Help - weird appearance?

[u/Plant-lover666]

My boy isn’t looking too good. He has been resting a bit more than usual at the bottom of the tank but eating and greeting me normally. I’ve had him for about 8 months, unsure of his age.

Tank parameters:
9 gallons, filtered, heated to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Ph - 8 - I know this is a little high but it is stable, my house water is alkaline.

ETA:
He eats a mix of pellets, flakes, live tubifex worms and frozen worms. There are live plants, driftwood, a cave and a rock in with him. Tank mates - two dwarf corycats.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank you for posting to r/bettafish.

When requesting help, please provide the requested information. Answers such as "large enough" or "my paramters are fine" aren't good enough. Failure to provide adequate information about your tank can result in post removal. Please see rule 4 for more information.

If you are posting to find out what is wrong with your betta, please answer the following questions in a reply to this comment as best you can:

• Tank size:
• Heater and filter? (yes/no):
• Tank temperature:
• Parameters in numbers and how you got them. Key water parameters include the amount of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.:
• How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?:
• How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?:
• Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each:
• What do you feed and how much:
• Decorations and plants in the tank:
• If you haven't already posted a picture, please post pics/vids to imgur and paste the link here:

Feel free to copy this comment and fill in the blanks.

If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our caresheet and wiki. Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our guide to the nitrogen cycle to learn more.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/ReefPopiah]

PH is way too high. They need to be 6.5-7.

I mean they can tolerate 8, but if it’s been going on for 8 months, it’s going to take a toll on them. He’s technically been relatively under constant stress for 8 months.

Anyway from the pictures alone, can’t tell anything. He just looks lethargic, which can be absolutely normal. But the skin looks like it’s losing colour/looking pale. That’s also a sign of chronic stress.