Bloated betta - but without food?!

[kfoster]

Long post, I apologize.

My fish Ludwig has seemed fine up until this weekend/today. He always is interested in food, and I don’t think I have been overfeeding. 6 pellets a day (max) and he is a very active fish swimming around a lot and has lots of energy. He does not eat on the weekend because he is at my place of work.

Another thing I noticed is he has stopped making his bubble nests (about a week ago), he tends to be pretty proud of them. I wasn't reading too much into it though. But He overall has seemed a little bored.

Series of recent events:

Thursday: Upgraded his heater to the aqueon pro, and it has been holding a steady temperature of 78F (He had a heater before but it was only maintaining temperature of 76F)

Friday: He didn’t seem to want to eat this day. This isn’t the most uncommon thing, sometimes by the end of the week he sticks his nose up at his food like he is bored with it (I was going out this weekend to get him some variety), he did eat 2 pellets (all day).
Did a water change with a full gravel vacuum (part of my weekly water change routine, I usually do it Monday but the ammonia was only at 0.25 so I waited until the end of the week). I did notice fish waste during siphoning and turkey-basting (seemed to be the normal amount).
I know he pooped on Friday because I saw him do it near the end of the day.
During this water change I also changed his decorations in his tank (because I thought he was bored and needed a change of scenery). I recently bought fluval plants and I rinsed them in hot water and soaked them for 20 minutes before putting them in. He seemed a little unsure about his new surroundings but he seems to like to hide in the plants.

Saturday: I went to the office to check on him to make sure the water was still a good temperature (I’m a little paranoid when I put new equipment in the tank), and if he was getting used to his new jungle. I didn’t feed him because he is usually fasted on the weekend. He was swimming around and came to visit but he seemed a little less happy than other days (you know how you can just tell). I assumed it was from him still getting used to his new environment.
He was not bloated on Saturday because I was taking pictures of him that day, I will put a picture of him up for the Saturday too.

Sunday: I went to the office again briefly, he didn’t come out to see me but I found him hanging out in the leaves. Again I didn’t attempt to feed him, I wasn’t there very long as I was just picking up something. I went out and bought NLS pellets and Omega one pellets because I have heard they are better for him, so I was planning on introducing them to him Monday

Monday (today): Ludwig didn’t come out actively to see me in the morning. He wasn’t hiding or on the bottom or anything, he again just didn’t seem interested to eat or to see me. I got his new pellets ready and soaked them in water. The NLS pellets sank immediately so I tried to put one not as soaked in the tank. He seemed uninterested in eating. I got an omega one pellet and he spit it out a few times but did end up eating that. I also put in a hikari one as I was thinking he maybe just didn’t like his food. He ate that one. So in total this morning he ate one omega one pellet and one hikari pellet. He spit everything else out or it sank.

I didn’t even think to look at him closely until after, and he seems very bloated. ---Which I don’t see how that could be after two days of not eating!? And also because I saw him poop on Friday?!

I’ll put a picture below. Is it bloating? Is it something else? Could he be this big after only eating two pellets?! I didn't think it would happen that fast.

Housing
What size is your tank? 10 Gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78 F
Does your tank have a filter? Yes – Aquaclear 20 baffled
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Hikari Bio Gold but trying to switch him to NLS and Omega one (attempted today before I realized he was bloated)
How often do you feed your betta fish? Twice a day; 3 pellets each time (6 total pellets a day of the Hikari)

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Once weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50% (Still trying to determine if cycle is complete – fish in cycle)
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Prime water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 2-5ppm
pH: 8
Hardness: 80
Alkalinity: 180

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Bloated belly
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? not swimming as much, not excited or interested in me or food. Doesn’t seem to have a problem swimming.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Today was the first time I saw him bloated
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)? Got him a month ago, so probably around 7 months or so.

Sorry for the super long post but I figured the more information the better. Thanks guys.

First pic: him Saturday - does not seem bloated

Second pic: this morning (after the two pellets he ate)


Any suggestions or experience is greatly appreciated!
I've heard of the pea-treatment but I've also heard people that say to never feed peas!
Epsom salt? Is that an option? Do I treat the entire ten gallons or do I get him in a bowl?
Do I just leave him for a few days?

I hope it's nothing serious but it makes me mostly worried because it happened over the weekend while he was fasting....

Thanks again.

 

[kfoster]

Update:

Last night after I left work a co-worker said Ludwig was active in the tank. This could be because my tank light only turns off at 6pm and the room light was off, so he could have seen his reflection.

This morning he went diving into the leaves and hasn't come out. But he is still pot-belly pig looking.

I heard that if a fish is bloated they wouldn't be able to get to the bottom of the tank? Is this true? If it's not bloat what is it then?

Again he was not fed sat/sun and I fed him two pellets yesterday before I looked at him. And nothing else since then.

Should I just continue fasting?

 

[kfoster]

He is now laying on his side at the bottom of the tank and breathing heavily.

The bloated stomach looks a little smaller than it did yesterday.

I don't know what to do.

I was just going to keep fasting him but he now seems very laboured at the bottom of the tank. I don't know how often he has been going up for air.... I don't know if just leaving him is the best thing anymore.,..

 

[J.Mcpeak]

How old is the fish? Could be old age? Or even new age!

New fish,
Bloated belly I normally treat for worms (the bump gets bigger at feeding but with reduced faecal matter), failing that internal bacteria.

Fish that have lived as long as they should, be proud!

 

[kfoster]

He is not that old.

I have had him for just over a month. And he was new to the store I got him from so I'm guessing he shouldn't be more than 7 months....

 

[J.Mcpeak]

My guess, treat for internal worms.

 

[kfoster]

How is that done? I'm new to all this...sorry lol

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Fish store should be able to provide internal worm treatment. In the uk it is sterazin (that's the one I use) by water life.

Follow instructions to the letter.
It could also be an internal bacteria.

Look at the faeces. Not sure what colour betta poo is? Normally it's a brown to dark brown and even that's for all the fish I've kept. If it's stringy (looks like sausage skin) you've an internal issue.

If the fish gets fat at feeding, you're feeding the worms.
I appreciate the fish is new to you but try to recount how much poo there was after each feeding, and after each fasting. If it's similar it's probably worms.

Hope this helps!

 

[kfoster]

Thank you for all your advice and care.

Ludwig passed away this evening.

I guess it was too late to do anything. After looking closer at him while he was laying at the bottom of the tank.... a couple times I thought I noticed his scales being raised up. I didn't want to admit to myself it was dropsy and it seemed to come and go. But I guess the bloating/raised scales was just the last effects of him probably being sick for a little while... Still no idea what it was of what caused it.

But he was not acting like himself for a few days before the bloating - not that he looked or acted sick at all.....but hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

 

[EmberMerlin]

Sorry to hear that, kfoster. He was a beautiful fish who had a loving home.

 

[kfoster]

Thanks embermerlin. I miss him already.

 

[Aqua_Goddess]

Pellets to me are the devil.I prefer flakes and would even reduce feeding to once a day 5 times a day.and once in a while switch it up and replace one day of flakes with a couple blood worms to make sure he gets all of his nutrients. I'm sooo sorry your fish passed away but that only makes you more expierenced.

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[Aqua_Goddess]

*5 times a week* oh god.sorry I ment week not day!

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[Aqua_Goddess]

But when you deside to get a new betta while at the pet store buy some freshwater salt.so when you're in doubt put a bit of salt in a cup and make sure it gets dissolved and put it in the bettas tank,it'll help heal him if he has injury , help fight infections, improve his immune system .but only use the salt as directed on the container and only when you're honestly worried.

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[EmberMerlin]

Thanks embermerlin. I miss him already.

I know. I know exactly how it feels.

 

[annc]

So sorry

I read your thread with interest, Kfoster, and was so sad to hear at the bottom that beautiful Ludwig died. I'm a newbie at this too, but I know how attached we can get to living things in our care. You're an attentive caretaker, though, and I hope you try again. -- Ann

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Aaaaahhhhhh, that's bad news.

It's funny, you'll remember the ones that died for ages (forever so far).
At least you tried to do all you could. Sorry no help arrived sooner.


The next fish you get, you will love it more, you will try harder and care better. Even when it's impossible to do more.
I am always gutted when a fish dies, even if it's not my fault. Sometimes things just happen, you did try. Soon you will have Ludwig II, I doubt you will go too long without a fish.


Next time, I really hope it's a much better experience for you.