the problem is that rosita likes to swim through small spaces and i saw her one day trying to fit through a really small gap between the shell and the wall of the tank. the space was too small and there was no way through so she was stuck. i panicked and went to go get the net to move the shell and set her free.

when i came back, she was out of the gap and swimming happily.

i thought things were ok you know, but the next day i noticed she had one of her scales looking weird.

i realized that maybe she had scrathed herself while trying to get out.

i don't know if i should treat it with something or just let it be. i don't want her to get an infection or something.

please someone help, i don't want my little one to get sick!

Is this a freshwater or saltwater betta fish?

What type of tank is the fish in?  How long have you had the fish?  What type of filtration is on the tank?  What are the water parameters?  How often do you change the water?

If the betta is in good health, being fed an appropriate diet and the water parameters are pristine, the injury more than likely will heal on its own.

Watch closely for any signs of infection - area getting larger, change in color, change in behavior or eating....

Again, welcome to the forums.

Best of luck.

thanks for the welcome and quick response!

rosita is a freshwater betta.

she's by herself in a small, one gallon tank.

i've had her for exactly seven months.

since the tank is small, there's no filter.

she only has a small, plastic plant in there (i took out the shell, i don't think she liked it so much. maybe it was the limited space; i was going to get her a bigger tank)

i change her water every two weeks w/ the stress coat. i take out her wastes everyday.

rosita eats four betta food pellets, two times a day (as instructed on the bottle)

her behavior has been pretty much the same, all cheerful. that's why i didn't even notice the scratch right away.

so, do you think it will heal up by itself or should i take further action on the matter?

thank you so much for your help

Please keep us updated.

i did as you suggested & i think the scale that looked like it was going to fall off is gone!

i saw it yesterday. now there's a dark spot where the scale was.

i'm not sure if that's bad news or good news.

she is a dark colored red, but on the sides she has a faint touch of blue and that scale was on that blueish streak.

now it's darker, more like the color of her face.

what do you think that means?

Can you post a picture?

i took a pic like you requested but it didn't come out that good (my camera's not the best)

i circled white the black dot that i'm talking bout. you can see how she gets this blue streak as lights hit her side but on that spot it doesn't turn blue anymore. im not even sure if it was a scale that was falling off i jus saw this transparent thing hanging from the side. now that it's gone im wandering if it's jus maybe that there's no scale there to reflect the light and maybe it'll grow back? i dunno it's jus a theory. what do you think?

	Post Attachments
	rosita 9.JPG (31 views, 43.57 KB)

I would say if the betta is acting "normal" and eating, I would just watch.  Perhaps the area in question may never return back to normal. 

Keep up the good fish husbandry and observe and enjoy your betta.

i'll make sure to keep an eye on my rosita.

thanks, again!