It never ends

[ajnozari]

Ok so I have had my betta for almost 3 months now and I refuse to give up on him.

He was cold, so I got him a larger tank and heater

He had some fin damage so I got some aquarium salt and it was healed

He had velvet, which is now gone

Now he's bulging.

He's not pinecoining, knock on wood, but he is having trouble staying properly (he seems to float to one side).

His belly is also whiteish where it was dark red before. I think he might have a bacterial infection but IDK.

His symptoms remind me of my last betta who had a swim bladder issue. I seriously hope i can get this fixed soon. Will post pictures in a little while, as soon as my phone is charged enough (my only camera).

I do twice weekly water changes with stresscoat (25-50% changes) depending on the way the water looks. I also adjust the salt as needed (because I actually take the water out, not just evaporated.)

I have a feeling that the recent hard velvet treatment stressed him out a lot. I am planning to cut back a bit on the food (feeding 1-2 pieces instead of 3 fed once a day) and doing water changes every other day, probably just 20% no more added salt (maybe a little to keep it there but IDK)

If anyone can give me some advice? I've been through quite the journey with this little guy and I'd hate to see him pass on before his time, though I have a feeling he is older as he was the biggest fish in the store when I got him (and the best looking)

Any advice?

[shellieca]

I would fast him for a day or two & see if that helps. If after 2 days of fasting he's the same then there's something else going on. Is your tank small so you have to do more frequent water changes?or is it just because you've been treating him.

[ajnozari]

it's a 2 gallon tank and he's normally really good with twice weekly changes. However this week I think I'm going to do more to flush out the remaining velvet treatment.

As for fasting I'm going to try that and see if it helps. Thanks for the reply.

[latriana465]

Hi Ajnozari,

Is he swimming okay? Also, is he swelling all over or just on his side? And is he eating?

I'm sorry your little guy is going through so much! Hopefully he can get back to a better health.

[ajnozari]

He's swimming a little to one side, but he is eating. However when he stops he's floating with one side up.

I'm going to try fasting him for a few days and if this doesn't get better then I'll start an antibiotic treatment. I'm also increasing water changes to every other day.

I might also try the pea trick to see if it works.

[sunstar93]

How bad was the velvet on your fish? And how long did it take to treat him? I'm asking because I rescued a little guy on Sunday and started treatment yesterday after figuring out what it was.
I hope your betta boy gets better soon!

[latriana465]

Try fasting him for a few days and then when he's hungry feed him tiny bits of a pea. Make sure you take the shell off the pea first. Hopefully that will take the swelling down if he is constipated.

It seems like you are doing everything right so hopefully your betta will get better soon.

[SpookyTooth]

I would advise against feeding the pea, bettas are carnivorous and their digestive systems aren't designed to take pure vegetation (although they likely get minor amounts from prey in the wild). It sounds like swim bladder disorder which can be treated through a variety of methods:

* Fasting for a few days can reduce bloat, allow an easy bowel movement and ease the pressure
* Epsom salt, applied with 1 tsp per gallon of water to begin with and increasing to 2 tsp per gallon if symptoms persist after 3 days; epsom salt is a purative and gently extracts fluids from the body; daily 100% water changes will need to be done to refresh the salts
* Feeding daphnia (live or frozen) as it is a natural laxative and may ease the pressure

The cause of SBD can range from overfeeding to genetic issues. Poor quality food can also play a part in encouraging SBD.

If none of the above work or if other symptoms begin to show themselves (for example pale, stringy droppings) then you may not be dealing just with SBD; if it is internal breakdown syndrome (aka dropsy), caused by a bacterial infection, then epsom salt should ease any discomfort. Oftentimes if the fish is continuing to eat then there is room for manoeuvre and light treatments, the last thing you want to do is treat the fish for something he doesn't have. I'd also advise stopping the salt treatment as aquarium salt can cause organ failure if used for longer than 10 days (epsom salt can be used for much longer). I hope you're able to sort it out soon!