Bloated Betta

[WeepingCrown]

Hello, so I have a crowntail that I’ve had for a couple weeks now and the last couple days I’ve noticed that his belly has become a little distended and bloated. I’ve been feeding him 2 servings (around 8 pellets per serving) a day and occasionally a couple blood worms as a treat. He’s still very active and always hungry, so he doesn’t look sick so my guess is that he’s constipated? What do you guys think? Should I try soaking his food in water before giving it to him to help soften his feces?

 

[HannahJo]

Hello- your betta is gorgeous btw!
I think 8 pellets twice a day is a bit much. Their stomachs are approximately the size of their eyeball. I would recommend lowering the amount of pellets per serving to 2-4. Tons of people will recommend fasting your betta once a week, as well.

 

[Laken]

Betta fish are little gluttons. They always act hungry and will eat themselves sick if you let them.

If you're concerned about constipation a good thing to do is to feed your betta peas. Get some fresh peas, boil them, and remove the "skin", then I like to chop the pea into quarters or even eighths. The fiber in the peas acts as a laxative for the fish and helps to keep them regular. You could feed a pea to him one day a week instead of the pellets to help keep him regular. Or if you do feel he is constipated feed him ONLY the peas until the swelling in his abdomen goes down. Then resume a normal feeding routine like the one mentioned below...

I agree with what HannahJo said, reduce the amount of pellets you are feeding. For example I feed my bettas 3 pellets in the morning and then in the evening I give either 2 more pellets OR blood worms/ brine shrimp etc.

I also skip one day a week. Monday is the hungry day. And sometimes I skip the evening feeding as well.

Good luck to you and your fish ��