energetic betta becoming dull, blue, and lethargic.
Inadequate Diet
Offering the improper sort of diet is a typical blunder, especially among novice fish owners. Bettas are omnivores who enjoy a diet high in meat and protein. As a result, feeding them flakes and pellets daily may bore them and give them insufficient nutrients. Your betta won’t be able to keep its bright colors if it doesn’t have enough nutrients.
You can feed them daphnia, bloodworms, and live or frozen daphnia. Because there are so many possibilities, it’s normal if you’re unsure what nutrition your fish requires. Giving your betta the unsuitable kind of diet might make them anxious and agitated.
In fact, overfeeding, which is a common issue in betta, will also lead to bloating, eventually blocking its swim bladder. This will cause betta to lose its balance and ability to swim, along with betta fish turning blue.
Inappropriate Lights
Coral reef colors are typically significantly gaudier and livelier than those observed in freshwater fish. Some of these hues are made up of a biological alive bacterium rather than pigmentation. These bacteria not only live within their host, but they also provide it with essential vitamins.
These bacteria, on the other hand, follow a particular light spectrum to survive and stay healthy. Using a lightbulb that does not generate this specific spectrum can result in these microbes not forming properly, making your betta fish sad and eventually betta fish turning blue.
Betta Fish Tuning Blue: Should I Worry?
Betta fish turning blue is usually a cause of worry for most betta fish owners. It is a clear-cut indication that your betta fish is stressed and is not kept in the optimal environment it needs. Therefore, as soon as you notice that your betta fish is turning blue, we recommend checking the tank parameters.
Many times it is not the tank conditions that are what is stressing your betta. Your tank conditions might be appropriate, but your betta might still be stressed because it might feel overwatched. In the wild, betta fish dwells in dark, brackish water and hides within the natural elements. If one keeps watching the betta, one might feel anxious due to its typical nature.
However, we feel that you should know that betta fish turning blue might not be a matter of worry here. Betta fish tend to change their colors as they age. Your betta might have a different color when it’s 3 to 5 months old and a different after a year. Marble betta, for instance, have the jumping gene, which makes it change colors often throughout its lifetime.
Therefore, there is a probability that your betta fish turning blue is part of a natural process or phase that betta fish generally goes through their lifespan. Nevertheless, we recommend that you check the tank conditions, water variables, and the diet you provide them as soon as you notice betta fish turning blue, just to be sure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Why is my blue betta fish turning red?
It is due to the ammonia content in the water. The ammonia concentration in the tank water is so high due to overfeeding and small tanks or bowls that the alkalinity burns the fish’s fins red.
What does it mean when your betta fish changes colors?
It means that your betta fish is under stress due to the tank conditions you provide it with. Your betta is not satisfied with the tank. It could simply mean that your betta is getting old or that you have a marble betta with a jumping gene.
How can I tell if my betta is stressed?
There are various signs of a stressed betta. Some of them are:
– Changing colors
– Abnormal swimming patterns
– Stripes or spots on its body.
– Lethargic and inactive
Final Thoughts:
Betta fish turning blue can be a warning for you to check for the tank conditions if you do not want your betta to die. However, not every time it changes its colors to blue due to stress or tank variables. Sometimes, it changes its colors to blue as a part of its biologically inherited trait. Nevertheless, there is no harm in checking the tank conditions once.
