Betta not quite right?

[Taelen]

I have had my crowntail betta in my 10g for a couple of weeks now with 3 peppered cories, all was great up until a few days ago. The betta doesn't seem to be eating (he was eating from my hand previously) and his belly is swollen. Additionally, haven't noticed much pooping in the tank and it has white sand. The cories seem to be ok.

Any idea what his problem might be? I have been feeding him mostly betta flakes with the odd freeze-dried bloodworm treat.

Forgot to add that all tank parameters are ok.

 

[An t-iasg]

Well, bettas are not like goldfish (heavy waste producers) and you probably won't notice a lot of poop on the substrate from just a betta. I have never had cories.

It sounds like the betta has a case of bloat or constipation. To help him out, you can try to feed peas. My bettas go crazy for peas! I use frozen peas - canned peas get too mushy. Boil the peas for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes on high in the microwave. Pour off the boiling water and add cold water to the container (boiling and cooling with tap water is fine). Continue to dump the warm water - pour cold water on the peas until they are about at room temperature. Discard the skin, cut the peas into very small pieces (I use a paring knife and hold it like a pencil) and then feed to the betta. If the pieces are the same size as his regular food, he should eat them. Feeding peas should be done once a week to prevent bloat. Hopefully it will help clear his digestive system now. If he does eat some peas, don't feed him his normal food for a day or two to give his system a chance to rest.

I find that soaking the food (I feed pellets and bloodworms) first in a cup of tank water will also help prevent bloat. The food absorbs water in the cup and not in the stomach. I soak the pellets for 2-3 minutes and the bloodworms for about 30 seconds before feeding.

 

[Taelen]

Thanks for the tips. I don't have any peas on hand right now, but I will pick some up, in the meantime I'll soak the food before dropping it in. =)