Betta Bladder Issues Correct Format

[Richard Parker]

Housing
What size is your tank?
1/2 gallon
What temperature is your tank?
Approximately 72 degrees, unstable (No heater)
Does your tank have a filter?
No, but I am looking to get one soon.
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
No.
Is your tank heated?
No.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
None. It is a solitary fish tank.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
Tetra Betta 'Mine Pellets'
How often do you feed your betta fish?
About once a day, 3-4 pellets. If I accidentally over feed him , then I regularly do not feed him the next day.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
Once a week, as advised on my fish tank box it came in.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
All of the water.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Only de-chlorination liquid.
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
I have not.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
He is bloated on his stomach and has a slightly discolored head. It is loosing its color. He is also floating on his side at the top of his tank.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
Well, yes, he is floating sideways... he also seems more agitated and stressed. He keeps swimming around his tank really fast.
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
This afternoon after I went to school.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Well, I have not really, except not feeding him.
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
I do not know of the background of my fish. I got him from Petco.
How old is your fish (approximately)?
I assume he is young, but not a baby. He looks fully grown, as he has large fins.

[Richard Parker]

Here is the photo.

[Kiara1125]

He's probably got SBD, if he becomes pineconed, then it's dropsy. Feed him a blanched pea or some frozen daphnia. Other then that, don't feed him anything. In short, he's constipated and if the above methods (and fasting for a week) doesn't work,you can always give him an Epsom salt bath.

[Richard Parker]

The bloating actual went down, or, at least mostly. I see his poop... but there is one problem. The poop is red. Do you think it is blood, or left over residue from the weird stuff in his stomach?

[Kiara1125]

What color are the pellets? Have you fed him any bloodworms?

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Was it red, or red-brown? Their diet can affect the color of their poop. My guys eat pellets which are red-brown colored. Their poop is pretty much the same color as their pellets.

You said that he is in a 1/2 gallon tank, at 72 degrees, that you are looking for a filter, and that you do water changes once a week....

1) Tank Size: A half gallon tank is very small. Ammonia will build up quickly in a small tank like this. Daily water changes will be required to keep the ammonia low.

It would be better to upgrade to a larger tank. (Larger tank = fewer water changes. Plus, your guy will have more room to swim around.)

Also, there's no need for a filter in a half gallon tank. You'll need to do such frequent water changes that I don't believe you'll ever be able to establish a cycle.

2) Temperature: 72 degrees F is too cold for a Betta. They are tropical fish, and need temps around 77-82 degrees.

Plus, you said the temperature is currently unstable, which can leave your fish more at risk of developing illness and disease. A heater would keep the temperature more constant, which is less stressful on your fish.

[shellieca]

+1 with everything littlebluefishlets said! This I know from my own experience. If you must keep him in that small volume of water you need to do at least every other day water changes & he definitely needs a warmer water temp. If at all possible get at least a 2g tank. If you have a Petsmart close by, they carry a 2.5g tank for about $14 & they're Top Fin 25 watt adjustable heater was $16 when I was there today so if you can spare $30 or so dollars you can get him into a better environment.

[Kiara1125]

Honestly, my bettas are fine in the cooler temps. In the winter, it gets 72-74F in their tanks and they're fine with it. As long as its gradual and not sudden, I think it's fine. Course, in the summer it gets to be almost 90F in their tanks. I can't do anything to help it, therefore they manage on their own. They have enough oxygen in the water so they're fine.

Anyways, I agree with the tank requirements, but I wanted to help the main issue first instead of ignoring it and going straight to confronting them about the tank.

[homegrown terror]

don't worry with a filter, get a heater, and a larger tank (as was said before, there are many readily available two- to five-gallon tanks available on the market, most for under $30. a decent heater (we've had best luck with pad heaters rather than wand heaters in small tanks) for a tank that size shouldn't run you more than $15. one other thing you could do (unless your tank is LED-lit) is put a couple of live plants in there (water wisteria, primrose, hornwort and anubias are all great choices) since they suck ammonia out of your water like an ammonia-hungry mosquito.

[Richard Parker]

Thank you all. I am trying to get a larger tank for him, but I am a bit tight on money. He seems better. He is not swimming sideways anymore, and the bloating went down considerably. Hopefully, in the next few days, he will be all better.