need help with my betta!!!

[bettablue]

A couple of days ago I noticed that my betta (mr.fishy) had a swollen stomach/abdominal region. After doing some research (and not noticing any poo) I figured he might be constipated. I've tried to feed him some pea but he won't eat it or anything else . This morning when I woke up I turned his light on and his left eye is "popping" . I decided to try some epsom salt. That was at 7:30 this morning- and no signs of change . Sometimes when he's just stationary in the middle of his bowl he's like tail heavy, sometimes he'll be at the surface for a long period of time with top fin just about out of the water, and other times he'll be at the bottom of his bowl leaning to one side or under the plastic plant. I went to the store and got some Jungle fungus eliminator and put that in and also decreased the water level (since he seems to have trouble getting back to the top from the bottom), but I'm really worried and don't want to loose him. I did a full water change Tuesday night and I think he might have had the bulge then. When I go over to his bowl he'll swim around sometimes and he'll still flare at me sometimes too, but he seems to stay stationary for the most part and the bulge seems to be biggest on the left side- hardly at all on the other side. I'm just not sure what's actually wrong with him or how long it would be before I started to see results from the epsom salt or fungus elimintor- if constipation or swim bladder were the problem- dropsy is already ruled out as that the fins are not sticking out. I've had him since December 30 and he's in a one gallon bowl alone, water temp usually 76-80 degrees. No other specifications. I hope somone can help me! I really don't wanna loose mr.fishy and I just don't want see him like he is (since it doesn't seem to be good )

 

[rubysoho]

Ok, your fish has popeye which is a symptom that something else is infected. I don't have any experience with it, but I would recommend google searching it to learn more about it/treatment. Also, when you tried feeding the pea, did you nuke it and peel off the skin? I don't beleive they can eat the skin. Good luck with your betta and I hope someone else can help you some more.

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi Bettablue,
Look down at your betta from above. Are the scales sticking out like a pinecone? That is a sign of dropsy. Epsom salts help to draw out the excess fluid. What dose are you using? In a gallon bowl, I would use no more than 1/8 teaspoon.

If the betta is swollen where the pelvic fins (the long slender fins) meet the body, that is constipation. Feed a pea as rubysoho suggested. I like frozen peas best because they don't break into mush like canned peas do. I boil frozen peas in a glass measuring cup for 4 minutes, and cool. Peel and discard the skin, and feed the "meat" of the pea. I find that my bettas accept it if I cut it up very small, like the size of their pellet food. If he will eat a pea (keep trying -- he may eat it later) then try to see at the bottom of the tank if he pooped. You wouldn't believe what comes out of my bettas sometimes! Hopefully this will make him "go". Don't feed any other food in the meantime until he eats the pea. Once he eats it, don't feed again for a day, or two, to let his system rest. Then, once a week, you should feed the pea to prevent constipation. The only time I see a string hanging off my bettas is when I forget the pea (and that reminds me quickly!)

I think the Jungle Fungus Eliminator is a good med for bettas. My (previous) bettas responded to it many times. Once, the betta was like yours -- just hanging out at the top of the water and not moving, and he had a small bulge too. The Jungle fungus eliminator helped him. In 6 days, he suddenly started swimming around, made a face at me! (flared) and started making a bubble nest. The fungus eliminator has antibiotic and fungal ingredients in it, so it should help with the popeye too. Use a second dose of the fungus eliminator if you need to -- I've had my bettas in it for 8 days once. I do water changes every other day and try to add some more med back in for what I took out in a water change. The directions say to give a second dose in 4 days -- in a one gallon bowl, I think that's too long to go in between water changes.

Also, you mention the water temperature is between 76 and 80 degrees. In my experience, bettas are very sensitive to water temperature fluctuations. Four degrees doesn't sound like a lot, but for a little betta, it can make them sick. 80 degrees is a good temperature for them, but 76 is too cool, and can make them stressed, and vulnerable to illnesses. Consider putting the betta in a 3 or 5 gallon tank, with a 25-watt heater. Also, popeye can be caused by infrequent water changes, or water that doesn't have the correct parameters -- 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 20-40 ppm nitrates. Sometimes in a small bowl, it's hard to achieve these parameters consistently, plus temperature stability.

So, try the peas, continue with the Fungus Eliminator, and try to stabilize the water temperature. Good luck!

 

[bettablue]

Mr.Fishy passed on early this morning , I'm gonna miss that little guy! I never thought I would be so bothered and upset from loosing a fish. I just hope he didn't suffer. Thanks for the advice, too bad it couldn't save him

 

[rubysoho]

I'm sorry to hear that he didn't make it.

 

[An t-iasg]

I'm sorry about Mr. Fishy. I was very sad and upset also when my first betta died.

 

[nph555]

Need Help With My Betta

I am experiencing an eye disease with my betta too like cataracts. They developed in the past several days. Best advice I can give you at this point is to use the recommended dosage of aquarium salt and change his water. Also, keep a check on the PH balance and Nitrite balance. Often, I will take a sample of water to PetSmart and have it tested for free.

Because of the bloating, it sounds like it is getting serious. You need to get your pet on an antibiodic treatment like tetracycline or erthromyicin as soon as possible ... both antibiodics are available at PetSmart. Because of the bloating, do not use too many chemical additives in the water ... most are useless.

In the process of using tetracycline in my tank, I have removed the filter so that the full dose will not get hung up in the filter. I continue to aerate the water (very important). After trying one antibiodic for five days, you should see an improvement if it is working on the disease. If not, do a 25 percent water change daily after the 5th day and start on the other type of antibiodic. Often, such a sick fish requires two consecutive anti-biodic treatments. One type treats Gram negative infections while the other treats Gram positive infections.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your pet. Let me know how he does.

Thanks,
Nancy