Unwell Betta??

My new Betta got trapped behind the filter yesterday for about 20mins I reckon. He ate int he evening, but most of yesterday afternoon and today he has been lying on a java fern leaf, on his side, half out the water. I occassionally nudge him off, and he swims a bit, but ends up back there.

He is in a 4-way divided tank and used to flare a lot at his neighbour, but havent seen him do so since b4 his accident.

I added some Melafix? after getting trapped. Should I just leave him, or transfer to a tank of his own for a bit?? (He seems to have a little red bruising on the top of his head/neck)

Bless him, he could of damaged his swimbladder, any bleeding beneath the skin.

Well not long after the accident he was swimming about but doing some downward darts in a strange way.
He does have some redness/bruising on the top of his head to neck area?

He hasnt flared up since the accident. Will see if I can get some pics tomorrow.
What and where is the swim bladder?

This explains it but I am not the author of this information.

Swim Bladder Disorder



The Swim bladder is a gas-filled sac located inside the fish’s body cavity just above most of the other internal organs. This sac is what gives the fish buoyancy and controls equilibrium. The amount of gas in this sac changes as the fish rises and sinks in the water, enabling it to swim, hover and move in the water. Without the use of the Swim-bladder organ a fish is unable to control it's own movements.



Symptoms:

Fish with a swim bladder disorder appear to have an abnormal swimming pattern, usually with their tail end up. They also appear to have difficulty maintaining equilibrium. They may even float upside down or appear to be stuck at the surface of the water, being unable to swim down, or they may lie on the bottom, unable to rise. Fish with a swim bladder disorder will continue to try and feed, showing a normal appetite.



Cause:

The most common cause of swim bladder disorders is improper diet. An improper diet can lead to intestinal gas or intestinal blockages. Intestinal blockages can irritate the bowel, giving bacteria or other parasites an entry point where they can then cause damage to the swim bladder. Swim bladder disorders are most common in the larger, deep-bodied varieties of Goldfish. Fish also fed a lot of dried foods, especially pellets, are most susceptible. This condition is frequently observed in the later stages of Malawi Bloat, which is primarily due to an improper diet as well and intestinal irritation.



Treatment:

Because this disorder is due principally to an improper diet, a change in their feeding needs to be made. Dried foods with lots of protein should be kept to a minimum. Pellets and other dense foods should be soaked prior to feeding or completely eliminated from their diet. Foods with lots of fiber should be introduced, such as zucchini, squash, spinach, romaine lettuce, peas, and grated carrots. If you suspect that the fish is victim to a bacterial infection, treat the fish with a medicated food.

Came down this morning and he's still floating on his leaf. I nudged the leaf and he swims round for a few minutes with none of the buoyancy probalems as described above? But then he does go back to the leaf. He certainly isnt flaring up at his partner, and hasnt done in 2 days now.

Have attchached a picture of his head, showing the bruising.

Should I just keep an eye on him??

OK I've seen what the problem is;
obviously where he got stuck up against the filter, he has damaged his left gill fin (pectoral fin?) It seems as though it is split, and is not being used.

Will this heal itself, and is it likely to affect him long term?

Any help/advice is great

Can't see the photo just white, keep water quality in tip top condition his fins should heal, i think i would add some melafix to be on the safe side with not being able to see the head.

he is now using the fin and it doesnt look split!! It certainly doesnt work in tandem with the other though...sometimes just uses the one?

Weird...I've tried to attach the pic again...

Poor thing yes get some melafix in it's looks bad.

Birch died yesterday. Obviously didnt learn from his mistakes, coz I came home from work and found him trapped again between filter and glass. Removed the filter and he was dead
Really gutted coz he was quite young, and had a lot of play in him.

Anyone had any ideas how to block up the gap between filter and glass to stop this happening again? Was thinking about using some filter media to blcok the gap

On the flipside, have received 2 new bettas today from BettaMan. Will post up when pics are ready,

Sorry,R.I.P. bless him, could try the filter media to see if that helps.