How does my betta have THIS much bouyancy???

My betta has so much bouyancy that part of it literally sticks out of the water. If it’s head is tilted so that it’s the closest thing to the water it’s head pops out of the water! I’m currently treating the tank with general cure, will that fix the problem? What kind of problem is this anyway??? I get if a fish has swim bladder but how does swim bladder literally cause a fish to stick out of the water? (I don’t think this is genetic since he was fine when I got him a couple months ago)

 

Sounds like he’s really sick. Do you still have any angelfish or gouramis in that tank? If so, I have a feeling that’s stressing him out and causing the problem.

 

Sounds like he’s really sick. Do you still have any angelfish or gouramis in that tank? If so, I have a feeling that’s stressing him out and causing the problem.

No, since I know he was sick and since I was planning on treating my 36 gallon with general cure I put him in a breeder box in the 36 gallon

 

No, since I know he was sick and since I was planning on treating my 36 gallon with general cure I put him in a breeder box in the 36 gallon

Maybe to much flow?

 

but is he still in a tank with other fish,,, even in a breeder box with other fish in the tank he will get the hormones from the other fish.... as was said stress causes sickness

 

but is he still in a tank with other fish,,, even in a breeder box with other fish in the tank he will get the hormones from the other fish.... as was said stress causes sickness

I think he’ll be fine with the fish in that tank, he doesn’t seemed stressed (other than whatever is going on with his bouyancy) and no fish notices the breeder box (since they all stay in the bottom half of the tank)

Maybe to much flow?

The thing is before he was in my 75-gallon for a month or two and there wasn’t much flow in that tank. If it was a flow issue wouldn’t it have gone away when I put him in the 75?

 

That sounds like a serious issue. What are your parameters? General Cure won't help in this case, and it'll likely make it worse. Constipation is a common cause, how often do you feed? I would give him some frozen daphnia as soon as possible incase it is constipation.

 

Kind of sounds like swim bladder to me if that's what you're describing. Look into it, and if youre confident it is swim bladder then try fasting your betta for 3 days and feeding a boiled, shelled pea. Could also be stress though.

 

Kind of sounds like swim bladder to me if that's what you're describing. Look into it, and if youre confident it is swim bladder then try fasting your betta for 3 days and feeding a boiled, shelled pea. Could also be stress though.

Peas don't work for bettas. They're unable to properly digest them. The best thing to help a betta with constipation is frozen daphnia. It performs a similar function, but is more easily digestible.

 

Peas don't work for bettas. They're unable to properly digest them. The best thing to help a betta with constipation is frozen daphnia. It performs a similar function, but is more easily digestible.

Oh wow I didn’t know that! I did think it was swim bladder and I did fast him for 3 days and fed him with peas. He didn’t really get better though. Is there a substitute to frozen daphnia I could use?

 

Oh wow I didn’t know that! I did think it was swim bladder and I did fast him for 3 days and fed him with peas. He didn’t really get better though. Is there a substitute to frozen daphnia I could use?

Not that I know of. Daphnia has a mild laxative effect that I haven't seen in other live/frozen foods.

 

That sounds like a serious issue. What are your parameters? General Cure won't help in this case, and it'll likely make it worse. Constipation is a common cause, how often do you feed? I would give him some frozen daphnia as soon as possible incase it is constipation.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Oh rip, the box said that it would cure bloating issues and so I thought it’s help treat him. I feed once a day (however, I’m currently feeding him half of what I fed before). I feed a variety of Betta pellets (the floating kind), vibra bites, dried shrimp, and flakes.

 

I gotta say this..your betta is very stressed, it is sick and you are getting advice that you just refuse to take...you first insisted your betta will be ok with angles and gouramis, now you think he will be fine in a breeder box with the same fish..YES the hormones produces form those fish will stres him even if the betta cannot see them the hormones are in the water... GOOGLE this if you do not believe it.

 

I gotta say this..your betta is very stressed, it is sick and you are getting advice that you just refuse to take...you first insisted your betta will be ok with angles and gouramis, now you think he will be fine in a breeder box with the same fish..YES the hormones produces form those fish will stres him even if the betta cannot see them the hormones are in the water... GOOGLE this if you do not believe it.

I’ve never heard of anything about other fishes hormones stressing a fish out. I know people keep multiple betta fish with dividers in the same tank just fine without any stress to the betta (as long as the divider doesn’t allow them to see each other). Wouldn’t hormones also cause stress to those bettas since they share the same water?? From my understanding fish release hormones when scared but none of my fish are scared, only my betta (obviously because he’s sick). I did google it but couldn’t find anything supporting that, could you please give me a link of where you found that information?

 

All i said is readily available on betta keeping sites... You possibly might be putting your convenience in front of what is best for your betta... SOME bettas but extremely few may be fine and have low stress from what you wish to do here... But on the whole bettas are solitary fish snf will only tolerate a female for a very short breeding sesdion, thrn if the femsle is not removed he will usually kill her... Modt csnnot be eith othet fish either esprcislly angels and gouramis..

 

All i said is readily available on betta keeping sites... You possibly might be putting your convenience in front of what is best for your betta... SOME bettas but extremely few may be fine and have low stress from what you wish to do here... But on the whole bettas are solitary fish snf will only tolerate a female for a very short breeding sesdion, thrn if the femsle is not removed he will usually kill her... Modt csnnot be eith othet fish either esprcislly angels and gouramis..

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I've seen many people suggest things such as a divider to put multiple bettas in a single tank, which would seemingly contradict the hormone knowledge. If you could provide a link to your favorite page on the subject I'd really appreciate it too. On the other hand, I don't see why OP wouldn't try moving their betta to a separate tank for a couple weeks an seeing if it gets better.

 

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I've seen many people suggest things such as a divider to put multiple bettas in a single tank, which would seemingly contradict the hormone knowledge. If you could provide a link to your favorite page on the subject I'd really appreciate it too. On the other hand, I don't see why OP wouldn't try moving their betta to a separate tank for a couple weeks an seeing if it gets better.

How is this working for you and your betta so far... If i recall the only time he was ok was when in the small hospital tankalone please do whst is right for the fish

 

How is this working for you and your betta so far... If i recall the only time he was ok was when in the small hospital tankalone please do whst is right for the fish

I believe you've quoted the wrong person here friend.

 

I would be interested in a link as well.

 

How is this working for you and your betta so far... If i recall the only time he was ok was when in the small hospital tankalone please do whst is right for the fish

I don’t have a hospital tank, but he was doing fine the first 3-4 months I got him, it’s just been this last month and this month. That’s when all the problems about my fish dying randomly in my 36-gallon and betta fish being sick started showing up. I think I might’ve contaminated my fish tanks with a new fish I got sometime in between there :/

I don’t have a hospital tank, but he was doing fine the first 3-4 months I got him, it’s just been this last month and this month. That’s when all the problems about my fish dying randomly in my 36-gallon and betta fish being sick started showing up. I think I might’ve contaminated my fish tanks with a new fish I got sometime in between there :/

Also I will eventually move him to my 10-gallon after the angelfish fry are big enough to move out.

 

Keeping a fish in a breeder box long-term will cause it stress just because it’s tiny and trapped. But hormones in the water from other fish I’ve never heard of (repeat the divider for male bettas said above). I do think a sick betta should be removed from the main tank and quarantined, but only to protect the other fish. Keeping it in a breeder box will cause stress though. It’s always important to quarantine new fish and sick fish, so getting a tank set up for him now will benefit you for the long run.

For a swim bladder issue, you can try not feeding for 3 days (again) and then start back up feeding with only a few pellets a day. You can also add epsom salt (not aquarium salt) to help as a laxative and help with his swimming/buoyancy issues. But in order to add anything to the water and control his eating, he’ll need to be alone in a separate tank.

 

I don’t have a hospital tank, but he was doing fine the first 3-4 months I got him, it’s just been this last month and this month. That’s when all the problems about my fish dying randomly in my 36-gallon and betta fish being sick started showing up. I think I might’ve contaminated my fish tanks with a new fish I got sometime in between there :/

I'd suggest you get a quarantine tank if at all possible. You can find posts her about budget builds. Not only will reduce the chances of new fish bringing something harmful to the rest of your fish, but you will also have a place to put your sick betta so he can be alone and hopefully not get your other fish sick.

 

You can find posts her about budget builds.

Good point about budget builds. I’ll share mine. I used a 10 gallon plastic storage container from walmart, added a pre-cycled sponge filter from the main tank, a heater and a air stone. The total was less than $50

 

Keeping a fish in a breeder box long-term will cause it stress just because it’s tiny and trapped. But hormones in the water from other fish I’ve never heard of (repeat the divider for male bettas said above). I do think a sick betta should be removed from the main tank and quarantined, but only to protect the other fish. Keeping it in a breeder box will cause stress though. It’s always important to quarantine new fish and sick fish, so getting a tank set up for him now will benefit you for the long run.

For a swim bladder issue, you can try not feeding for 3 days (again) and then start back up feeding with only a few pellets a day. You can also add epsom salt (not aquarium salt) to help as a laxative and help with his swimming/buoyancy issues. But in order to add anything to the water and control his eating, he’ll need to be alone in a separate tank.

I’m not really sure where else to put him. I can’t really buy a new tank (it’s never a good solution, the more tanks you buy the more problems you will have, etc) (also as a high schooler I can’t manage more tanks and my parents are sick of my fish tanks by now lol). Do you think I should put a divider in the 36-gallon? My 75 is doing good right now, and my 10-gallon spare is full as well. The 36-gallon already contains sick fish that are getting treated and so that’s why I put him in there. I have the materials to put a divider in the 36 gallon so that the breeder box won’t stress him out.

 

You could divide it and give him a small portion (not 50/50) but you wouldn’t be able to treat him with salt because it’d still reach the other fish. You say he’s in a “sick tank” right now. Are you medicating his water? Medications can cause kidney failure which appears as bloat, with a big protruding tummy and swimming issues, eventually pineconing and death.

But yes, a few gallons in this tank is fine if you really can’t do my container setup. It just limits treatment options

 

It could be an internal tumor pressing on his swim bladder. Not saying this is extremely likely but it is a possibility I was told when I had this issue a long time ago.

 

You could divide it and give him a small portion (not 50/50) but you wouldn’t be able to treat him with salt because it’d still reach the other fish. You say he’s in a “sick tank” right now. Are you medicating his water? Medications can cause kidney failure which appears as bloat, with a big protruding tummy and swimming issues, eventually pineconing and death.

But yes, a few gallons in this tank is fine if you really can’t do my container setup. It just limits treatment options

Yes it’s being treated with general cure right now (I think the fish have some parasite since they won’t eat). I saw a person saying this is bad too. Should I divide the 10-gallon fry tank in half and put him in there to be treated?

 

Yes it’s being treated with general cure right now (I think the fish have some parasite since they won’t eat). I saw a person saying this is bad too. Should I divide the 10-gallon fry tank in half and put him in there to be treated?

That might be better. I just don’t want your sick tank to start fighting each other because of lack of space. Fry shouldn’t fight each other. You can then start doing epsom salt baths instead of treating the tank (no salt for the fry), as long as the betta has a few days rest from any medication. If he’s bloated or constipated the epsom salt bath will help him poop or get rid of excess water.

 

Peas don't work for bettas. They're unable to properly digest them. The best thing to help a betta with constipation is frozen daphnia. It performs a similar function, but is more easily digestible.

Ahhh right I forgot! Thanks for correcting me.