Red spots on betta; dragging swollen belly

Frida is on day 6. She's always been a "fat" fish, but this is beyond that. I removed her from the community/betta sorority tank after finding her lodged in a plant. After putting her in a pint container, I observed her belly to be so distended she only dragged it along the bottom, and would list sideways. I fasted her three days, epsom baths 2x/day, shelled pea which she wouldn't touch. No poop. Her belly has gone down enough that she's no longer listing, but it's still weighing her down. Curious if she even had an appetite, I tried a small bug bite flake yesterday. Nope. Last night, she readily ate a thawed bloodworm. The parameters from her usual tank: tannic, 0/0/40. Neutral pH. No other fish affected. I noticed two small red spots on the side of her belly. No pineconing. What now?

 

Her usual foods, 1x/day, alternate: fluval bug bites and bug bite flakes, betta pellets, variety frozen, freeze dried bloodworms.

 

Also, pics were taken yesterday; her belly had gone down quite a bit.

 

If anyone can help? She finally pooped (?), but it doesn't look normal: small nugget, light-colored. Still no pineconing. Belly back to usual, but she's still dragging/listing. Swim bladder not distended. I've began feeding last night: two thawed bloodworms, which I had to put directly in front of her mouth. I'll give two more here shortly. I added a few drops betta fix to her cup (the tea tree stuff.) I'm going to discontinue epsom baths. I examined her closely for external parasites, and I don't see anything. The red dots concern me. I don't know what to do.

 

Update: it's in the community tank. Another female betta, same symptoms. I'm going to have to use a broad spectrum. I can't find any info, and haven't gotten any replies.

 

Those seem to me to be ammonia burns but then all your fish would have it.. I’m leaning towards some sort of infection that’s spreading to the other fish. Can you provide pics of the second one?

 

If you could get some stressguard by seachem for her skin, it acts like a liquid bandage and may help.

I am also having an issue with swim bladder (not caused by water conditions or constipation) with my male betta. It was recommended to me that I try polyguard by seachem because it is broad spectrum. It has malachite green and a sulfa type antibiotic in it, along with some other meds. It treats bacterial, fungal, and parasitic issues.

I am usually a proponent of using nothing but clean water, warm temp, and Indian almond leaf to treat ailments, but there are just times that you need to use meds.

I hope everything works out for your babies!

 

Thanks y'all. I put Frida back in the big tank in a floating breeder box so she's closer to the surface, and dosed the whole tank with a similar malachite green combo. I noticed the temp was kinda low (finally turned the AC on the other day,) so I've cranked it up. I can't turn it up too much because of the corys...

Frida's still not doing well (pic.) I've included pics of Paprika; she's swimming around more, but keeps resting on the end of an intake tube (why...?) Still no others showing symptoms. Fingers crossed.

Re., red spots, I'm doubting ammonia issues as I do frequent water changes, and the tank is well-established. But please let me know if anything looks weird with Paprika. Thanks again!

 

P.S. The water is usually visibly tannic from driftwood, but super clear in these pics bc of the massive water change I did pre-meds. I've got Indian almond leaves on the way. Been wanting them for a while.

 

Did you check your water parameters?
Do you soak the pellets?
Feeding daphnia helps with bloating, not peas. Bettas can’t properly digest peas.

Edit:
Beautiful bettas btw!

 

I love their names....I am not brave enough to try a sorority! You have my admiration...

 

Thanks y'all. I put Frida back in the big tank in a floating breeder box so she's closer to the surface, and dosed the whole tank with a similar malachite green combo. I noticed the temp was kinda low (finally turned the AC on the other day,) so I've cranked it up. I can't turn it up too much because of the corys...

Frida's still not doing well (pic.) I've included pics of Paprika; she's swimming around more, but keeps resting on the end of an intake tube (why...?) Still no others showing symptoms. Fingers crossed.

Re., red spots, I'm doubting ammonia issues as I do frequent water changes, and the tank is well-established. But please let me know if anything looks weird with Paprika. Thanks again!

It's weird, and I have never seen it any where before, but it looks like a pic that I saw on a betta disease list...they called it hemorrhagic , a bacteria treatable with antibiotics....?


Just thinking .....

 

When I had issues last fall - extreme large belly that looked like they would burst (formerly sorority tank 1) - it sort of just crept up.

fast for 3 days, fed 1 day , fast 2 more days then go to feed 1x a day for 6 days, 1 day fasting.


Now, I feed bug bites or black larvae betta crumbles. I avoid flake or pellet food in community tanks which cause a rush to eat due to competition ( dry flakes/pellets meet water & expands which will bloat.)

I have a Rottweiler dog who is 120 pounds, bloat is a major issue for that breed- trapped gas due to dry food , in an empty stomach & trapped gas. bloat will kill any animal.

I hate fasting. feeding my fish each morning is my fav thing ( don;t tell my dogs!) but we humans tend to see food as love so I just remind myself no fish in the wild successfully hunts each day.

 

I'm pretty ticky about how I feed the girls. Whatever I'm feeding them, I make an effort to do only a little at a time, moving around so no one gets too much. I'll admit to being in a hurry from time to time though, and not doing it right Frida likes hanging out at the bottom though; she's never in the swarm. I really don't know what's up. Paprika's acting normally now. I'll do another big change in the morning, and another dose I guess.

 

It's weird, and I have never seen it any where before, but it looks like a pic that I saw on a betta disease list...they called it hemorrhagic , a bacteria treatable with antibiotics....?


Just thinking .....

Thanks. I'll look it up. Poor Frida.

 

I love their names....I am not brave enough to try a sorority! You have my admiration...

Thanks. They've all got names:

Did you check your water parameters?
Do you soak the pellets?
Feeding daphnia helps with bloating, not peas. Bettas can’t properly digest peas.

Edit:
Beautiful bettas btw!

Thank you. I love my bettas, especially the ladies. Checking the parameters is the first thing I do, with API master test. All good. Re., soaking - I switched to fluval bug bites (and the flakes) as they're tiny, unlike typical pellets. They're more like a dusting. I figured it was a good choice, kinda like feeding my dogs grain-free vs food that's mostly filler. It's been a while since Frida was fed pellets; I ran out maybe a week before her illness? I tried some thawed daphnia. She turned her nose up. Only thing she'll eat is bloodworms.

 

I love their names....I am not brave enough to try a sorority! You have my admiration...

Thanks. They've all got names, based mostly on their appearance. I should start a thread on betta names I've been really lucky with the girls. I've got nine (?) together; all has been copacetic for about two years now, but I do keep a close eye on them. I did have to remove a recent addition; she was just too fancy, and my koi and marble were being catty with her. So, I *had* to get a second 3gal cube (darnit,) and Lucy now lives next to Ricky the male dragon scale (with cardboard in between of course.)

 

It's weird, and I have never seen it any where before, but it looks like a pic that I saw on a betta disease list...they called it hemorrhagic , a bacteria treatable with antibiotics....?


Just thinking .....

I looked it up. That doesn't seem likely as the spots never spread, like one would expect with subcutaneous bleeding. Nor does she show any hemmhoraging around her eyes and mouth. But thanks all the same; it's always good to learn!

 

Update: I had to euthanize Frida this evening. My first. The bloating spread to her swim bladder, her fins were getting messed up from laying on them (though putting a soft sponge on the bottom of the breeder box helped her stay upright,) she was breathing very quickly, her scales began to pinecone, and her eyes looked strange/cloudy. It broke my heart, but I felt she was suffering. I'm beginning to think all her symptoms were the result of something genetic (Petco purchase, which I always feel are rescues...) She made it to age two.

On the bright side, the rest of the tank occupants seem okay. One of my youngest (Prince Rogers Nelson) has me a little worried. Swollen belly, but otherwise spunky. She's quicker than the older gals (myself included,) and sometimes steals their food from the hemistats. She stole beefheart today. I think I'm just hyper worried, and she's just super fat.

 

Update: I had to euthanize Frida this evening. My first. The bloating spread to her swim bladder, her fins were getting messed up from laying on them (though putting a soft sponge on the bottom of the breeder box helped her stay upright,) she was breathing very quickly, her scales began to pinecone, and her eyes looked strange/cloudy. It broke my heart, but I felt she was suffering. I'm beginning to think all her symptoms were the result of something genetic (Petco purchase, which I always feel are rescues...) She made it to age two.

On the bright side, the rest of the tank occupants seem okay. One of my youngest (Prince Rogers Nelson) has me a little worried. Swollen belly, but otherwise spunky. She's quicker than the older gals (myself included,) and sometimes steals their food from the hemistats. She stole beefheart today. I think I'm just hyper worried, and she's just super fat.

I'm already too late on this thread but I wanted to say I'm sorry that your Betta died . It's always terrible to lose Pets.
Bettas can be up to a year old in Pet Stores when you buy them, so she probably lived a longer life than you thought, if that helps at all.
Anyway, my condolences.

 

I'm already too late on this thread but I wanted to say I'm sorry that your Betta died . It's always terrible to lose Pets.
Bettas can be up to a year old in Pet Stores when you buy them, so she probably lived a longer life than you thought, if that helps at all.
Anyway, my condolences.

Thank you. After a good run, it's been a rough couple of weeks here. My female koi, Bowie, disappeared into thin air, and one of my males, Red the Sexy Beast, is apparently elderly now. Naps mostly, otherwise grumpy and wants little to do with me anymore. The only thing I can think of with Bowie is she somehow leapt from the tank and was eaten by Freddy Mercury (our naughty kitten.) No sign of her anywhere. Yeesh!

 

Thank you. After a good run, it's been a rough couple of weeks here. My female koi, Bowie, disappeared into thin air, and one of my males, Red the Sexy Beast, is apparently elderly now. Naps mostly, otherwise grumpy and wants little to do with me anymore. The only thing I can think of with Bowie is she somehow leapt from the tank and was eaten by Freddy Mercury (our naughty kitten.) No sign of her anywhere. Yeesh!

You do have the most unusual names for your pet babies!!! I love it!

 

You do have the most unusual names for your pet babies!!! I love it!

Lol. That reminds me. A malfunctioning heater almost made bouillabaisse out of Desi today.

 

Lol. That reminds me. A malfunctioning heater almost made bouillabaisse out of Desi today.

Ouch!

 

Thank you. After a good run, it's been a rough couple of weeks here. My female koi, Bowie, disappeared into thin air, and one of my males, Red the Sexy Beast, is apparently elderly now. Naps mostly, otherwise grumpy and wants little to do with me anymore. The only thing I can think of with Bowie is she somehow leapt from the tank and was eaten by Freddy Mercury (our naughty kitten.) No sign of her anywhere. Yeesh!

I definitely feel that; we were cleaning our tank and had to remove our fish due to it being a 100% clean, and Bianca (our rainbow shark) disappeared. We think she jumped out and one of our 5 dogs got ahold of her and carried her outside ^^'

As for your bettas; I'm sorry to hear that yours couldn't make it. Pet stores (and stores like Walmart) buy on such a wholesale/wide scale range that they don't make sure that their bettas (or any of their fish, for that matter) are healthy or okay. We got our betta, Ventus, from Walmart back in March of 2019 and he was about a year old then.

Now he's acting lethargic, his fins are clamped sometimes, he'll come up and chill at the surface for air and will eat and is bloated, but our parameters are perfect for both him and the cycle. We're fasting him for the next 3 days and we ordered some IAL to try and help, but we're not sure what exactly caused it. There's no sign of infection or parasitic issues- he's just acting like a tired old fat man xD Kinda how your Red does.

Also I agree with the others; the names of your fish are amazing!!

 

I definitely feel that; we were cleaning our tank and had to remove our fish due to it being a 100% clean, and Bianca (our rainbow shark) disappeared. We think she jumped out and one of our 5 dogs got ahold of her and carried her outside ^^'

As for your bettas; I'm sorry to hear that yours couldn't make it. Pet stores (and stores like Walmart) buy on such a wholesale/wide scale range that they don't make sure that their bettas (or any of their fish, for that matter) are healthy or okay. We got our betta, Ventus, from Walmart back in March of 2019 and he was about a year old then.

Now he's acting lethargic, his fins are clamped sometimes, he'll come up and chill at the surface for air and will eat and is bloated, but our parameters are perfect for both him and the cycle. We're fasting him for the next 3 days and we ordered insome IAL to try and help, but we're not sure what exactly caused it. There's no sign of infection or parasitic issues- he's just acting like a tired old fat man xD Kinda how your Red does.

Also I agree with the others; the names of your fish are amazing!!

Hey there! It wasn't something I was doing for any real reason, but I began feeding my bettas the same thawed, rinsed bloodworms as I feed my pea puffers, almost exclusively, instead of as a treat. I noticed a lot more healthy activity: Red perked up, and Lazarus even built his first bubble nest. They all also enjoy beef heart (same frozen cubes, thawed and rinsed.) Oh, and I've added Indian almond leaves to all tanks. Maybe try more protein?

 

Hey there! It wasn't something I was doing for any real reason, but I began feeding my bettas the same thawed, rinsed bloodworms as I feed my pea puffers, almost exclusively, instead of as a treat. I noticed a lot more healthy activity: Red perked up, and Lazarus even built his first bubble nest. They all also enjoy beef heart (same frozen cubes, thawed and rinsed.) Oh, and I've added Indian almond leaves to all tanks. Maybe try more protein?

He ended up passing away the night before last sadly. With him being older and the mix of stress from the change into a tank 6x the size, the angelfish incident (had to hold an angelfish in there for a day until we could take it back to petsmart), changing from untreated water to almost pristine water and having a new snail and small pleco tankmate weakened his immune system, on top of him being old already.

He caught a fungal fin rot that I had noticed a few hours before he passed that was only on the tips of his fins and tried to treat it, but I think I was too late. Checked on him a bit later and he was swimming straight up, pointing down and falling until he slammed his head into the ground.

Last time I saw that was when my parents' clownfish had a tumor grow in his brain, which we couldn't prevent. He had a really good life before, so I'm glad I was able to give him that and he taught me a lot in relevance to bettas.

I cleaned the tank after he passed so the fin rot and fungus didnt spread to my ivory mystery snail or juvenile bristlenose; he's just now starting to gain his spots.

 

He ended up passing away the night before last sadly. With him being older and the mix of stress from the change into a tank 6x the size, the angelfish incident (had to hold an angelfish in there for a day until we could take it back to petsmart), changing from untreated water to almost pristine water and having a new snail and small pleco tankmate weakened his immune system, on top of him being old already.

He caught a fungal fin rot that I had noticed a few hours before he passed that was only on the tips of his fins and tried to treat it, but I think I was too late. Checked on him a bit later and he was swimming straight up, pointing down and falling until he slammed his head into the ground.

Last time I saw that was when my parents' clownfish had a tumor grow in his brain, which we couldn't prevent. He had a really good life before, so I'm glad I was able to give him that and he taught me a lot in relevance to bettas.

I cleaned the tank after he passed so the fin rot and fungus didnt spread to my ivory mystery snail or juvenile bristlenose; he's just now starting to gain his spots.

Aw man, that stinks. I'm sorry

 

Aw man, that stinks. I'm sorry

It's alright. I'm glad we were able to keep him alive, happy and well this long, especially given how long he had been at that Walmart before we bought him. He was there for at least two months before we bought him, and he deserved the best that I could provide. He's swimming in bigger waters now !