Is my Betta bloated or normal?

[Haeclark]

Just got my little guy last Sat. Bought him a 1.5 gal tank...going to upgrade him to a 2.5 [not allot of space for bigger tank]. Also got him an African Dwarf frog buddy last Sun.
Never owned a betta before...bot sure if he looks as he's suppose to, or if he's in fact a little bloated? Looks like his tail got scratched...but was like that when I got him.
Think his filter is a bit over powered...going to replace w/a lower one...getting heater for them today too.
Side shot...kinda blurry:

another blurry shot...but can see "bulge" near pectoral fins:

the following are from the day before yesterday...dirt spots from water are on outside of tank





what do you think? Is he normal or a bit bloated? Noticed he stopped liking the pellet-balls I got for him (specially for betas, not multi fish), but he loves the blood worms [seems to not get enough of them...only ate the pellets the first day i brought him home as he was very hungry...at over 10 of them!)
He's still active...just today he was trying to get my attention while watching TV swimming back and forth...once I walked over to him, he would just look at me, and show off a little.

Also...how many worms are okay to eat in one sitting? Read only 2-3 times a week for the worms is sufficient enough...but when i feed them to him, he seems to keep wanting more and more. Do I just cut him off, or feed until he's full?

Read that if he is bloated, I should not feed him for a a couple days, then feed him an unshelled pea...if he is bloated...should I break the pea up a bit, as it seems it would choke him?

sorry for all the question...just want to make sure my little guy is alright ;D

[iamntbatman]

He doesn't really look bloated to me, but he'll get there if you keep feeding him the freeze-dried bloodworms as his primary diet. I think twice a week treats of them is just about all I would give him in terms of bloodworms. You should really try to get him back on that pellet as a staple food. Even if he won't eat them right away, after a few days he'll be hungry enough to eat them.

Yes, a betta can overeat! Bettas can and will eat themselves to death if given the opportunity. Even if he keeps begging, he should only get two small meals per day.

I also wouldn't replace the filter. That looks like a Whisper internal filter to me. It should have an adjustable flow rate that you can turn down if the current bugs him. If you replace the filter, you lose all of the beneficial bacteria that have started to colonize and the tank will have to cycle all over again, which could be harmful or even deadly to your fish.

[SST]

Larger tank-must do. My opinion is 1.5 gals. is too small for a betta and a frog.

Heater-must do. Good job! Both of these guys need warmth to flourish.

Thermometer-if you don't have one, spend $2 for the kind that suction cups inside the tank. Don't bother with the plastic stick on kind.

Filter flow-may not be an issue in the larger tank. You can also place a plant or something to help break it up. Or increase the water level? I'm not familiar with most filters.

Blood worms are like potato chips for bettas. I feed my betta blood worms as a replacement meal once or twice a week.

Get him back on the pellets. It won't hurt him not to eat for a few days if he refuses them. If he's not eating them, use a turkey baster or something to suck 'em out so they don't foul the water.

Keep us posted!

[SinCrisis]

i have that exact same tank and im switching to a 5 gallon as soon as i save up enough money. That whisper in tank filter will slow down real soon because it gets clogged pretty fast, at least for me it did...

[Haeclark]

thanks for the replies...glad to be re-assured that he's ok. My friend got a new betta [same color as mine almost...fish #2], and he looks the same as Blue belly wise.

Sorry for the confusion...Im not feeding the worms as primary diet rather as a treat...saw on the bottle how it recommended the 2-3 day a week feedings of it...been keeping to it sofare.
As far as over feeding goes...was just wondering about that. Ive only been giving him a small pinch of worms when I do give them to him.
Got him new brand of food today to replace the pellets. Its a different betta brand [flakes], and so fare he seems to enjoy them better.

Will keep updated about him...thanks again

[Haeclark]

just wondering

It won't hurt him not to eat for a few days if he refuses them. If he's not eating them, use a turkey baster or something to suck 'em out so they don't foul the water.

I'll be gone for only Sat & Sun...what would you recommend to be best for Blue while Im gone? Hear my frog will be okay, as they can go for 3 days w/o being fed.
Should I get a feeding tablet that feeds him for me while away [saw one for tropical fish, that lasts up to 5 days] or will he be fine with out something such as that?