Author: Josefine Anderson

Color fading in bettas is one of the most common concerns I hear from keepers, and in most cases it’s fixable once you identify the actual cause. After years of keeping bettas, the first things I always check are water quality and temperature. a stressed or cold betta will pale out fast, and those two factors account for most cases I’ve seen.

That said, some color changes are completely normal. Marble bettas change color throughout their lives. that’s genetics, not disease. Older bettas (2+ years) will naturally fade some. Knowing which situation you’re in changes what you do about it. Here are the 7 most likely reasons and how to tell them apart.

Top 7 Reasons Why Your Betta Fish Is Losing Its Color

Here are the top 7 reasons why your Betta is losing color.

1. Introducing A New Member To The Tank

Betta fish are highly territorial and aggressive. Therefore, any new fish added to the aquarium is seen as a potential threat to their territory. Hence, this leads to aggression and territorial behavior in the aquarium. Your betta fish might flare the fins or chase new fish to get rid of the new fish, eventually leading to stressful behavior.

Therefore, I always suggest choosing the tank mates carefully for your betta’s aquarium. If you’re planning to introduce a new fish in the tank, provide lots of hiding places and decorations for the fish.

2. Stress 

Betta will always lose color under stress. When Bettas are under stress, their bodies release a hormone that results in your fish losing color. The amount of color loss is dependent on the severity of the stress. In serious circumstances, your betta fish turns white or loses color¹.

There are so many reasons for stress in Betta fish such as changes in the environment, poor water quality, poor diet, and other fish that are incompatible.

If you want your fish to maintain their vibrant colors, it’s important to provide them with a stress-free environment. Always maintain water quality, monitor water parameters, and avoid adding too many fish in the betta tank.

3. Diseases

If stress or other water parameters are not the underlying cause of your betta fish losing color, then illness is a possible reason.

Betta fish may catch fish diseases such as parasites or bacterial infections that cause them to lose their vibrancy.

Ich

Ich is a parasitic infection that causes white spots on the betta’s skin and fins. Ich is one of the leading reasons your betta fish turning white or losing color. To treat ich, several medications are prescribed but it’s important to identify the underlying cause.

Fin Rot

Fin rot is caused by bacterial infections. The symptoms include; frayed betta fins or ragged fins and may also affect the fish’s skin. If left untreated, it can be a deadly infection.

The common causes of fin rot are:

1. Poor water quality
2. Overcrowding
3. Improper diet
4. Physical trauma and stress

Anchor Worms

Anchor worms are contagious. And the best part is they can see with the naked eye. Anchor worms are parasites that appear as long, thin, and thread-like particles on the betta’s body.

The infected fish shows symptoms such as:

1. Scratching or rubbing against objects
2. Loss of appetite
3. Loss of color
4. Lacerations and ulcerations on the betta’s body

4. Poor Water Quality

Betta fish are native to slow-moving waters in Southeast Asia. Therefore, they need particular water conditions to remain healthy and happy in their tank. When the water parameters are not properly maintained, it can lead to a variety of problems, including fish diseases and loss of color.

I always suggest regularly testing the water and making adjustments to maintain water parameters and quality. Always test the water to make sure that it is within the ideal ranges.

pH

First of all, the pH of betta tank water should be maintained. Betta fish likes slightly acidic pH ranging between 6.5 to 7.5. If you keep the pH too high or low, your fish might fall victim to stress and ultimately lose color.

Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates

It is vital to monitor the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the tank water. High levels of ammonia and other toxins may result in deadly fish diseases.

If the tank water is not properly maintained, it can lead to a variety of health problems, including a loss of color. Proper water quality is essential for bettas, and it is important to regularly test the water and make sure that it is within the proper range for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels to avoid ammonia poisoning or nitrate poisoning.

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5. Poor Diet

Betta fish require a varied, nutritious, and carnivorous diet in order to maintain their health and vibrancy. A diet that is lacking in nutrients or that is unbalanced can lead to a variety of health problems, including a loss of color.

Since betta is carnivorous, their diet mainly consists of protein. It’s crucial to feed them food high in protein such as live or frozen foods, brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. I also advise feeding them freeze-dried foods or dry food supplements to improve their health and color vibrancy.

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Along with protein-rich diet, feed your betta vitamins and minerals as a color-enhancing food but make sure the diet is balanced to maintain the health and vibrancy of the fish, without overfeeding fish.

6. Incorrect Water Temperature

Water temperature plays a vital role in maintaining the vibrancy of your betta fish. Since bettas are tropical fish, they prefer consistent water temperatures to remain happy and healthy. Too high or too low water temperature can cause stress and other health problems in your betta fish, including color loss.

Effect Of High Temperatures

At high temperatures, betta fish is susceptible to stress and diseases, and this might be the reason for your betta fish turning white or losing color. At high temperatures, the betta’s body stops functioning properly, which results in low pigment production. Hence, the color loss.

Effect Of Low Temperatures

Low water temperature is equally harmful to the betta fish as the cold water usually slows down your fish’s metabolism. As a result, they become more prone to diseases and stress. Additionally, the pigment cells of betta fish contract at low temperatures, resulting in a loss of color.

Ideal Water Water For Betta Fish

To maintain the color and vibrancy of your betta fish, it’s important to keep the water temperature in ideal range.

The ideal water temperature for your betta tank is between 76 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (24-28 degrees Celsius). I suggest using a reliable thermometer to monitor and maintain a consistent temperature.

7. Old Age

One of the main reasons your betta is suffering from color loss is nothing, but the inevitable; old age!

As your betta fish ages, you’ll realize that it appears less vibrant and less colorful as the younger fish in the tank.

There are many factors that contribute to the color loss in older betta fish.

1. Low production of pigment in the betta’s body
2. Decline in overall’s betta health
3. Stress and fish diseases

If your older Betta is suffering from color loss, it’s not uncommon. However, you need to maintain proper water quality and betta’s diet to avoid other problems and illness.

How To Brighten Their Color

If your betta fish is progressively losing its color and you have no idea why, there are a few things you can do to get those beautiful, bright colors back.

Monitor Water Quality

The good thing about betta fish is its ability to thrive in small aquariums. However, the small containers, vases and jars often become too toxic for your betta fish to live in. The traces of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites may cause other deadly fish diseases, resulting in a loss of color.

Therefore, it is recommended to monitor and maintain the water quality and choose the appropriate tank size for your betta fish. The ideal tank size should be no less than 5 gallons.

Feed Them Shrimp

It’s a known fact that betta regains their bright, beautiful colors when you feed your betta protein-rich food. Also, natural foods containing carotenoids have a proven record to restore Betta’s color.

Thus, when you feed your betta just fish food, they become constipated and lose color. Experienced betta keepers always recommend feeding betta fish color-enhancing foods such as brine shrimp and other crustaceans to brighten up your tank with the natural beauty of your adorable bettas.

Use LED Aquarium Lighting

This might sound like the most bizarre option, but it actually works.

If you notice your betta fish turning white or getting grey and dull in color, just install LED aquarium lighting and within the next few hours, the colors will be back. That’s because the aquarium lighting causes the colors of betta to become more intense and darker.

Why Are They Turning Black?

Sometimes, betta doesn’t lose their color but turns black, especially from their fins. The process of betta fish turning black might disturb aquarists. However, it’s not worrisome if your fish’s health is good.

There are several factors that contribute to your betta fish turning black.

The Marble Betta Gene Factor

If your betta has the marble gene, it will most likely turn black after the age of two. And as your betta ages, it will become darker and darker with time. Therefore, under the age of one or two, if your betta turns black, there can be a problem. The problem can be poor water quality, stress or improper tank cycling. In severe cases, it can be a disease called the black spot disease.

What Should I Do If They Are Turning Black?

If your betta is suffering from black spots or turning black, you should first rule out the black spot disease and other environmental factors. If everything seems okay, the fish changing color should not be a problem.

Here are a few things you could do to avoid your bettas from getting black.

1. Provide enough oxygen to the betta tank by using airstone kits that are reliable and easy to use.
2. Cycle your tank properly by establishing beneficial bacteria that help balance the nitrogen levels in the tank.
3. Choose suitable tank mates for your betta tank and eliminate stress from the aquarium.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Betta fish are beautiful aquatic creatures with long, flowy fins that drape beautifully around their bodies. The key characteristic of betta fish is their vibrant colors and beautiful patterns. However, stress, poor water quality, fish illness, and other factors may result in a loss of color that concerns fish keepers.

To keep your betta fish healthy and happy and in their best shape and colors, it’s essential to provide them with the right water conditions, diet, and tank mates, so they develop more vivid colors to awe their owners.

📘 Want to learn more? This article is part of our complete Betta Fish Guide. your ultimate resource for betta care, types, tank setup, feeding, tank mates, and more.

Water hardness is one of the parameters beginners most often overlook. it doesn’t affect fish the same immediate way ammonia does, but long-term mismatches between your tap water hardness and your fish’s requirements will quietly work against you. I’ve seen it cause health problems that take months to show up and are hard to diagnose without testing the right things.

The two numbers you need to understand are GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness/alkalinity). they measure different things and affect your fish differently. If you’re keeping African cichlids, hard and alkaline is what you want. If you’re keeping bettas, apistos, or tetras, soft and acidic is the goal. Here’s how to test both, what the numbers mean, and how to adjust them in either direction.

What Is Water Hardness?

Water hardness is the concentration of minerals dissolved in the water. More specifically, it refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water, as well as trace amounts of other minerals. You can check out our lastest video from our YouTube Channel. We go into more details in the blog post below. Be sure to subscribe if you enjoy our content!

The concentration of these minerals depends on the geology of the area where the water originates. That means water hardness varies from area to area, and it all depends on the kinds of rocks the water passes over before it gets to your home. Dolomite and limestone are common rock types that alter water chemistry.

You can get a general idea of the hardness of your tap water in the US by checking out the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website¹. However, testing your aquarium water quality and parameters at home is the best way to get an accurate picture.

We can break it down one step further and measure general hardness (GH) and carbonate hardness/alkalinity (KH), and both can be very important.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about water mineral levels.

General Hardness (GH)

General hardness measures the concentrations of mineral salts in your aquarium water. These minerals are magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) ions, and they can be measured in degrees (dGH) or parts per million (ppm).

A water GH level of 4-8dGH or 70-140 ppm is a suitable level for most freshwater fish tanks. However, this depends on the type of fish, invertebrates, and plants you keep.

Carbonate Hardness (KH)

Carbonate hardness refers to the measure of carbonate and bicarbonate levels in the water. This determines your water’s buffering capacity against pH crashes and swings. Unstable water quality can be very dangerous to many fish, so this is an important parameter to consider.

Water pH levels change slightly throughout the day but within a certain range. This is a natural process, but it is dangerous if it happens too fast.

The higher the KH, the higher your pH is likely to be, and also, the more stable your pH level will stay. On the other hand, a very low KH is typical in a tank with a low pH which is prone to fluctuations.

However, a higher KH is not always ideal. High carbonate hardness makes it more difficult to adjust your pH levels. This can be a problem if you want to change your water parameters to keep a certain species of fish.

When it comes to carbonate hardness, 3 dKH is a safe level, although many commercially bred aquarium fish are adaptable between 1 and 10 dKH.

Does Water Hardness Really Matter?

Different aquatic plants and fish species have evolved to live in the type of water found in their part of the world. The minerals that make water hard or soft are very important for healthy fish and plants, but the amount they need varies between species.

Many aquarium fish are very adaptable to water hardness, especially when captive bred. However, it’s still a good idea to match the preferred natural habitats and water chemistry of your fish. Some species have very specific requirements and just won’t do well in the wrong water.

Most fish do well in slightly hard water, and many can adapt to even harder water parameters. However, few species will thrive in very hard water. African cichlids are a notable exception and a great example of fish that need very hard water.

As you will learn later in this guide, you can change the water hardness in your aquarium to suit the types of fish you want to keep. However, it might be easier to match your fish to the kind of water you already have.

How Does Water Hardness Affect Fish?

Water hardness affects osmoregulation in fish. This impacts their ability to regulate salt and water in their bodies. Outside of their tolerance range, fish can become very stressed or even die.

Carbonate Hardness (Kh)

Earlier in this post, we learned that a low carbonate hardness (KH) allows your pH value to swing drastically, which can be stressful for your fish.

Carbonate Hardness does not have the same physiological effects as general hardness, but the buffering capacity is key to maintaining a stable pH level and environment for your pets.

General Hardness (GH)

Fish need minerals, just like we do. Without them, normal bodily functions like growing and reproducing would be impossible.

So, we know that incorrect carbonate and general hardness can be dangerous for fish, but what about the other life in our aquariums? Does hard water affect invertebrates and plants too?

Low general hardness can be very dangerous for aquarium invertebrates. It can cause problems for molting shrimp and cause thin, weak shells on snails.

Very soft water can also be dangerous for live aquarium plants, although many plants are also sensitive to high carbonate hardness. Some plant species, like Vallisneria, show a definite preference for harder water.

How to Measure Your Water Chemistry

You probably know that you should measure your aquarium water parameters regularly to be sure you are performing enough regular aquarium maintenance. However, aquarium water testing also allows you to monitor other important parameters like hardness.

Unfortunately, simply testing your pH levels is not enough. pH, KH, and GH are often linked in nature, which means that water with a low pH tends to have a low GH and KH too.

However, tap water can be different. Therefore, it is important to test both GH and KH, since they aren’t necessarily linked to pH.

The good news is that the process is pretty much the same as measuring other water quality parameters like nitrates. Let’s take a look at the basic process of testing your hardness levels.

Strip Tests

Strip tests are super easy to use. Some all-in-one kits can be used to measure multiple parameters, including pH, GH, KH, nitrates, and nitrites.

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Simply dip the strip into your aquarium water and compare the colors on the strip with the example card to read your water parameters. Some aquarists even cut the strips in half to save a few bucks, but be sure to follow the instructions on your product for the most accurate results.

Liquid Test Kits

Liquid test kits are also very easy to use and even more fun! These tests use droplets of colorful liquid to measure the GH, KH, and other parameters of your aquarium water.

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Reading the Results

We can put water hardness into different categories from very soft water, all the way up to ‘liquid rock’! Let’s take a look at five basic categories and their general hardness levels:

1. Very soft water: 0-4 dGH /0-70 ppm

Very soft water has low levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Most plants and animals will not do well in these conditions.

2. Soft water: 4-8 dGH/70-140 ppm

Many South American and Southeast Asian fish thrive in softer water. Softer water is also ideal for many freshwater plant species.

3. Moderately hard water: 8-12 dGH/ 140-210 ppm

Moderately hard water is a safe environment for most of the popular freshwater aquarium fish in the hobby.

4. Hard water: 12-18 dGH/ 210-320 ppm

Livebearers and other fish that enjoy moderately hard water can often adjust to hard water conditions.

5. Very hard water: 18-30 dGH/ 320-530 ppm

Very hard water is often known as ‘liquid rock’ because it contains high concentrations of minerals. Most freshwater fish will not thrive in very hard water, although cichlids from Central America and East Africa prefer these parameters.

What Fish Are Good For Hard (And Soft) Water

Let’s take a look at some popular examples of hard and soft water fish that you might want to keep in your home aquarium.

Hard Water Fish Species

• Livebearers like guppies and mollies
• Goldfish
• African cichlids
• Central American cichlids
• Paradise fish
• Some killifish and rainbowfish
• Brackish water fish
• Gobies

Soft Water Fish Species

• Crystal shrimp
• Angelfish
• Tetras
• Rasboras
• Gouramis
• Discus fish
• Rams

How To Change Your Water Hardness

It is possible to change your water hardness, but that is not always your best option. Stability is important, and when you start having to adjust levels, there is always the chance of human error.

Inconsistent water parameters can be stressful for your fish. However, if your water is naturally soft and you want to keep African Cichlids, you’re going to need to increase your water hardness.

Increasing Your Water Hardness

Increasing general hardness is a matter of adding calcium and magnesium salts to the water in a safe and manageable way. Before you adjust your water hardness, make sure you have tested your GH, KH, and pH level.

Let’s take a look at some simple methods of increasing water hardness.

• Crushed Coral/Coral Sand

Adding crushed coral is a great natural way to increase your water hardness. However, it is not easy to reach an exact level using this method.

You can add crushed coral directly to your substrate or use it in your aquarium filter. It will act faster if you place it in a mesh bag in your filter where there is a constant flow of water.

• Limestone Rock

Another way to gradually increase your tank water hardness is to use certain types of rocks as your hardscape. Rocks like Texas Holey Rock are beautiful limestone-based rocks that are very popular. This rock is high in calcium carbonate, so it will increase the pH, Gh, and KH of your water over time.

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• Commercial Water Hardeners

Purpose-made products like Seachem Equilibrium are available for managing your water hardness levels.

Similarly, products like Seachem Alkaline Buffer are available for managing your carbonate hardness levels. These products are great because they allow more precise control.

Decreasing Your Water Hardness

Decreasing your water hardness can be achieved by reducing the concentrations of magnesium and calcium salts in the water. Read on to learn how to soften aquarium water.

• RO/DI Water

It is more difficult to soften aquarium water if you have very hard water. One way to achieve this is to start over with pure water and add the minerals that you need. Reverse osmosis deionized (RO/DI) water is neutral and contains no minerals.

You can make your own RO/DI water at home using a reverse osmosis system. Buying one of these systems is a small investment, but they will pay for themselves in the long run.

This pure water is extremely soft and has a neutral pH. It is not safe for your fish or plants until you have remineralized it with something like Seachem Equilibrium or mixed it with tap water.

• Distilled Water

Distilled water can be used in the same way as reverse osmosis water. However, you will still need to increase the total hardness of the water with magnesium and calcium carbonate compounds before it is suitable for keeping fish.

A simple way to remineralize distilled and RO/DI water is to cut it with tap water. Simply add small amounts of tap water to the pure water until the desired water hardness level is reached.

Your water will become harder over time if you are not performing regular water changes and simply topping up your tank with tap water. Test your water regularly and use the correct mixture of distilled and tap water each time you top up your tank to keep your levels stable.

• Water Softening Pillows

Water-softening pillows are another great option, and they are very easy to use. These pouches use a resin that attracts magnesium and calcium to remove them from the water.

You will have less precise control when using this method, but it is very easy and works well for soft water fish like tetras and angelfish.

• Peat Moss

Peat moss can be used to lower pH levels in your fish tank. This organic material will leach tannins into the water, staining it yellow or darker.

Peat moss can be effective for creating blackwater freshwater aquariums and softening your water to some degree, but it is not very effective as a water softener if you have very hard water.

• Aquarium Soils and Driftwood

Some aquarium soils, like Controsoil, can also effectively soften water, making them a great choice for planted tanks. Driftwood, almond leaves, and other plant materials that leach tannins and stain the water will lower the pH and hardness somewhat.

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FAQs

Final Thoughts

Understanding water hardness is important, especially if you want to keep fish or plants with specialized requirements. I recommend testing your local water parameters before you set up an aquarium. That way, you can choose the perfect species to match your conditions.

However, it is possible to adjust your water hardness with the right materials, techniques, and a little practice. Just be sure to make your changes slowly and carefully to avoid stressing out your fishy friends!

Do you have a hard or soft water fish tank? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below!

🐟 Want to learn more? This article is part of our complete Aquarium Care Guide. your ultimate resource for water chemistry, maintenance, feeding, disease prevention, and everything you need for a healthy tank.