How to handle betta while bladder disease heals?

[H0pefulDad]

I recently got a betta from Petco to be rehabilitated, who appears to have swimbladder disease since he was only swimming at the bottom of his cup. He doesn't look bloated or anything, but he hasn't been able to swim up without his lower half immediately falling back down. And I know this because while I was acclimating him to my tank, he got out of his cup and I found him at the bottom on the sand, flapping his little fins as fast as he could.

I was intending to keep him in there with it floating at the top for a few days, replacing the water with the big tank water a lot of course, because I don't want him to suffocate from not being able to go to the top of the water to breathe, which would be hard in my main tank since it's so deep. I tried to get him back in the cup but he didn't want to go, which is understandable, and I saw him managing to swim up a bit to the middle of the tank (and then into a hollow log where I couldn't get him). So I left him for a bit, and just a case turned on my air pump for a bit to help him breathe.

But when I came back he was struggling on the bottom again, so I had to force him back into the cup so he could swim up to breathe in the shallower water. But I feel really guilty for doing it, since he really didn't want to go back in. I want to just let him swim around the big space, but I also don't want him to run out of oxygen, and the air pump wasn't enough for my late sick betta to help him breathe.

But since this guy doesn't seem to have an issue with his gills, would the air pump be enough to help get him enough oxygen until the swimbladder disease clears up? As guilty as I feel for keeping him in that cup longer, even floating in the big tank, the Petco didn't have Epsom salt and I have no peas so my only option is to wait a few days and hope that whatever is pressing on his swim bladder clears out. Though like I said earlier, he doesn't look bloated so I'm worried it's something else. If the air pump won't be enough and I do have to keep him in shallow water until he's better, is there any way I can help him feel better while he's in there?

 

[Crunchycrouton]

I recently got a betta from Petco to be rehabilitated, who appears to have swimbladder disease since he was only swimming at the bottom of his cup. He doesn't look bloated or anything, but he hasn't been able to swim up without his lower half immediately falling back down. And I know this because while I was acclimating him to my tank, he got out of his cup and I found him at the bottom on the sand, flapping his little fins as fast as he could.

I was intending to keep him in there with it floating at the top for a few days, replacing the water with the big tank water a lot of course, because I don't want him to suffocate from not being able to go to the top of the water to breathe, which would be hard in my main tank since it's so deep. I tried to get him back in the cup but he didn't want to go, which is understandable, and I saw him managing to swim up a bit to the middle of the tank (and then into a hollow log where I couldn't get him). So I left him for a bit, and just a case turned on my air pump for a bit to help him breathe.

But when I came back he was struggling on the bottom again, so I had to force him back into the cup so he could swim up to breathe in the shallower water. But I feel really guilty for doing it, since he really didn't want to go back in. I want to just let him swim around the big space, but I also don't want him to run out of oxygen, and the air pump wasn't enough for my late sick betta to help him breathe.

But since this guy doesn't seem to have an issue with his gills, would the air pump be enough to help get him enough oxygen until the swimbladder disease clears up? As guilty as I feel for keeping him in that cup longer, even floating in the big tank, the Petco didn't have Epsom salt and I have no peas so my only option is to wait a few days and hope that whatever is pressing on his swim bladder clears out. Though like I said earlier, he doesn't look bloated so I'm worried it's something else. If the air pump won't be enough and I do have to keep him in shallow water until he's better, is there any way I can help him feel better while he's in there?

Definitely keep him in the shallow water. If it makes you feel better you can keep him in a bigger container with a soft real or fake plant to hide. Only do 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water depending on his size. I’ve had the same problem..