Floaty Betta

[Tank Mate]

We got back from holiday two weeks ago and within a few days noticed that our betta was behaving differently.

Usually, he'd be darting up and down the tank walls (55l community) but now he's up by the filter intake and rests there for most of the day.

He's also quite floaty and bobs with any movements to the water. We've seen him floating on his side a few times but he usually rights himself when this happens.

We've been through the fasting and pea treatment a few times so I thought I'd post on here to see what you think.

Also, he doesn't seem to be off his food at all. Selectively feeding him by hand to monitor his intake, and he's now started following my finger round the surface at feeding time.

Any ideas?

 

[Tank Mate]

 

[mimiheart]

Have you tried daphnia instead of peas?

Does he have a hammock or a resting spot near the surface in the community tank?

 

[toolman]

What are your water parameters?

 

[Tank Mate]

Parameters are:

Ammonia: 0
GH: 180
KH: 240
pH: 7.5
NO2: 0
NO3: 40

I haven't tried daphnia yet and he doesn't have a set spot to rest, but he does go for the filter intake (as pictured).

He's been in the tank for around 8 weeks, but we've only noticed this around two weeks ago when we got back from holiday.

Watched him closely last night and he really does struggle to swim downwards. Just floats straight back up.

 

[toolman]

Sounds like some kind of swim bladder issue, wish I had more information so I can help. Not an expert in diseases will research in a while (at work) and get back to you if no one else offers help.

 

[Tank Mate]

Thank you!

To give a head start, I've looked into swim bladder disorder and have possibly ruled out constipation as a cause. The thing confusing me most is that he's still got an appetite and isn't off his food. When selectively feeding him from my finger, he'd occasionally jump to get at the food.

 

[Tank Mate]

Update: after seeing glimpses of progress this week, I think that today we finally had a breakthrough and Humphrey is able to swim downwards again! He's now been able to explore the new plants we've got in the tank and seems to have found himself a new spot!

I'm not sure what caused him to overcome his swim bladder problem as we tested several remedies and there were some other possible factors too. For those experiencing similar problems with their betta, here's a list of the things we did:

1. Two cycles of three day fast and a pea. Didn't seem to do much so we put him back on his normal diet a week or so ago.

2. We rubbed his pellets in garlic for two days. Not sure what this did but I read somewhere that it could help.

3. We ended up redesigning our tank, removing all ornaments and gravel and replacing it with sand, plants and bogwood. The bogwood had only been soaking for a week or so and has started releasing tannins into the tank (I know, we were impatient!) however, tannins can be beneficial and there's people who swear by Indian almond leaf for the tannins that they give off. I'm not sure how much of this to believe, but it could have been a factor.

Lastly, it could be that the whole issue was caused from injury while we were away and it healed over time. Either way, thanks to those who gave advice and I hope our experiences can help those who are in a similar situation. To end, here's some pictures of our Humphrey enjoying his new plant!