I’m at it again saving a betta!

So, Naga healthy now if you guys followed my last one. I moved him to my 29 gallon tank and he is doing wonderfully. I went to my LPS and found another. Meet Zecora!

it seems like he has swim bladder so I don’t know if he will make it. We have the first Epsom salt bath. Does any one have tips or tricks on how to help bettas recover naturally from swim bladder?

my game plan: don’t feed him for three days, then feed him a bit of a pea every other day to every two days give him a bath. Until he recovers. I’m planning on getting some almond leaves. Any other tips? I’ll keep everyone updated

 

Maybe try daphnia instead of a pea? Especially since bettas are carnivores instead of herbivores. Mine often poop while they are eating it when i have used in the past.

 

Hi Chailyte,

I was typing the exact same thing as BigManAquatics posted, lol!!!

Warm water, some frozen daphnia if you can get it, lights out, small water changes for pristine water, and Indian almond leaves are what I would recommend.

Hope Zecora bounces back in no time!!!! Post updates when you can!

 

Maybe try daphnia instead of a pea? Especially since bettas are carnivores instead of herbivores. Mine often poop while they are eating it when i have used in the past.

Ah! Ok i appreciate it, I have a bunch frozen in my freezer!

Hi Chailyte,

I was typing the exact same thing as BigManAquatics posted, lol!!!

Warm water, some frozen daphnia if you can get it, lights out, small water changes for pristine water, and Indian almond leaves are what I would recommend.

Hope Zecora bounces back in no time!!!! Post updates when you can!

I will! Right now he isn’t forced on his side all the much!!

 

Ok an update: after his first bath, he seemed more active. Also he didn’t seem to be forced on his side as much. I’m watching him as I’m posting this, he is in the far corner and staying straight for a bit and then falling to his side up above the water. He still is very active and I haven’t fed him yet.

Im thinking of giving him a betta leaf or something by his corner so he can rest on it.

 

Update: the second epson salt bath (15 minutes). Along with a .5 gallon water change (10%~). Water kept at 80 F. Got some almond leaves and two of those leaf things he can rest on. Hang on there Zecora you will be better in no time! Will feed him so frozen daphina tomorrow!

updated plan: after learning more about swim bladder, I will change his water every time he gets a salt bath, give him a salt bath every other day for a week or two then move to every 2 days. At the three day mark I will feed him daphina until he no longer has the swim bladder! I’m keeping the water at 80 F.

Okay apologizes for the third edit, does his spine look odd to you? I feel like it does compared to my other bettas, is this concerning?

 

A personal opinion about feeding frozen foods.
As a person who does feed frozen foods myself each time I do it I go from tank to tank with a cup of tank water that has the frozen Lobster eggs ( etc ) in it. It occurs to me as I plunge my fingers in the cup how cold it is when recently defrosted. Fish smaller than a better swallow a stomach full if you let them. When I do that I think I should wait until it has warmed up by changing the frozen water a few times. Just thinking if the betta is still fighting an issue the last thing he needs is to have its body temperature dropped by cold food. It can’t help with the digestion any being colder than body temperature ?

Fingers crossed for little guy.
He’s not out of the woods yet.

 

A personal opinion about feeding frozen foods.
As a person who does feed frozen foods myself each time I do it I go from tank to tank with a cup of tank water that has the frozen Lobster eggs ( etc ) in it. It occurs to me as I plunge my fingers in the cup how cold it is when recently defrosted. Fish smaller than a better swallow a stomach full if you let them. When I do that I think I should wait until it has warmed up by changing the frozen water a few times. Just thinking if the betta is still fighting an issue the last thing he needs is to have its body temperature dropped by cold food. It can’t help with the digestion any being colder than body temperature ?

Fingers crossed for little guy.
He’s not out of the woods yet.

oh ok! thank you i will definitely make sure the frozen food isnt cold when i give it to him!

 

Okay update! He’s doing much better now and doesn’t float up as fast, he has a really good appetite. I didn’t have any daphnia so I gave him some brine shrimp then didn’t feed him for a couple of day then yesterday went to get daphnia and he loved them but struggled to swim down as fast as they were falling… he got a bunch though!

 

Here’s another update!
He’s getting he next salt bath, i unthawed out frozen daphne and did a small water change. So he will eat after his bath! He’s acclimating to the temperature as we speak

 

Ok well, update: he’s doing better. But i was watching him, noticed him not breathing for a second? Then I blew on him and it awoke him (before I gave him a bath)? But also I noticed as I was giving him a bath he has a weird lump on his back under his fin? This is the best photo I got of him-

 

You do realize bettas get their air from the air above the water? So the whole breathing part i m confused by.

The lump may be a newly forming tumor, which aside of removal, not much to be done with those.

 

You do realize bettas get their air from the air above the water? So the whole breathing part i m confused by.

The lump may be a newly forming tumor, which aside of removal, not much to be done with those.

Yeah I knew that, it’s just that he wasn’t up in the air, he was in the water- like towards the bottom. Not moving just chilling

and dang I was worried it was tumor…

 

Yeah I knew that, it’s just that he wasn’t up in the air, he was in the water- like towards the bottom. Not moving just chilling

and dang I was worried it was tumor…

Bettas can live quite some time with them.