Betta...puberty? Molting?

Question
hello,
I've had my beta for three months, I purchased him at a Petsmart in my city.
Last night 12/11/11, he was acting very very strange. Pale, lack of movement, erratic swim patterns and he made an almost possessed noise I could hear from his tank. Like a growling/clicking noise. His water was foggy, so I did a quick cleaning and took out the marbles in the bottom that seemed to be the source of the foggy water. Today he is back to his swimmy self, but with the difference of a deeper scale color and a new beard like thing around his face/gill area. I can't find anything on google, so I was hoping you, or someone you new could answer this question:
What the heck went on? Is it fish "puberty" or is he molting? Is the beard a sign of male dominance? He is a male beta. Not a crowntail or anything.

Answer
Aleisandra,    Changing stones or marbles in betta tanks because pH goes to high or the water keeps clouding is not that uncommon. It took me awhile in the business and trying everything else until I tried changing the stone and it worked. I have no idea why some fish stone do that and marbles. It is not in just betta tanks that this happens. Take the marbles out for now and change water again. Go and get some betta blue to make sure he is not going to come down with a bacterial infection and new rocks or marbles. I would also do one other thing to keep him healthy and that is put him on a pea a week diet. Frozen is best. Thaw under some running water and open take the pea and feed him. It cuts down on constipation that they are terribly prone to. Yes, that beard is a dominant and aggressive behavior. He may have seen his reflection in the glass and thought another male was close or was just in a mood. I wouldn't do it too often but, if you want to show someone this behavior just take a mirror and hold it up to him. It will make him do that everytime. Don't drag it out too long so as not to stress him to bad. It is very interesting. Good Luck, Tina