Hello, I have an odd issue with a new Betta. He's in a 3 gallon, I've had him for about a month, and his ammonia/nitrate/nitrite are all zero because his tank is still cycling. His ammonia will climb to 0.5 every couple of days and I'll do a partial water change. He eats 2 pellets twice a day of New Life Spectrum Betta formula. He's very active, has good color, and is a voracious eater.
So here's the issue: after having him for about a week and a half, I still hadn't seen any poop in his tank, even though he was eating all of his food. One day, I finally saw 1 poop at the front of his tank, but by the time I'd gotten my baster to remove it, it was gone. So, that's when I began suspecting that he was eating all of his poop. A day or two after that happened, he presented with symptoms of swim bladder disease--floating at the top of his tank, unable to descend easily, and having some trouble keeping himself upright. He was not bloated though, but I decided to treat him as though he were constipated so I fasted him for about 3 days. After the first day of fasting, he seemed fine in the morning before I went to work. By the time I got home in the evening, he was floating again and having the swim bladder troubles. I continued fasting him, and the same pattern happened the next day--fine in the morning, floating in the evening. On the second evening, I added epsom salt to his water, and some General Cure because his gills looked a bit swollen and I thought that maybe parasites were causing his issues. He seemed fine again the next morning, but was floating again in the evening. So, I fed him a pea, and continued the full course of the parasite treatment. The next day, there were little green poos in the tank and he was swimming just fine. I cleaned the poo, resumed feeding him like normal, and he was fine again for several days. His gill swelling was also gone. It's been just under a week since I completed all of that, and now he's floating again like he has swim bladder issues, and I've never seen any poop in his tank after that one time with the pea. I gave him another pea last night, but he was still floating this morning and I haven't gotten home yet to see if he's pooped. Does anyone have any advice? He has never looked bloated like I would expect from a constipated fish, but my only guess is that he's eating his food and all of his poop and thus overfeeding himself. I'm at a loss.
Update: I got home from work, there was a big poop, but he was still at the top of his tank, having trouble swimming. I cleaned out the poo, did some other chores, and then sat down to dinner. As I've sat here eating, I've watched him transition from struggling at the top of his tank since I got home 30 minutes ago, to suddenly swimming around like there's nothing wrong. I ran over to see if perhaps he'd pooped again but there's nothing there! What is up with him?!
So here's the issue: after having him for about a week and a half, I still hadn't seen any poop in his tank, even though he was eating all of his food. One day, I finally saw 1 poop at the front of his tank, but by the time I'd gotten my baster to remove it, it was gone. So, that's when I began suspecting that he was eating all of his poop. A day or two after that happened, he presented with symptoms of swim bladder disease--floating at the top of his tank, unable to descend easily, and having some trouble keeping himself upright. He was not bloated though, but I decided to treat him as though he were constipated so I fasted him for about 3 days. After the first day of fasting, he seemed fine in the morning before I went to work. By the time I got home in the evening, he was floating again and having the swim bladder troubles. I continued fasting him, and the same pattern happened the next day--fine in the morning, floating in the evening. On the second evening, I added epsom salt to his water, and some General Cure because his gills looked a bit swollen and I thought that maybe parasites were causing his issues. He seemed fine again the next morning, but was floating again in the evening. So, I fed him a pea, and continued the full course of the parasite treatment. The next day, there were little green poos in the tank and he was swimming just fine. I cleaned the poo, resumed feeding him like normal, and he was fine again for several days. His gill swelling was also gone. It's been just under a week since I completed all of that, and now he's floating again like he has swim bladder issues, and I've never seen any poop in his tank after that one time with the pea. I gave him another pea last night, but he was still floating this morning and I haven't gotten home yet to see if he's pooped. Does anyone have any advice? He has never looked bloated like I would expect from a constipated fish, but my only guess is that he's eating his food and all of his poop and thus overfeeding himself. I'm at a loss.
Update: I got home from work, there was a big poop, but he was still at the top of his tank, having trouble swimming. I cleaned out the poo, did some other chores, and then sat down to dinner. As I've sat here eating, I've watched him transition from struggling at the top of his tank since I got home 30 minutes ago, to suddenly swimming around like there's nothing wrong. I ran over to see if perhaps he'd pooped again but there's nothing there! What is up with him?!
