Ive looked everywhere for answers! Can anybody tell me what is going on here with my betta??

[Krislee85]

Shes getting fatter everyday, shes been holding eggs for over a month... what is going on? Shes like a blimp! Ive read about a hernia maybe? Is she going to die? She can barely swim and shes always pointing downwards, but shes still pretty active, also she acts like shes starving all the time but ive only been feeding her a small amount of food every other day... i know she must be very uncomfortable! Can anyone give me answers?

 

[Sylvan]

Her scales look like they're sticking out/pine coning which is a dropsy symptom. If it is dropsy and it's that far progressed I doubt you have much chance of saving her. Do you know your water parameters i.e ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? How often do you change her water? How big is the vase? Unfortunately to me it doesn't look a suitable tank for her. Bettas are tropical fish so ideally need a heater depending on where you are in the world. They also need access to the surface as they breathe air from the surface and your vase looks sealed from that picture.

 

[Munroco]

If she does survive please get her out of that tiny jar.

 

[Retired Viking]

I always kept my Betta in 5-10 gallon tanks with heater and under-gravel filter. Sorry but I agree with the others above.

 

[FishGuest5123]

If she has been holding eggs then she is probably egg bound. You can try helping her get them out by gently, very gently, squeezing her sides. Read on it first before attempting it. It really should only be done by experts but if it’s been a month then she is not able to expel them and could actually rupture. Please keep us posted.

 

[Colin_T]

euthanise her.

The fish has either a growth (tumour or cyst) or a major internal problem.

Lots of eggs in the body do not cause them to develop that shape.

If she isn't eating properly and can't swim properly, then she is not going to live.

 

[Essjay]

And please do not keep another betta in that jar. As the others have said, they need to be in a heated, filtered tank of at least 5 gallons/20 litres.

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

maybe swim bladder disease? Her "swimming" behavior sounds like my Gourami that has had it for over 2 months, but she won't eat unless I hand feed her. Is the betta pooping? Clean the water which will make it easier to see if she's got new poop. Sorry you're getting criticized so much for her accommodations but they are right - this is far too small a bowl to keep her in and it needs to be heated and preferably filtered - just like any other tropical fish. Plus there has to be room at the top for her to come up and breathe air since they are labrynth fish - it's not required but useful especially in cases where the oxygen levels are getting low in the tank - and if the water isn't changed regularly and there isn't even an air stone to circulate oxygenated water she's going to have worse issues than this. If it's swim bladder disease they need to poop because they are often constipated - this gives the swim bladder more room to inflate/deflate properly and for her to stop swimming upside down. Mine barely eats but hasn't pooped for over two months yet is not rounder. I recently had a cherry barb with a severe form of the disease that was very bloated and would swim to the top only to fall topsy-turvy to the bottom of the tank. I put her in the much smaller hospital tank but she was dead by morning.

 

[Krislee85]

Her scales look like they're sticking out/pine coning which is a dropsy symptom. If it is dropsy and it's that far progressed I doubt you have much chance of saving her. Do you know your water parameters i.e ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? How often do you change her water? How big is the vase? Unfortunately to me it doesn't look a suitable tank for her. Bettas are tropical fish so ideally need a heater depending on where you are in the world. They also need access to the surface as they breathe air from the surface and your vase looks sealed from that picture.

No she doesnt have dropsy! Her scales are not pine coning they are very smooth! Im very worried about her im pretty sure shes going to die because shes going to explode, she’s carrying eggs that never dropped, i cant seem to get a good pic, ive never seen a fish this big

 

[Krislee85]

No she doesnt have dropsy! Her scales are not pine coning they are very smooth! Im very worried about her im pretty sure shes going to die because shes going to explode, she’s carrying eggs that never dropped, i cant seem to get a good pic, ive never seen a fish this big

 

[Krislee85]

If she does survive please get her out of that tiny jar.

maybe swim bladder disease? Her "swimming" behavior sounds like my Gourami that has had it for over 2 months, but she won't eat unless I hand feed her. Is the betta pooping? Clean the water which will make it easier to see if she's got new poop. Sorry you're getting criticized so much for her accommodations but they are right - this is far too small a bowl to keep her in and it needs to be heated and preferably filtered - just like any other tropical fish. Plus there has to be room at the top for her to come up and breathe air since they are labrynth fish - it's not required but useful especially in cases where the oxygen levels are getting low in the tank - and if the water isn't changed regularly and there isn't even an air stone to circulate oxygenated water she's going to have worse issues than this. If it's swim bladder disease they need to poop because they are often constipated - this gives the swim bladder more room to inflate/deflate properly and for her to stop swimming upside down. Mine barely eats but hasn't pooped for over two months yet is not rounder. I recently had a cherry barb with a severe form of the disease that was very bloated and would swim to the top only to fall topsy-turvy to the bottom of the tank. I put her in the much smaller hospital tank but she was dead by morning.

The tank is not sealed it has a headband around the top, yes i got her for my daughter they’re supposedly easy to take care of so i didnt know all this special stuff like heating and filtration, we have 2 and they are fine but theres a male in the other tank so she keeps having eggs but this time they never dropped, i just need to figure out how to get them out of her, shes a tiny crown betta, she is 4x her normal size! Thank u for trying to help but im pretty sure she will not make it

 

[Krislee85]

If she has been holding eggs then she is probably egg bound. You can try helping her get them out by gently, very gently, squeezing her sides. Read on it first before attempting it. It really should only be done by experts but if it’s been a month then she is not able to expel them and could actually rupture. Please keep us posted.

This is very helpful thank u i will try this!

 

[Krislee85]

euthanise her.

The fish has either a growth (tumour or cyst) or a major internal problem.

Lots of eggs in the body do not cause them to develop that shape.

If she isn't eating properly and can't swim properly, then she is not going to live.

Shes eating and swimming fine, her weight is holding her back from swimming normally, her eggs are stuck in her

 

[Krislee85]

Shes eating and swimming fine, her weight is holding her back from swimming normally, her eggs are stuck in her

The tank is not sealed it has a headband around the top, yes i got her for my daughter they’re supposedly easy to take care of so i didnt know all this special stuff like heating and filtration, we have 2 and they are fine but theres a male in the other tank so she keeps having eggs but this time they never dropped, i just need to figure out how to get them out of her, shes a tiny crown betta, she is 4x her normal size! Thank u for trying to help but im pretty sure she will not make it

At her normal size, this is not a tiny tank shes a very small crown betta, shes 4x her normal size right now

 

[Krislee85]

This is very helpful thank u i will try this!

I believe she has a tumor or cyst on top of being with eggs shes not going to make it, she was a Christmas present for my 3 yr old last year, shes been very well taken care of regardless of what everyone may think... so sad to see her like this, im sure shes suffering and since im not sure of what to do im going to take her to pet store and see if they can euthanize her, thank u for your help...