Alvin sick, swim bladder?

[JessG]

I'm really worried about poor little Alvin. He was fine this afternoon. Yesterday I bought him his first live plants. I got two small java ferns and an Anubias. I also gave his tank a good 80% water change with a through scrub of the substrate.

Yesterday he was perfectly fine. I just got home from dinner with friends, and he's anxiously swimming at the top of his tank, seemingly unable to swim down. When he rests, his body tips sideways just slightly. He keeps hiding just beneath his filter. His stomach also looks slightly bloated.

Here are his stats.

Tank: 2.5 gal minibow, heated, filtered, cycled. He's the only fish with two small java ferns and an anubias.

Feeding: Aqueon betta pellets, frozen brine shrimp. Today was his fasting day.

Water: 82 degrees, no ammonia present, I don't have any testing supplies for nitrite or nitrate. I don't think the cycle is broken.

Any ideas on what to do for the poor little guy? I'm really worried about him.

[Rain Drop]

Like he ate all ball or something?
Because he might just have swim bladder disorder.
The pressure of the swollen belly is pressing up against the the bladder and it throwing his balance off.
To get rid of it you can fast him for a few more days to see if it goes away. You can also feed him a little bit of a cooked de-shelled pea as a laxative to help him poop.

[JessG]

I thought it might be constipation related since I fed him some brine shrimp. I soaked him in an epsom salt bath for about an hour and a half, and he pooped out a large (seemingly for a fish anyway) ball of dark poop. After that, he could swim down. Before he couldn't swim down if he tried. He's still a little floaty.

I'm going to fast him again tomorrow, and repeat the bath if he's still a little too buoyant.

I think I'm on the right track anyway. I'm just not sure how much salt I should put in the water, which is why I didn't let him soak long.

[Oldfishlady]

I would do a 10 day treatment with the Epsom salt 1tsp/gal along with 100% daily water changes in a QT container-you can float him in his heated tank during the treatment-just make sure you attach it so it doesn't sink-I would fast him for 3 days and then offer half feeding every other day during the treatment.

Sometimes when they get constipated the duct can get inflamed and/or infected and the Epsom salt can help with that-it can take several day for them to recover fully

[JessG]

Thanks Fish Lady. I'll try that.

He is still having trouble swimming down and is pretty much just floating on the top of his tank. He doesn't look on death's door, but he isn't normal either.

[JessG]

After being in the salt in a clear cup in his tank, he's doing much better. He can now suspend himself in the center of the cup without instantly floating to the top and without using too much effort to maintain it.

Thanks for the advice.

[dramaqueen]

Swimbladder disorder is usually not fatal. I hope he gets along ok.

[JessG]

Alvin is doing much better. He's pooping normally again, and swimming normally again. I put him back in his tank this morning. He was so relieved to hide in his treasure chest again. I'm just happy to see him comfortable and swimming like normal. Thank you!