Severe Swim Bladder or What Else?!

[Jed55]

Help!! My betta (I have had her since September 2019) has been acting very odd. I went away for Thanksgiving, changed her water before I left, and when I came back she was acting like this: swimming lopsided, only hanging out at the bottom of the tank, barely making it up to the top of the water to feed. Well I went away again for a few days, changed the water before I left thinking maybe it was bad water and she'd be feeling better by the time I got back. It's been five days and she's still acting the same, if not worse. I have no idea what's wrong with her and I'm afraid she's dying. She moves, but barely, and when she does she swims on her side and struggles to move.

Her tank is 2 gallons, temp is set at 80. She has no tank mates. I usually do 50% water changes every 8 or 9 days.

New information: Her gills do not look red, and I don't believe her scales are sticking out as if they are pine coned. However just now she laid on the Bottom of the tank and her gills and mouth expanded really large like she was gasping for air, I've never seen her do that and it scared me

 

[Ellie Potts]

Keep doing major water changes and try some salt baths. @Colin_T knows more about treating fish illness

 

[Utar]

While you are away how are you feeding your betta?

 

[Jed55]

While you are away how are you feeding your betta?

I didn't feed her when I went away, as bettas can survive up to 2 weeks without food and I was gone for less than a week.

 

[squidneh]

I didn't feed her when I went away, as bettas can survive up to 2 weeks without food and I was gone for less than a week.

Sorry that I can't offer much more advice about the current situation, but I think you were right to not feed her. Automatic feeders can sometimes malfunction which would cause an excess of food to be dumped into the tank. This would cause an ammonia spike which is far more harmful than not eating for a few days. I highly doubt the problems you are having are due to her missing food for a few days.

What are your water parameters? (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate?)
Anything new in the tank or around the tank? (think candles, cleaning products, etc)
Do you wash your hands before working on the tank? Before feeding her?
What do you feed her and how often (normally)?
Does she have a cycled filter? Have you replaced or cleaned any filter cartridges lately?
Does the tank have a reliable thermometer to keep an eye on temp?

 

[Guest14017]

I had a Betta that begun laying/sitting at the bottom like this after about a year too. He would struggle BADLY to go up for air and would eat well but I had to feed him sinking foods that landed near him. Bettas need to breathe at the surface so she is probably gasping because she can't swim up for air. This went on for many months with my fish so I indeed think it was swim bladder related. I was unable to do anything and he eventually became unable to swim up at all and he suffocated one night. In hindsight - it may have been better for me to euthanize him.