SBD and parasites!!!!!

[baylee767]

Velvet has SBD... WHAT? I feed him 2 pellets a day since he's kinda small, but he used to get 7 pellets a day so how did he not get it then? It's the one where he can't swim down. Like he'll push his head and it will go an inch or 2 down and he'll struggle and than he'll just float back up. I look and somehow.. even though he's not fed much... he has a large stomach!

I just put plants in with him. Do you think he tried to eat them or something? Or maybe a dead anarchis leaf floating around (I think a few of those got into his tank) His fasting day was sunday, so he shouldn't have been eating too much. How do I cure this, and how did he get it?

UPDATE: I just looked and there was a white stringy-looking thing on him! Does he have parasites? And how do I treat parasites? My poor Velvet, I should have known that there would be things that go wrong when I rescued him )= I think that if he does have parasites it's from bugs falling in the tank, because I only feed him pellets and frozen bloodworms. HELP!

Here are the medications I have (I'm not treating yet, I just own them):

Ich away (Doesn't only treat ich, of course)
Metholine blue
Macaryn 2
AQ salt /=

[Adastra]

Is the string coming out of him between his ventral fins, like poop? Or is it on his body? If it is the latter, then it is likely just excess slime coat. Fish generate excess slime in response to poor water conditions, rapid changes in water parameters, and because there are a lot of additives out there that encourage slime growth.

As for his SBD, we need more information to find the source. Please fill out this form in detail: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

[baylee767]

It's in between his ventral fins )=

Housing
What size is your tank? 1.75 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 76 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? no
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

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? biogold pellets and bloodworms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2X a day, 2 pellets except once a week 2 or 3 bloodworms

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every other day
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? aquasafe

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? no

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? has a white stringy thing in between his ventral fins and large stomach
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? can't swim down; he'll get rapid bursts of energy than stop moving
When did you start noticing the symptoms? today
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? no
Does your fish have any history of being ill? yes, he curently has fin rot
How old is your fish (approximately)? ? probably under a year

[Adastra]

That wasn't really the answer I was hoping for. It could be one of two things, one is a severe internal parasite infestation--it often causes a distended belly and abnormal poop. It can be cured quite easily with a dissolving deworming tablet with the ingredients metronidazole and praziquantel. I have had success with Jungle's Parasite Clear tablets. If it is internal parasites, with treatment it will clear up in about a week.

Another possibility is a condition that may be related to Malawi Bloat that is sometimes found in bettas. The betta swells and swells, and looks like it has swallowed a marble and often has a white discharge in its feces. It swims around and otherwise acts fine, but continues to bloat and bloat until it must be euthanized. There is no known cure. There are other threads related to this particular condition, but it will take some real digging to find them.

Is there any way you can increase the temperature of the water? It might help him pass waste more easily since the speed of the fish's metabolism is limited by temperature.

[baylee767]

Hmmm Could I put a 25 watt heater in there? Because I have one. The white string wont fall off, it's just hanging there, so IDK if it's poop or not. His stomach isn't too large, but it is kinda large. Isn't bloat caused from severe over feeding? I don't really feed him that much, so I'm pretty sure it's parasites. If I could I'd post a pic, but I lost my camera. When my dad gets back from work in a few hours I'll have him take me to the pet store to get a deworming tablet.

[baylee767]

HELP! My dad is so certain that we don't have to spend money on fish -.- But he might be onto something... he says to do the boiled and deshelled pea thingy and feed half the pea and it will flush the parasite out and help treat the SBD. It has worked before on a clownfish who had white stringy poop.. should I try it and will it work?

[TaylorW]

I've heard mixed reviews about the pea thing... I personally wouldn't do it because bettas are carnivorous and it could be hard for him to pass the plant fiber... Like feeding your dog celery XD Might or might not make him sick. Do you have any daphnia or brine shrimp? Those have a lot of fiber and it might help him poo.

[baylee767]

Sorry Taylor before you commented I feed him a pellet sized chunk of pea /=

Right now I'm really worried about the SBD! It's gotten worse, Velvet can no longer stay upright and can't go more than a centimeter under the water! I need help!

[dramaqueen]

If you have any daphnia you could try feeding him that. It's a healthier alternative to peas.