Extremely Urgent! Betta Fish In Critical Condition

[FishMakeLifeBetta]

Please, anyone and everyone! My bettas are not doing well and any input or help would be a major blessing, I'm freaking out and have no idea what to do.

I had an allergy attack this morning and have been stuck in bed for most of the day. Since I could not, I asked my brother to sprinkle *5* pellets into my sorority tank. He interpreted that as putting in half the bottle, which is got to be more than 700 hundred pellets. Once I realized what he had done I scooped out as many as I could but by that time it was too late. In short, my betta fish are the size of balloons and suffering badly. I've worked for this tank all summer and I REALLY don't want them to die. Any tips or help on how to help them digest such a big load safer? They're already having trouble swimming and I don't want to delay. Please help!

I can't take a picture as of now but they look like they are about to explode, I'm so scared for them

 

[FallenOwl]

Try putting some deshelled peas (not frozen) in, and try to get them to eat them

 

[FishMakeLifeBetta]

okay, just once or should I try giving it to multiple times in the day?

 

[aoiumi]

I believe peas are for goldfish, not carnivores. You might just have to wait it out.

Salem, you or anyone you know have experience with something like this?

 

[aoiumi]

okay, just once or should I try giving it to multiple times in the day?

I think you might just want to let them deal with this on their own.

 

[Jimmie93]

Take the fish out of the tank asap and put it in fresh de-chlorinated water and basically all you can do is empty that whole tank. Put the filter media in a bucket with de-chlorinated water and throw a air stone in so the bacteria doesn't die until you get the tank sorted.

 

[PascalKrypt]

I second Jimmie in suggesting you take the betta out. It is likely you did not manage to get rid of all the pellets (unless you are 100% sure) because if they start to decompose in your substrate your fish will be further stressed. Plus them getting ill while in a sorority is far from ideal, you don't want that type of stress source in there. (Though not sure why you would need to move the filter, you can just keep everything else in).
If you have nothing else, you could float a few transparent plastic containers with a betta in each. Would make it easier for them to breathe too and you won't have to put a separate heater in each tank.

Don't feed them anything until they have pooped quite a bit (also why you should put them in individual, bare-bottom tanks, so you can see when they have). Once they do their constipation will pass and you start feeding them tiny amounts again. If they don't poop at all for 2-3 days you can try an epsom salt bath to help them do just that.
Beyond that don't medicate, you will just add to their problems.

Edit: for future reference of just how far a betta will expand on gorging itself, would you mind posting a photo? I'm really curious what this would look like.

 

[Jimmie93]

I second Jimmie in suggesting you take the betta out. It is likely you did not manage to get rid of all the pellets (unless you are 100% sure) because if they start to decompose in your substrate your fish will be further stressed. Plus them getting ill while in a sorority is far from ideal, you don't want that type of stress source in there. (Though not sure why you would need to move the filter, you can just keep everything else in).
If you have nothing else, you could float a few transparent plastic containers with a betta in each. Would make it easier for them to breathe too and you won't have to put a separate heater in each tank.

Don't feed them anything until they have pooped quite a bit (also why you should put them in individual, bare-bottom tanks, so you can see when they have). Once they do their constipation will pass and you start feeding them tiny amounts again. If they don't poop at all for 2-3 days you can try an epsom salt bath to help them do just that.
Beyond that don't medicate, you will just add to their problems.

Edit: for future reference of just how far a betta will expand on gorging itself, would you mind posting a photo? I'm really curious what this would look like.

Exactly I use those same pellets and they break up fast his/her substrate is mostly likely destroyed and will become toxic soon.

 

[Repolie]

I wouldn't change out all the water as you can cause temperature or pH shock. Several thorough siphoning jobs should do it. Any leftover food can cause an ammonia spike, but that can be managed with monitoring the parameters and more partial water changes.

First you should remove and clean up as much food as you can with a siphon. If they're having trouble swimming you can lower the water level. Warmer temperatures will speed up their metabolism so I suggest you keep the temperature around 83°F.

You should first fast them to see if they can pass out the food on their own. You don't want to make them more bloated than they already are with peas. If they're still bloated then deshelled blanched peas can be tried. The last resort should be epsom salt baths if they still don't slI'm down.

 

[BettaDollar]

How about removing enough of your cycled water & putting it in a clean plastic tub or bucket &transferring the bloated fish into it?
Use a heater & airstone.
I've had good success treating bloat with epsom salt. Believe it or not, it will act like a laxative. 1/4 t.s. per gal.
I too would not feed 2 or 3 days and I'd feed cooked/shelled peas.

 

[Salem]

My own betta is suffering from some pretty bad bloat himself- though he got it from deciding to eat almost an entire algae wafer meant for his snail roommates.
I assure you that despite how scary bloat can look (especially when it affects their ability to swim) this isn't the end of the world. As others have suggested just fast them for a few days, if they haven't pooped yet them offer pieces of pea that you've boiled and shelled. If they still haven't pooped a day or so after the pea then I'd go ahead with an epsom salt bath. As Repolie said try to siphon out as much of the food off the bottom if you haven't already. If you warm up the tank make sure to have some sort of air stone in there as well.

I'm not experienced with sororities as I personally believe it best to keep bettas separate- however I don't think you should take them out of the tank unless they begin to fight. Moving them all into their own little qt tanks will likely just stress them out. I also wouldn't do anything like drain the tank completely or dismantle it all- as long as you get as much food as you can and give the substrate a thorough vacuuming most remaining pellets should be taken care of by the cycle.

 

[FishMakeLifeBetta]

Thank you, everyone, I have read through all your posts and I'm developing a plan that will hopefully help them out. Definitely siphoning the tank and doing some Epsom salt baths. Here are pictures if you're curious. It's hard to take pictures of them so you can't see the full extent of their stomachs but it's not a happy sight I'm afraid. Here's my two fish that I could grab some shots of.

 

[Demeter]

I had a pair of BN plecos in with my sorority girls. The male decided to kick out all the eggs and the girls had a feast, they looked much like yours do now. Just remove as much of the food as you can with a water change and fast them. Don't feed them for 3 days or so and see how it goes. They'll likely laze around and be miserable for a day or two but they will probably be fine IMO.

I suppose you can add some epsom salt to the tank and turn up the heat a couple degrees to increase their metabolism but other than that not much you can do but wait.

 

[BettasRule]

Oh no! I hope your guys and gals get better soon! I know the feeling leaving your fish in charge of some one else! I leave for two days and let my mom feed mine with strict instructions. I come back and one of my boys was just in the last stages of dying. I think it was dropsy, or something. He was my second youngest so I assume it was probably my mom's fault.

Good luck!

 

[Sheldon13]

Turn the temp up to 82 to help speed digestion.