my betta thinks hes a speedboat

[cheezysquirrelz]

I have a betta in a bowl and hes very thin. I feed him freezedried bloodworms, but when he tries to eat them he can't seem to propel himself up to the top. His gill on one of his sides sometimes sticks out when hes trying to eat. At one point he stuck some of his head out of the water and zoomed around the top like that.

 

[TCTFish]

Something is definitely wrong. What I would suggest is to clean out the bowl. Keep the bottom bare and just have a fake plant or rock for him to hide in or behind. Bring the water level down to where it won't be such a struggle to get to the top for air. Also, soak the freeze dried worms in water so that they'll sink when you feed him or feed him some live worms for awhile. They really only need to be fed a few times a week, but being that your guy is thin, feed him every other day...just a few little worms each feed. You could use BettaFix half strength.

 

[Meredith]

I don't agree that bettas only need food a few times a week. Mine gets fed once a day, a variety of foods. If you can get your betta into a small tank, say five or ten gallons, with a heater and a small sponge filter that would be very beneficial for him. Also please answer these questions... http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=33947

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the beset of your ability----see above
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values. ----I dont usually test bowls
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up? A gallon I think
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known. -----no filter, I clean once or twice a week
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are there current sizes?---1 betta
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?----full change, a few days ago
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?---nuttin new
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?---no

 

[rubysoho]

freezedried bloodworms don't have any nutritional value, and I am guessing this is why your boy is so thin. Frozen bloodworms are much better, but betta pellets work just as well. I also think you betta should be fed once a day as well. You may want to look into upgrading to something bigger. Even a 10 gallon with no filter would be fine ($10), just make sure you change the water once a week. Also, bettas really need to be kept in water that is between 75-82 degrees, otherwise they are more likely to get sick and have a shorter lifespan. Look into getting a heater if you don't have one.

BTW, I noticed you said you did a full water change, this can be very stressful on your fish because you are stripping the bowl of the important bacteria that breaks down wastes. This means your bowl is probably having peaks in ammonia and nitrites which can be very damaging, and lethal to your betta. It is probably better to do a 35% change twice a week. If you upgrade to something larger, then 20% once a week would be fine. HTH!

 

[An t-iasg]

Bettas, as you have seen, generally don't do well in bowls. Many of the symtoms you describe are due to being in the bowl -- a less than ideal environment.

Meredith has a good point -- if you can get this betta into a heated, filtered, 5 or 10 gallon tank, it will be much better for him. See my gallery for pictures of bettas in 5.5 gallon tanks. I have a sponge filter and a 25-watt heater for each betta. Bettas are very stressed by fluctuating temperatures too.

You should feed your betta every day, with one day a week "off" -- feed nothing that day. Some good foods are freeze-dried or frozen bloodworms and daphnia, and betta pellets or flakes. Live foods are a good treat, but make sure you trust the source. A cooked, shelled frozen pea (chopped very small) is a good idea once a week too, to keep their digestive systems working well.

No matter what size tank or bowl you have, you really must test the water parameters. Your ammonia is probably high -- that's why the betta is trying to stick his head out of the water more. Bettas do need to get to the surface to breathe, but if they are doing it excessively then something is wrong. I wonder if the high ammonia levels burned his gills.

Your best bet is to get this betta into a better tank, with a heater and filter. Until then, do a water change of about 50% every day, and feed a variety of foods. Remember that their stomach is about the size of their eye. I wouldn't use BettaFix -- the melaleuca ingredient can often adversely affect the labyrinth organ, and your betta doesn't need any more stress right now.

 

[Nippyfish]

freezedried bloodworms don't have any nutritional value, and I am guessing this is why your boy is so thin. Frozen bloodworms are much better, but betta pellets work just as well.

I agree that daily feedings (with one day off a week) are best and I also encourage you to choose frozen bloodworms over freezedried though not for the same reasons. Freezedried bloodworms DO have nutritional value. They contain mostly protein with a small amount of fat and are fortified with Vitamins E, C, B1, B2, B6 & B12. They do however only contain between 6% - 10% moisture and can lead to bloating, constipation or SBD so frozen or live is preferable. Of course, if you are going to go the Freezedried route, you'll want to buy from a reputable brand like Hikari or San Francisco Bay brand and soak them for about 10 minutes in tank water before feeding. Still, live and frozen are best.

BTW, I noticed you said you did a full water change, this can be very stressful on your fish because you are stripping the bowl of the important bacteria that breaks down wastes. This means your bowl is probably having peaks in ammonia and nitrites which can be very damaging, and lethal to your betta.

Rubysoho, I think cheezysquirrelz was doing 100% water changes because the bowl is uncycled. As long as it stays that way that's what he/she will have to do, otherwise residual ammonia will be left behind in the water. As long as complete water changes are being done and there is no filter the nitrogen cycle can't begin. It is more stressful then a cycled environment but actually less stressful then leaving toxins from a partial water change. Cheezysquirrelz will just have to extra careful that the pH and temperature match up at each 100% water change.

The swollen gills and reaching for the surface is suspicious. It sounds like it could be ammonia poisoning. Unfortunately I don't think gill tissue can heal after being burned by toxins. I'm not certain, can anyone verify?

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

*slaps self*

Should I just put him to sleep?

 

[Nippyfish]

Personally, I wouldn't euthanize any animal unless I was certain of his diagnosis, knew it was suffering and it no longer had the will to live. I don't think your betta fits any of those.

How about running the gambit of water tests to see if something is off. See if there is ammonia in the bowl, etc.

 

[An t-iasg]

I wouldn't just euthanize him either. He needs a proper home, however, and it really is easy to set up a 5 gallon tank for him. Once the tank is cycled, your maintenance will be easier too. I have a 2.5 Minibow aquarium that is my qt/hospital tank for my bettas. If you're tight on space or money, this would be a better home than the bowl. It comes with a filter and you can add a 25-watt heater.

I agree with nippyfish -- test the parameters, including pH. A drastic pH swing or temperature swing can cause fast, restless swimming behavior.

Nippyfish, I bought a beautiful crowntail betta once at Petsmart, and he had "gill burns". The edges of his gills were reddish-brown. I gave him a wonderful home, and he lived for a year and a few months. But those gill burns never did heal. The tissue on the edges of the gills stayed brownish-looking.