Bloated betta help please

Hi all, new betta owner I am not sure what else to do and I feel horrible for our guy. He has been bloated and floating at the top for over a week now. He can swim down if he tries. I have been fasting him and he has not eaten in 5 days now. I have given him 2 epsom salt baths each a day apart but that does not seem to be doing anything. he does not appear to be pineconeing for dropsy. these are the best pics I have been able to get. any insight is greatly appreciated as our 1st betta didn't make it because of ick 2 months ago. trying to keep this one for longer...

 

Maybe try some frozen daphnia. Should help him take a big poo, which a lot of times helps a lot, though the epsom salt shoulda helped that, too.

 

yes I went straight to the epsom hoping that would do the trick. there is no pet store close to me with daphnia which is why I did the baths. I'm worried it may be something worse...

 

So sorry about your poor little guy!!!!!

Is he new, or have you had him for a little while?

You can try to make him more comfortable. Lower the water level a little, and maybe add a betta hammock or large leaf plant that he might be able to balance on at the top of the tank. Do small frequent water changes so he will have pristine water. Keep him warm (78 - 80 degrees). Adding some aquarium salt to the tank can help him breathe, and help with gas exchange processes/osmoregulation.

What do you feed him? Do you soak his food? Sometimes if the pellets are hard enough, they can actually scratch the inside of the throat or digestive track and cause a bacterial infection.


It's really hard to pinpoint the exact cause of bloat sometimes.

I hope he gets better!!!!

 

thank you for this. he is new, have had him only almost 2 months. I have been keeping water to the edge so will lower it and also have been doing 25% water change since this has been going on. he is eating Top Fin Betta Bits pellets, I have never soaked them...soak for a few minutes before feeding? salt will help breath? and his water is at a steady 77 with no heater. I am at a loss as I thought bettas were so easy to manage and I thought I have been doing everything right.
since he hasn't eaten should I try to feed him the pellets? I feel like he is starving and miserable

 

I'm sorry and I know that this is a lot to process. Bettas are over bred, and are often genetically weak because of that, so they are not as hardy as they once were.

In all truth, bettas are one of the most abused freshwater fish in the hobby. Pet store employees may not know what to do most of the time and give the wrong information. Web sites give misleading or just downright incorrect info, and there are differing opinions about a lot of things. I made the same mistakes, and didn't know a thing until my first betta died. That's when I really started researching.

Bettas are tropical and need a warmer temp, but not too warm. Seventy seven is close enough, so he should be ok. But when it gets cold, he will need a heater to keep him in that 77 or 78 to 80 or 81 range.

It's always best to soak pellets in water or garlic juice a few minutes before feeding as they can scratch and/or cause bloating problems. The garlic juice is used for fish that are picky eaters in the hobby, and it gives the fish a good immune system boost. Most grocery stores sell jars of cut garlic soaked in water. You can use that water, or maybe make some of your own. There is also a product called Garlic Guard.

There are some better foods to try, if you can get them. The pellets that I have found to have the most nutrition and protein with the lowest amount of fillers are Omega One betta pellets, Fluval Bug Bites, New Life Spectrum Thera + A (it is laced with garlic so a good choice), or North Fin Betta Bits. Hikari betta pellets are ok, and you can get those from Wal-Mart. Frozen foods are really excellent - daphnia, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp. The best betta diet is a varied one, and if you can get it to where 70% of his food is frozen, and 30% are pellets or bites, that is optimal. But some people only feed pellets because that is all that they can get.

If you want to try it, you can try feeding him a cooked green pea with the skin removed. Wait until it is totally cooled down, cut it into very small pieces, and see if he will eat that. I don't normally recommend this, but since you can't get the daphnia, it might work if he is constipated. This is frowned upon because it is vegetable matter and not protein, but in your case, it's kind of an emergency. I have done this, and it actually worked for one of my bettas. If he is constipated, this may help him poop.

Bettas can go a good 10 to 14 days without food without starving.

Is your tank cycled? Do you know about the nitrogen cycle? I see in the pic that he has a filter. Do you have a way to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate - to test your water parameters? Many times illnesses are caused by bad water conditions. I'm not saying that is what happend to your betta baby, but it's something that new fish keepers aren't aware of and it is worth reading about. Do you have a freshwater test kit to test the water? Pet stores will test the water for you for free, but it's useful to be able to do it yourself to keep close track of the water parameters.

Again, I know that this is a lot of info to digest. If you have any questions, please post them. I am more than happy to help! And there are a lot of betta keepers who are members here. Bettas are the most lovely little creatures. They are so charming, personable, and interactive. I do hope that your little guy can bounce back, and give you and your family much joy!!!

I hope this helps!!!