Betta concerns

A

aahhsin

AC Members
Apr 9, 2009
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I put my betta in my 3 gallon and it was fine that day. The next morning it seems to be so stressed it can't swim. it even has part of his head stickign out of the water. He seems really "floaty". I'm guessing it's the water, since I just used regular tap water
 
sounds like swim bladder disease. i apologize for not being able to give you very much advice on this, as i've thankfully not had to deal with it myself (knock on wood!), but hopefully someone with experience will chime in soon.

you mention "since i just used regular tap water". do you normally not use tap water during water changes?
 
BettaFishMommy said:
sounds like swim bladder disease. i apologize for not being able to give you very much advice on this, as i've thankfully not had to deal with it myself (knock on wood!), but hopefully someone with experience will chime in soon.

you mention "since i just used regular tap water". do you normally not use tap water during water changes?
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looks like it from the various websites i looked up. it seems to fit all the symptoms.

anything i can do since google is turning up "can't do anything and it might recover on its own".
 
As written by Lupin...

Swim Bladder Disorder
Symptoms:
Limited signs of bloat though usually no physical damage is found, fish struggles to balance itself sometimes going “belly up” due to lack of proper buoyancy

Causes:
Often indigestion with goldfish, blood parrot cichlid and “balloon” strains becoming more vulnerable to the disorder rather than most fish species, bacterial infections, damaged swim bladder, the use of floating foods which when ingested allows entry of air to the digestive system, congenital or development causes, birth defect, sudden trauma from sudden changes in water conditions or failure to acclimate the fish properly.

Causes can be difficult to determine although possible causes are often leaned on the use of floating foods, indigestion and damaged organs by assumption. Genetics also play a role in this issue. It has long been argued that floating foods should never be used at all especially for goldfish. It is in the best interest of the safety of the fish that sinking foods be used instead of floating foods or try to squish the foods until they sink.

Updated version: The ongoing debate regarding the use of floating foods has been stretched further that the use of foods that primarily composed of starch-based ingredients has been pointed out. After further analysis by those who keep goldfish, it was found that the bacteria lining the digestive systems are also one of the culprits contributing to buoyancy issues. Although the goldfish has no enzymes to digest the starch, the bacteria make up for the lack of enzymes but in return, produce gas which when trapped in the GI tract, can cause buoyancy issues. Most fish get "floaty" despite the switching of food products from floating to sinking and this can easily be pointed to the starch ingredients found in the food.


Treatment:
1. High fiber diet and fasting.
Switch to foods with high fiber content. In this case, most fish fail to expel wastes due to the foods clogging the digestive system especially with air trapped inside. Fasting for a few days or weeks also helps dislodge the foods from the GI tract.

2. Antibiotics
This one is very tricky. There is no telling how the fish became "floaty" and it could be bacteria or virus causing the issue if the food diet is not an issue. Administer only if you are sure this is the issue. A lot of viral infections are resistant to treatments and in this case, the fish may need to be destroyed.

3. Gel Foods and Acidophilus
It has already been pointed out in most cases starch is the common cause of buoyancy issues with goldfish. Despite it being digested by the bacteria, the bacteria also produce gas and while this is not an issue with streamline bodied fish, most fish have a rather compressed GI tract where the air is easily trapped. The use of Lactobacilli acidophilus through incorporating it in gel foods help quell the gas trapped in the GI tract. It is likewise recommended that starch based foods be avoided completely and switch to other foods that do not contain starch such as yeast, corn, etc.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for most cases where this disorder is involved although in some cases, the fish can recover depending on the cause of the disorder. Fish that suffer from this disorder due to sudden trauma from improper acclimation usually will never recover at all. In this case, it is recommended to destroy the fish.
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I just had this problem with my betta. He is over 4 years old and have never had a problem but he seems to be recovering on his own.

First off, bloating/constipation seems to be the most common cause of this illness. It is likely the case in my situation as well. I could easily see that my betta had an enlarged stomach while he was sick. So, I would stop all feeding for 2-3 days in case that is the problem.

After that, I made sure all the water parameters were in order. Make sure you have 0ppm for your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and if not do a water change immediately. Make sure you treat your tap water with some type of heavy metal and chlorine remover that is fish safe.

If you don't have anything (plants, decorations, etc.) that the betta can sit on near the surface of the water to rest then lower your water level down so that he doesn't to struggle to get to the surface. Your tank is rather small though so this shouldn't be too difficult.

Finally, someone else on the board suggested that I feed him parts of the inside of a pea. I did this and my betta ate a small portion of it. I found other sites that recommended it as well. It is supposed to help with the bloating I guess but I don't know the specifics.

Good luck and hope he's alright.
 
Deshelled peas with a little fresh garlic juice to get them to eat it. Also have heard of epsom salt added to the water, but you will have to google the correct ratio.
 
peas are a little fishy laxative... if it works you may want to consider adding some veggie matter to his diet or cut back on feedings. it's roughage kinda like prunes to people.
 
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