Farting Frontosa

[bob`_your_dog]

Hey, i really need some advice, my new most treasured baby front seems to bee FARTING, yes farting . the problem it seems is that he's eating to fast and taking alot of air in as flakes and pellets float, he also burps alot while eating. at first i thought it was hilarious (having neva owned a front B4 thinking it was normal) anyway, it seems to be affecting him cause he looks troubled and swims rather slowly and in small little burst like movements .

I've started feeding more blood-worms and brime shrimp and less floating food, but i cant keep this diet up for ever i imagine.

any help would be appreciated. Or is this kinda common

 

[Nidge]

Maybe it could be a swimblader problem, Is the fish gulping air from the surface when not feeding?

 

[bob`_your_dog]

Nope no gulping. hhhhhmmmmm

 

[sharktale]

Try giving him some deforsted, shelled peas, they help with constipation so may be worth a try. Also try daphnia.

 

[bodasafa]

Well sorry i wont be much help other to say that i own 2 frontosa's and they have never displayed any thing like that ever. (nor any other fish i have ever owned). Is the fish looking fat or bloated like a blow fish or scales protrueding from his side.

 

[isu_guy]

If the cause is the air he's gulping while eating you could take a little bit of the water in the tank and add the flake food to that, then after a little while pour it in the tank and most should sink beneath the surface.

good luck with everything.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Frontosa are from a very,very deep part of lake Tanganyika and coming to the surface is something they do not do. I'm surprised yours surface feeds at all. You'll have to (have to!) find a sinking pellet for him/them. Mine are extremely picky about everything. They'll only take Tetra color bits as a dry food. They're kinda perfect and the fronts like them. And you also need to keep supplying frozen. Try krill

If a front takes in too much air it can cause him to float to the surface uncontrollably.I've never seen it myself but from what I've read it's kinda hard for them to recover.

 

[bob`_your_dog]

Thanks for all the help, I think it was a mind case of float. I saw him letting quite alot of air out this afternoon, and he seems to be back to his normall self. Ive started feeding more blood-worms and sinking bits also alot of greens which he goes crazy for! i geus i'm gonna have to keep a close eye on him.

HOw many could i keep in a 4 foot tank, i know they're gonna get huge but by that time i'd like to have my 6 foot tank running. My one still very small bout 1 1/2 inches. will they keep together or are they very territorial??

My LFS has a few for R80 bout $11 all about simular size to mine,

 

[wuvmybetta]

Keeping in mind that they hit growth spurts and practically double in size overnight in a few months, I'd say you'd be fine with 5 or so in a 4 footer with intentions of moving to a six footer within the next two years.

Fronts live for 20+ years so they're a big commitment. They form pairs at a very young age, so picking up a couple here and there is a good idea. Eventually you'll have to get rid of all but one of your males. But as juvies they can live fine together. They actually prefer groups,they live in large colonies in the wild. The MINIMUM final tank size for a small colony is a 120 gallon.

What other fish are in the tank? You'll have to rearrange everything in the tank before adding the new fronts. They'll bicker at first but eventually should get along smashingly.

Glad your little guy is feeling better. Try blanching some zucchini,mine go bonkers for it.