floating fish please help

[wvllflower]

Hello im new and i need help with my boyfriend's betta. So couple months ago he got betta from the shop and it was okay in his tank until my boyfriend moved him to his new tank. There he randomly started floating and wasn't able to swim down even when he tried. The only thing that helped was moving him to a cup. Before someone suggests swim bladder I can tell you that its not swim bladder. My boyfriend owns over 20 bettas and he knows a lot about them. The reason im asking here for help is that no one knows whats wrong with the fish. He even asked person who wrote a book about bettas and he didnt know either. Tank size and water and temperature is perfect for the fish. Ill try to explain what happens. Fish is fine for a few days in a tank and then suddenly starts floating and can't swim down. when it happens my boyfriend moves the fish to the cup and there it starts swimming perfectly fine and nothing is wrong. we tried medicine, different diet, different water and tanks and nothing helps. we just can't figure out why fish is okay for days and then starts doing it with no reason. also this tank doesn't have a filter because its a smaller tank but this fish prefers smaller tanks. so if anyone has any idea what might be wrong please help because we tried everything and nothing seems to be working.. water in the cup is the same like in a tank and if it was swim bladder fish wouldnt be fine in the cup either. please help

 

[drjallen3]

Hello im new and i need help with my boyfriend's betta. So couple months ago he got betta from the shop and it was okay in his tank until my boyfriend moved him to his new tank. There he randomly started floating and wasn't able to swim down even when he tried. The only thing that helped was moving him to a cup. Before someone suggests swim bladder I can tell you that its not swim bladder. My boyfriend owns over 20 bettas and he knows a lot about them. The reason im asking here for help is that no one knows whats wrong with the fish. He even asked person who wrote a book about bettas and he didnt know either. Tank size and water and temperature is perfect for the fish. Ill try to explain what happens. Fish is fine for a few days in a tank and then suddenly starts floating and can't swim down. when it happens my boyfriend moves the fish to the cup and there it starts swimming perfectly fine and nothing is wrong. we tried medicine, different diet, different water and tanks and nothing helps. we just can't figure out why fish is okay for days and then starts doing it with no reason. also this tank doesn't have a filter because its a smaller tank but this fish prefers smaller tanks. so if anyone has any idea what might be wrong please help because we tried everything and nothing seems to be working.. water in the cup is the same like in a tank and if it was swim bladder fish wouldnt be fine in the cup either. please help

This is just a random thought about Anabantoids in general. Sometimes birth defects (deformities) can occur in living creatures internally that we wouldn't notice. The fish could have an enlarged labyrinth organ that sometimes takes on extra air causing the fish to float. Or it occasionally swallows extra air when it surfaces for a bubble exchange. The only disease that would cause such a problem is swim bladder disease and if it's not that, I can think of only one other possibility...intestional worms that are causing occasional gas build up in the fish's gut. If that were the case, a symptom would be white stringy poop.

 

[Angellove78]

??? He was ok in the first tank. He was moved from that tank. Did you change his food after you moved him? And have you tried giving him the food you started out with? Maybe too rich of food for him.

 

[wvllflower]

He was in medicine i think if worms were causing it medicine would have helped. and yes he was okay in the first tank but then he was moved to another tank and this is where he started floating. food wasnt changed until recently so its not food and my boyfriend said its not worms. he said it could be enlarged organ but he doesnt know how to tell. Is there a way to say if its the organ causing fish to float? also if it was organ wouldn't he be floating in a cup too?

 

[drjallen3]

He was in medicine i think if worms were causing it medicine would have helped. and yes he was okay in the first tank but then he was moved to another tank and this is where he started floating. food wasnt changed until recently so its not food and my boyfriend said its not worms. he said it could be enlarged organ but he doesnt know how to tell. Is there a way to say if its the organ causing fish to float? also if it was organ wouldn't he be floating in a cup too?

An enlarged labyrinth would only be filled to the extent that an Anabantoid intakes it's bubble. If the ever watch them at the surface, you see the exhale/inhale happen both in a split second. There may be something in the water that you normally don't test for (such as flouride which does not evaporate from water like chlorine),that may be prompting him to take in more air. And honestly without examining the fish's behavior my self, don't take my suggestion of enlarged labyrinth organ as a true diagnosis. I just can't think of any other right now that worms have been ruled out.

 

[Angellove78]

If the betta had an old injury (internal) could cause him to float like that in the tank. But, my thought is the water. You say there's no filter. What about water changes. How often are they done on that tank he was put into after the original tank he came out of. You would know if it's swim bladder by the bloat. So, that's ruled out. Another question, and please don't get mad. I'm just trying to help. How long has your boyfriend owned betta's? Sorry, but there's some people who say they've done the research on these little guys. But there's always something one didn't know, or miss something.ive done a lot of research too. But there's always something else to them. Or it's just something simple of a water change. I think you should try putting him back into his original tank set it up just like before and see what happens. Could be something simple as a stress thing for him. Every betta is different.

 

[drjallen3]

If the betta had an old injury (internal) could cause him to float like that in the tank. But, my thought is the water. You say there's no filter. What about water changes. How often are they done on that tank he was put into after the original tank he came out of. You would know if it's swim bladder by the bloat. So, that's ruled out. Another question, and please don't get mad. I'm just trying to help. How long has your boyfriend owned betta's? Sorry, but there's some people who say they've done the research on these little guys. But there's always something one didn't know, or miss something.ive done a lot of research too. But there's always something else to them. Or it's just something simple of a water change. I think you should try putting him back into his original tank set it up just like before and see what happens. Could be something simple as a stress thing for him. Every betta is different.

I agree with Angel in that it could be an untestable chemical in the water. Thats why I mentioned flouride earlier, even though I don't think it's flouride. Another chemical that can build up to even toxic levels in an aquarium is the pheromones produced by especially dominant fish. There are many possible unknown items in aquarium water that we don't have tests for. You may already have a water changing schedule, but you may have to change more volume at a time or doing it more often.

 

[Angellove78]

I agree with Angel in that it could be an untestable chemical in the water. Thats why I mentioned flouride earlier, even though I don't think it's flouride. Another chemical that can build up to even toxic levels in an aquarium is the pheromones produced by especially dominant fish. There are many possible unknown items in aquarium water that we don't have tests for. You may already have a water changing schedule, but you may have to change more volume at a time or doing it more often.

It's hard to pin point anything on this. This is a guessing game. 9 out of 10 it's the water quality. Maybe a fish with special needs. Lol!

 

[wvllflower]

is it possible to send video so you would see what happens ? also my boyfriend has had bettas for years and he's done a lot of research and asked people and also his mom helps him sometimes when he doesn't know what's wrong with fish. also if change water more often does it mean change more than 50% once a week? because he changes 50% of water every week and he has over 20 fishes so he does that to all of them. and another question is if it was water why is he okay in the cup? because you said it might be something in the water but when he is in the cup with the same water he is okay

 

[wvllflower]

also could fish be allergic to something ?

 

[Angellove78]

Another ? How big was the original tank, did that have a filter. And what size tank was he put in after that tank? If these are small tanks, yes a few 50% water changes a wk is idea. Specially with small no filter tanks. Is the water in the tank being tested? What's the tests reading? Some fish will give more ammonia than others, most the time it's do to stress.

 

[wvllflower]

"first tank he was in was 1 gallon and tank he was put into was 3 gallons. water is tested a lot and ammonia is always 0 and everything else is good. and is it possible to send video so you could see what happens to fish?

 

[Angellove78]

"first tank he was in was 1 gallon and tank he was put into was 3 gallons. water is tested a lot and ammonia is always 0 and everything else is good. and is it possible to send video so you could see what happens to fish?

Yes. Or just a pic. Any fin rot? If you do a video think you gotta do it through you tube to be able to post it.

 

[Angellove78]

What type of betta do you have. I just came across something you will be interested in. This is why I got involved to your post. I want to know everything I can too. So you check this out and let me know what y'all think. Hit or miss? http://fishmostly.tumblr.com/post/46229711531/bettas-with-disabilities-the-untold-story-of

 

[wvllflower]

ill get a video/picture of him and what happens in the tank and he doesn't have any fin rot and never has bit his fins or anything and shop sold him as dragonscale halfmoon. also he doesnt have very long fins so I don't think that's why

 

[Angellove78]

Oh, a dragonscale!! Ok what about diamond eyes. Does he have scales covering his eyes at all. Could be blind. Causing him to be scared in a larger area of water.

 

[wvllflower]

I got a video of him doing what he does in tank. And before someone mentions his water isnt dirty he has tannis in his tank. Right now he is in a round tank because we thought it would help fish but it didnt. in cup he is perfectly fine and normal and happy. and no he doesn't have scales covering his eyes. not sure how to post video though

 

[wvllflower]

i uploaded this video here im not sure if its going to work so if not please tell me

 

[Angellove78]

I'm not sure on video. And as far as no scales on the eyes. The only other thing I can think of is when it was a fry it might of had swim bladder disease. Causing long term injury on the inside. There for he floats in larger water just so he can get the air off the top better. In a smaller tank or cup he's able to breath right because he's closer to the top. I see a lot of people breed betta's and the fry get swim bladder disease/ disorder/syndrome. I would think if it enlarged his insides when he was little and not cured right away it would have long term effect on him.

 

[wvllflower]

im not sure if the link to video posted or not so ill try to post it again but if it doesn't show let me know also if it was old injury woulnd't medicine help? and do you know if there is a way to help fish so he is okay in the tank

https://youtu.be/wLLgf_ReFos