Hello all! I'm new here and I have an emergency. In the last few days, my beautiful betta Leon has gotten extremely thin. He still eats like a horse and is active - though he does float on his side when he stops moving.
Here's the big picture. A few weeks ago he started side-floating and I panicked and did my research. Most web pages said I was overfeeding him and it was swim bladder problems caused by constipation. (I gave him and the other fish a bit of food, twice a day.) So I cut them all back and fed him a pea. This seemed to do the trick for a day, then he was side-floating again.
I've had Leon since last Spring. I don't know how old he is. He is in a very warm (80+) 10 gallon tank with three mollies. They all get along very well. I change about 10-20% of the water weekly and I test it frequently. The only problem it's had is nitrates a bit high once in a while. Ammonia, nitrites, chlorine, etc. these are all fine. I use only filtered drinking water, treated with Aqua Plus, and I add some salt too.
I feed Leon and the others frozen fish foods, thawed. Like Formula Two, Emerald Entree, brine shrimp. I don't use flakes with wheat gluten and ethoxyquin. Once I did give them blood worms but that seemed to be when the side-floating started.
Now, Leon side-floats whenever he stops swimming. He is still very active and he still eats every time I feed him.
But I can make out every tiny bone in his spine.
What am I doing wrong? Leon is the jewel of the tank and my lovely friend. It'd crush me to lose him.
Thanks, everyone,
Jules
Here's the big picture. A few weeks ago he started side-floating and I panicked and did my research. Most web pages said I was overfeeding him and it was swim bladder problems caused by constipation. (I gave him and the other fish a bit of food, twice a day.) So I cut them all back and fed him a pea. This seemed to do the trick for a day, then he was side-floating again.
I've had Leon since last Spring. I don't know how old he is. He is in a very warm (80+) 10 gallon tank with three mollies. They all get along very well. I change about 10-20% of the water weekly and I test it frequently. The only problem it's had is nitrates a bit high once in a while. Ammonia, nitrites, chlorine, etc. these are all fine. I use only filtered drinking water, treated with Aqua Plus, and I add some salt too.
I feed Leon and the others frozen fish foods, thawed. Like Formula Two, Emerald Entree, brine shrimp. I don't use flakes with wheat gluten and ethoxyquin. Once I did give them blood worms but that seemed to be when the side-floating started.
Now, Leon side-floats whenever he stops swimming. He is still very active and he still eats every time I feed him.
But I can make out every tiny bone in his spine.
What am I doing wrong? Leon is the jewel of the tank and my lovely friend. It'd crush me to lose him.
Thanks, everyone,
Jules