Bloated Betta

Hey everybody!

So, one of our bettas has been looking a little fat lately, and today he has been sometimes just letting himself float on his side. I don't know if he is constipated or has swim bladder disease, so I was going to let him fast for a few days, and change a bit of water everyday. Anything else I should do? He looks like the pictures of betta swim bladder disease. (Not quite as extreme as some of them, but definitely looking bloated.)

fishperson100 said:

Hey everybody!

So, one of our bettas has been looking a little fat lately, and today he has been sometimes just letting himself float on his side. I don't know if he is constipated or has swim bladder disease, so I was going to let him fast for a few days, and change a bit of water everyday. Anything else I should do? He looks like the pictures of betta swim bladder disease. (Not quite as extreme as some of them, but definitely looking bloated.)

Click to expand...

Look at him from the top and make sure his scales aren't sticking up and away from his body looking like a pinecone. If this is the case it's dropsy and usually fatal. If its just constipation I'd recommend some daphnia. I used to use a pea but switched once I realized how great a laxative alternative it is for betta vs. convincing him to eat a garlic soaked pea (lots of spitting out, grabbing, and spitting out!). I am unsure of a natural remedy for swim bladder, on the one occasion I had a fish with this issue is when I kep mollies and I had to use medication.

Can you please answer the following questions.

How big is the tank?
Has it got a heater? What is it set to?
Has it got a filter?
How strong is the current?
Is it cycled?
How often do you change water?
How much water do you change?
Do you vacuum the substrate?
What additives or chemicals do you use? Eg De Chlorinator?
Do you use tap or bottled water? If bottled water please give us the brand.
Do you have a water test kit?
Can you tell us the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
When you clean the tank can you tell us exactly what you do.
What do you feed him? how much? how often?
Any tank mates? What sort how many?
How long have you had the Betta?
Has he got a history of illness?
Any plants or decorations? Please give details?
Can you provide a close up photo of the fish?
Can you provide a photo of the tank?

Ok, I'll answer them one by one
1. The tank is a one gallon
2. No heater
3. No filter
4. No current
5. Maybe, I just took it down and set it back up again a few weeks or so ago
6. Trying to change water once a week, just changed about 40-50% Sunday
7. When I clean the tank thoroughly
8. No chemicals
9. Our water comes from a well
10. No testing kit
11. No readings(cuz I don't have a testing kit!)
12. When I clean the tank, I usually just pull out water, then put fresh lukewarm-warmish water. If I clean it thoroughly because it is really dirty, I'll put him in some water in those betta cups, rinse decorations, fill it, and put him back in.
13. My sibling feeds him twice a day, about a really small pinch of flakes.
14. No tank mates
15. About 6 months, more or less, not sure
16. No illness that I can remember
17. Plastic plants, treasure chest, moss ball.
18. Sorry they are kinda bad photos

FroFro, I do not think it is dropsy. I had a goldfish my tank that had dropsy, and I put it down. It could hardly swim. The betta is actually better today. He has been swimming more and he is not quite as bloated. Sorry for the really bad pictures....