Sick Betta Fish

[schmiggle]

My mother's betta fish has been swimming crookedly and unable to catch food pellets. It appears perfectly normal on the outside. She's convinced it's going to die, but I hope to change that. Any suggestions?

 

[Venom1080]

ask on fish forums. not a spider forum. not that no one wants to help, its just that were spider freaks, not fish freaks.

 

[Thistles]

If he doesn't have a heater, get him a heater. Add a little bit of aquarium salt and if you can get black water extract or an Indian almond leaf, put that in. Keep his water clean and hope for the best.

 

[Spidermolt]

If he doesn't have a heater, get him a heater. Add a little bit of aquarium salt and if you can get black water extract or an Indian almond leaf, put that in. Keep his water clean and hope for the best.

I agree I've done this several times before and all my bettas always get better. Plain Epson salt works great, just dissolve a Teaspoon in a gallon of water (before putting the fish in) and also try feeding it a very small piece of boiled pea (I hope I don't have to say to let it cool first!) I've never tried the leaf though.

 

[Draketeeth]

How big is the tank? What's the water temperature? How much is it being fed? How often is it being fed? Initially, this all sounds like a swim bladder problem. When did it last poop? Could be a constipation issue.

Discontinue feeding and fast the fish for 24 hours. After that, for its next meal, use Spidermolt's pea method and feed your betta very small pieces of the pea innards, not the outer skin. If it's constipation, this will help loosen up blockages and push things along. Constipation can put pressure on the swim bladder, so they're closely linked issues. I've never had a betta who hasn't enjoyed eating peas, so getting yours to eat this shouldn't be too difficult.

If he doesn't have a heater, get him a heater.

^^^This!
Bettas do best at 76*F-82*F. Below that minimum, they're more prone to getting sick and developing issues. It's not a cure-all, but it does help resolve a number of common problems.

 

[Thistles]

Daphnia are another fish laxative. I've never been able to get my bettas to eat peas.

 

[Draketeeth]

Daphnia are another fish laxative. I've never been able to get my bettas to eat peas.

You must not be a very good chef Daphnia do also work. Did you have a method that worked well for you? These things are so tiny! I tried thawed daphnia once with an extreme constipation case and ended up spoon feeding while he lounged in a leaf hammock. Felt pretty silly, but it worked.

 

[Thistles]

You must not be a very good chef Daphnia do also work. Did you have a method that worked well for you? These things are so tiny! I tried thawed daphnia once with an extreme constipation case and ended up spoon feeding while he lounged in a leaf hammock. Felt pretty silly, but it worked.

I've never had a pet betta of mine develop buoyancy problems but a lot at work have. I used the freeze dried ones we had for sale. They are little, but so are the pellets we use for normal feeding. I don't think the fish cared.

 

[schmiggle]

Thanks everyone! I will tell you all how things go. Luckily, no obvious change from last night.

 

[schmiggle]

Oh, also two other things that might be relevant (I should have mentioned them before, apologies in that regard): First of all, he had a water change not so long ago because the water had gotten extremely dirty. It was not a complete water change (I believe you're not supposed to do that?) but it was about 75%. Second of all, he has been spending a lot of time moving very little on the bottom. I'd say he's lethargic--he only moves when significantly disturbed--but certainly does respond.

 

[Thistles]

Oh, also two other things that might be relevant (I should have mentioned them before, apologies in that regard): First of all, he had a water change not so long ago because the water had gotten extremely dirty. It was not a complete water change (I believe you're not supposed to do that?) but it was about 75%. Second of all, he has been spending a lot of time moving very little on the bottom. I'd say he's lethargic--he only moves when significantly disturbed--but certainly does respond.

Big water changes can make them sick even if they're going from bad water to better water. Fish don't deal well with fluctuation. Do consistent smaller changes to keep the water from ever getting dirty. I doubt he's actually constipated. There are a lot of things that can cause the symptoms you describe, which is why I didn't recommend daphnia originally. It's difficult to treat internal infections in fresh water fish, but warm water helps and salt can ameliorate the discomfort by encouraging excess fluid to leave his body.

 

[schmiggle]

Sadly, the fish was found dead yesterday.