Unusual betta

[Alice]

Hi, since I find answers to so many questions in various forums, I went looking for betta forums and wound up here. I have been a "betta mom" for about 8 months. I have a beautiful red betta, Little Red and a blue betta, Blue Boy. Imaginative names. lol. I have them in individual bowls, about 1/2 gallons with aquarium gravel on the bottom. They get clean bowls and water weekly. Here is the problem. Red makes beautiful white bubble nests and his home stays clean. Blue looks like he has a distended stomach and a couple days after cleaning his bowl and putting in clean water, there is a nasty scum on top. I checked with my pet store and found that I have been overfeeding and uneaten food was causing the scum. I started feeding once a day as she suggested. Red's bowl stays nice and clean, Blue's is showing scum a day or so after changing water. Also, sometimes he makes somewhat of a bubble nest but nothing like Red's. They both act fine, coming to the top of the water when they see food coming down to them. Blue not quite as friendly as Red. I wonder if he is sick although he doesn't act sick. Any suggestions? In the meantime, I will start to read the posts.

 

[canis_lupus]

unless he stops eating and starts acting strange i wouldn't worry.....some bettas r just anti-social pigs i wouldn't worry about the bubble nest either as some bettas build them a lot and others don't.......one of my guys builds lot's while the other doesn't even give the effort because he's 2 busy swimming........have fun with your boys!!!!!!!

 

[FishHeads]

Distended tummy? He isn't puffed out like a pinecone is he? As for the scum on top, I am not too sure what causes that because my albino Betta has the same problem. I think maybe it is excess body slime maybe from some sort of sickness. He may still be eating, but with some diseases, there are no outward signs...

 

[wuvmybetta]

yeah, check for pineconed scales...look at him from the top just to make sure he doesn't have dropsy, but as you said he seems fine

I have found that some males build spectacular nests when they're young and as they age their nests turn into more of a slime...so in my opinion it has something to do with his saliva and his age. Several of mine do that too and it's a really THICK slime that adheres to plants and the side of the tank