Betta Fins Turning Brown, Has Small Holes, Stomach Bloating

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Originally Posted by Afayed

@LittleBlueFishlets I was talking about using the AQ salt for the fin rot and as an anti bacterial, not for bloating.

I am a complete DIY'er when it comes to fish so most things I learn from personal experiences, does AQ salt worsen bloating or something?(So I know for the future)

Epsom salt is a laxative (in both people and fish). If a fish is bloated, it can help relieve the bloat (and any constipation).

Aquarium salt causes water retention (in both people and fish). If a fish is bloated, it can make it worse. Also, Bettas are sensitive to salt. It can only be used a short time (10 days max), as it can harm the internal organs if used for longer periods.

Aquarium salt is used for external issues as it has antibacterial qualities. However, most "salts" - including Epsom salt, have some amount of antibacterial qualities. So the Epsom salt would still have some beneficial effect on a condition like fin rot.

[Saphira101]

Is your tank a minibow 2.5?

If it is, it's 2.5 gallons.

[alexslater17]

1.Is he pooping? He still hasn't pooped and I have withheld food, but I feel bad.
2.Can you post a picture? Not unless I can post from mobile.
3.Is there any other discoloration/odd spots on him? His bottom fin, close to his body is turning a little brown, as stated in original post, and like i said little pin holes.

@Afayed, I think it is stress, his bowl has a lid that can be easily knocked into his tank, and almost everyday, I come home to his lid in his tank. I don't know if its the cats or if hes is trying to jump. I took his lid away and put some plastic wrap on it with some holes for aeration. I don't use any chemicals when I clean his tank. And I do condition the water before I put him in. The cloudy water stopped when I took his rocks out. I cant really go out and buy a heater bc I'm broke but hes in the warmest part of the house.

@callistra Yes he is still with us, and when we got him, we assembled his tank, and let the water in the tank get to the same room temp as the water in his container by letting it sit on the counter overnight then we just poured him in there.

@Saphira101, nope not my little guy, I haven't posted any pics yet and hes too small.

@Syriiven The water conditioning tablets came with a sample of the Tetra Betta Pellets so Ill try switching to that. And I can't afford to get the live frozen food. Like I said, Im broke.

I don't want to lose all of this so I'll reply to page 2 in another post.

[callistra]

The lack of acclimation may have caused this. It sounds like you may have shocked him (the seizures) however the rest you are describing is constipation and fin rot/ammonia poisoning.

Also he is at room temp? Unless you keep a dedicated fish room or house that stays a constant (no peaks or dips) temperature of 80F+ he needs a heater. Also changes in temperature are really hard on fish and can cause disease and even death if swings are too wide or too fast.

2 gallons is minimum to keep bettas healthy long term.. 1 gallon works short term but requires a minimum of two if not three weekly water changes of 50% and 100% or two 50% and one 100%. IT's important to use his in tank thermometer to match the temperature of the new water to his bowl temp exactly, and add conditioner before you introduce the fish. I also suggest never using a net, and instead scooping him up with a plastic cup, like a solo cup and holding him in there during changes. After this float this cup in the main bowl and add a few tablespoons of water every 10minutes for an hour before introducing him. The fastest I'd do this is a series of 50% water changes with new water into the cup for a half an hour. Highly suggest getting a liquid conditioner and not those tablets - should say it removes chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals - must mention all 3.

The tetra pellets are possibly the worst on the market because they mostly wheat and other additives and chemicals. Your pellet should have the first two or three ingredients are whole fish, not fish meal and the worst is wheat.

I'm also concerned about the possibility of the cat messing with his water.. can you not keep them away from where you keep your fish?

If you can't afford to buy anything for him at this point all you can do is keep his water clean and pray. He needs things.. but you said you're broke..

[Afayed]

Originally Posted by Saphira101

Is this your fish? If so, he looks like he has ich.

Yes, those were bubbles on his tank from just cleaning it, not ich.