How do you feed betta a pea?

[Hikari]

I think my betta may have swim bladder and I want to feed him a thawed skinned pea, but when I put the tiny pieces into his tank, they sink to the bottom. He's not the kind that will catch the food as it sinks, and he doesn't eat from the bottom. What can I do?

[asukabetta]

Originally Posted by Hikari

I think my betta may have swim bladder and I want to feed him a thawed skinned pea, but when I put the tiny pieces into his tank, they sink to the bottom. He's not the kind that will catch the food as it sinks, and he doesn't eat from the bottom. What can I do?

hrm there were sayings of people saying a pea was actually bad for them and that epsom salts would be better.

But if peas are beneficial then simply poke it on a chopstick and have him nip at it. That is what I did with my bettas when their food sank faster than they could realize it was there.

However swim bladder issues tend to go hand in hand with constipation or overfeeding, have you been feeding your betta too much lately?

It helps to raise the temp to around 80 F as well. Keep us posted and gl!

[Hikari]

I haven't been feeding him more than usual. I give him 3 pellets a day. At the moment I'm fasting him and he hasn't eaten since yesterday morning, but he has had no bowel movement.

Most sites I read said to give betta peas for constipation. If it isn't good for them, then what else can I do if just fasting doesn't work?

[LadyVictorian]

Epson salt, none scented. 1 tablespoon per gallon and like said raise the water temp to 80 and it should help your little guy out.

[Hershey]

Epsom salt. 1tsp per gallon for 10 days max is a good way.

[Hershey]

Originally Posted by LadyVictorian

Epson salt, none scented. 1 tablespoon per gallon and like said raise the water temp to 80 and it should help your little guy out.

We posted at the same time. xD

[Hikari]

Thanks. Right now he's not showing any bloating. If it doesn't clear up soon I'll try it.

[Oldfishlady]

What other signs/symptoms are you seeing.

Its not uncommon to not see any poop sometimes-due to the Betta either eating or destroying it. Is the tank bare bottom.

Can you post a pic and complete the sticky info sheet found at the top of the Disease/emergency section. The more info we have the better.

Feeding small piece of pea on occasion for constipation issues are not harmful to the Betta IMO/E, however, you don't want to use peas as part of the staple diet. Often a 24h fast, flaring and water changes can help with constipation issue.

[Hikari]

I posted about it the other day on this thread and filled out everything on the sticky too: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread....07#post1289307

The tank is bare bottom, and I've been fasting him for a day and a half now. Still nothing. I think I'll feed him one pellet tonight so he doesn't get too weak.

Here's 2 pics. I really can't take good ones with this camera.

[Myates]

I agree with OFL, a pea every great while won't do harm, but it doesn't do any good either (in my opinion). Fasting is the best.. if he were bloated then I would recommend the Epsom salt treatment (proper treatment with Epsom is 1-3 tsp per gallon, pre-dissolved, daily 100% water changes (adding in salt + water conditioner each time), no time limit- 10 days is for AQ salt). But I don't see a need for that with this guy. Without any actual symptoms listed by you, we really can't recommend anything other then fasting as that is a safe go-to when suspected SBD/bloating/constipation.

On a side note though, for a 5 gallon unfiltered tank you really only need to be doing 1 50% water change per week, and 1 100% once a month.. you can be creating too sterile of an environment for him, which may not be beneficial to him at an older age.