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SBD that doesn't want to go away.

534 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  ginkothedog 
#1 · (Edited)
So out of the blue my boy Takeshi seemed to having swim bladder problems. There's been no changes with him or his food other than the fact that I removed the divider in his 10 gal. [his old tank mate now has a 10 gal of his own too! :D] so now he has the whole tank.

The SBD started a little over a week ago. I moved him into a bare bottom 1.5 gallon tank and I've been doing daily water changed and adding 1 tsp of epsom salt. He's only pooped twice in the week his been in the hospital tank. I've been fasting him as well, but I did feed him two pellets on one of his better days. There's been maybe 3 random days apart from each other that he's been perfectly fine and looked like he was improving, and the next day he's floating again. Today he looked to be the worse he's been yet. He was floating on his side, really struggling to swim down, and quite bloated.

Does anyone have any advice to help him get well? I get so worried that he's going to get really critical and pass away or something. Thanks.

Housing
What size is your tank? 10 gal. [currently in a 1.5 hospital tank]
What temperature is your tank? 78
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Pellets and frozen bloodworms
How often do you feed your betta fish? Once a day

Maintenance

How often do you perform a water change? Weekly [1.5 every day]
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25%-50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He's bloated
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He's floating, struggling to swim down.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? About a week ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Daily water changes and adding 1 tsp of epsom salt
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)? Around 1 year
 
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#2 ·
Hi Foxell,
You said that he was initially sharing a 10 gal tank, then you gave the whole tank to himself. How long after he gets the whole tank to himself that he started to exhibit SBD issue? Then you moved him to a 1.5 Hospital tank, how long is he on 1tsp/gal ES treatment now? Could you post a photo of this "bloat" in question?

Thanks!
 
#3 ·
If you are fasting him then he has nothing to pass and won't go to the bathroom...
Up the Epsom to 2 tsp/gallon with the daily 100% water changes.. it can take 8-10 days for it to work most times.

One thing you could try- feeding once a day can lead to under or over feeding.. either not getting enough nutrition, or getting too much at one time for their system to handle. Always best to feed smaller meals, 2+ times a day. 4-6 pellets a day, and same amount of frozen bloodworms; just make sure to divide it up:
2-3 pellets per meal twice a day, or 2-3 bloodworms pper meal twice a day (or mix it up and 2-3 pellets/2-3 bloodworms twice a day).. or you can do smaller meals of 1-2 of each three times a day, etc.

Give him a few more days on the 2 tsp per gallon, and if after 3 days up it to 3 tsp per gallon if he is still struggling. No more then 3 tsp, and Epsom is safe/gentle to where he can be on it for a long period with no health side effects.
You can also feed him while being treated- as you don't want him weak from no food. I would suggest starting out with 1 pellet a day and work your way up.

But definitely get a picture if possible.. good luck!
 
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