I have a female CT in a 29 gal community who is acting strange. I noticed today she is sitting in the same spot at the top for hours. Her beautiful purple color has faded. Her fins are clamped. Her stomach doesn't look too alarming but it is bloated as if she's ate a bit too much and I haven't even fed yet today. I've never had to treat a betta for anything but fin issues. Anyone know what's up with her?
What's wrong with my betta?
- Thread starter siva
- Start date
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dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
SHe might be bloated, try feeding boiled, shelled peas.
What is your water changing schedule? Clamped fins can be from bloating and/or dirty water.
What is your water changing schedule? Clamped fins can be from bloating and/or dirty water.
I do feed the shelled peas once a week, but I'm wondering if she didn't eat something she wouldn't typically. I've never seen her interested in most of the foods that go into the tank other than her specific food, but maybe she gobbled up something that didn't sit well with her. Little pellets for the shrimp possibly. I wanted to try and feed her some pea right when I discovered her last night, but unfortunately I had thrown the rest of my bag into fried rice the night before. Sigh. They are on my list for my shopping today, but I don't think I'll be able to get her to eat some anyway. At this point I don't even know if she's still alive. She started hiding last night 
I hope she makes it. I don't really know what would cause a betta to have clamped fins besides bad water, and I keep the water perfect. 30% pwc weekly, and at least one water testing in between.
I hope she makes it. I don't really know what would cause a betta to have clamped fins besides bad water, and I keep the water perfect. 30% pwc weekly, and at least one water testing in between.
GoldfishNewbie
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hey I agree with the peas. You can try and give them by sticking them on a toothpick (not the sharp side, or cut that part off) Then she wont have to move to get it, it might convince her
Im also dealing with a betta with clamped fins and fading colour not bloated though but still I'll be watching this post to see what people have come up with.
Any chance she has velvet? You can turn off all the lights and shine a flashlight on her to see if theres gold specs... Since you can't really see it without actually looking properly maybe its there and you just havent noticed? That could cause the clamped fins
Im also dealing with a betta with clamped fins and fading colour
not bloated though but still I'll be watching this post to see what people have come up with.Any chance she has velvet? You can turn off all the lights and shine a flashlight on her to see if theres gold specs... Since you can't really see it without actually looking properly maybe its there and you just havent noticed? That could cause the clamped fins
GoldfishNewbie
Aquarium Advice FINatic
swim bladder is pretty easy to detect. your fish would be swimming "wobbly" , might not be able to swim down and is always at the top, or might be at the bottom unable to swim up. Fish could be sideways or even upside down. It looks pretty bad, but there isn't really an abnormality in what their body itself looks like.
It happens when theres too much air/too little in their swim bladder (I think that was what I was told)
I haven't heard of soaking it in garlic. Mine just eat whatever but assuming garlic isn't bad for fish then it should be fine? It wouldnt hurt to starve her for a day or two either, then feed peas, she won't refuse them and it will still help.
It happens when theres too much air/too little in their swim bladder (I think that was what I was told)
I haven't heard of soaking it in garlic. Mine just eat whatever but assuming garlic isn't bad for fish then it should be fine? It wouldnt hurt to starve her for a day or two either, then feed peas, she won't refuse them and it will still help.
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
My betta just recently got over swim bladder. He is an old man so he is going down hill, and I don't think his digestive tract is working as well as it used to.
I fed him boiled, shelled peas one day, fasted the next, fed peas the next day, fasted again, and by then he was fine. I now only give him 2 pellets a day though (8 hours apart), instead of 4. He is a happy camper now, and before I got rid of the swim bladder issue, he was floating sideways and was struggling to right himself.
If you look down the side of your betta, you can see the swim bladder. It is between their dorsal fin and tail fin, there should be a small lump about the size of a Q-Tip stem and about a 1/2 inch long on the top half of their body.
I fed him boiled, shelled peas one day, fasted the next, fed peas the next day, fasted again, and by then he was fine. I now only give him 2 pellets a day though (8 hours apart), instead of 4. He is a happy camper now, and before I got rid of the swim bladder issue, he was floating sideways and was struggling to right himself.
If you look down the side of your betta, you can see the swim bladder. It is between their dorsal fin and tail fin, there should be a small lump about the size of a Q-Tip stem and about a 1/2 inch long on the top half of their body.
Okay thank you. You didn't have to use salt? I've been researching it and have read to use aquarium salt....have also read that will make it worse but that an epsom salt bath can help?
I just noticed one of my male guppies in another tank has a big bloated belly. I have no idea what the he** is going on around here. What would cause a guppy to bloat? I never have sick fish..I can't believe this is happening at the same time
I just noticed one of my male guppies in another tank has a big bloated belly. I have no idea what the he** is going on around here. What would cause a guppy to bloat? I never have sick fish..I can't believe this is happening at the same time
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
I hate using salt, it's such a pain, so no. I thought I was going to have to use it after about 4 days of the bloating, but he got better.
Not sure about the guppy, I had endlers, and they would get big bellies sometimes when they were trying to eat all of the snails wafer. I did have one develop dropsy also, and I had to put him down.
Not sure about the guppy, I had endlers, and they would get big bellies sometimes when they were trying to eat all of the snails wafer. I did have one develop dropsy also, and I had to put him down.
Well I couldn't get her to eat pea and she just hid all day so then today I transferred some fish out of my QT to put her over in there by herself and went to net her out....no sign of her. Not a peice. Makes no sense. Sure there are some scavengers in the tank but I'll find most of a neon as long as I notice and look for it within a day. And furthermore she didn't even look that bad I wouldn't have expected swim bladder to kill her so fast! I have no idea how she possibly could have disapeared! So strange
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
Aww Have you checked all around the outside of the tank?
Have you checked all around the outside of the tank?The next day when I did my pwc I found what was left of her. So weird...don't know how I could have missed her the first time. I'm thinking it was not swim bladder or she wouldn't have passed so quickly but I'm really not sure. She was sooo pretty too...brilliant purple crowntail. Poor girl
dkpate
Aquarium Advice Addict
Maybe she had some parasites or something?
..so I hope she didn't have anything contagious 
Shadowraven
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Have you considered the possibility that the problem might have been dropsy? Especially considering that you say it is happening to another fish now. The bloated belly sounds like it.
I did consider all things bettas were prone to but in photos dropsy looks pretty obvious. Also she did show the symptoms of swim bladder I just didn't expect her to pass so quick from it. It is always possible her tankmates overcame her while she was ill but I hope not I would have got her out immediately but my QT was full and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. The other fish that's bloated is in a different tank.
I would have got her out immediately but my QT was full and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. The other fish that's bloated is in a different tank.
