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Help Please!

514 views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  AtticusFish123 
#1 ·
I think my fish has swim bladder disorder, please help!!

What size is your tank? 0.5gallon, I think - it's just over 2 litres
What temperature is your tank? room temp
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? plastic plant

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? pellets and blood worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2-3 pellets on Monday and Wednesday, blood worms on Friday

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every 14 or so days
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? About 90%
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? no

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He looks skinnier and has paled
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He can't pull himself up
When did you start noticing the symptoms? This morning
Have you started treating your fish? Yes
If so, how? I have 100% changed his water, I have bought the water level right down so the top is closer, and I have added some Epsom salts.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)? I've had him for 18 months
 
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#2 ·
You are doing a lot of things wrong, so I don't think I can tell you if you it is SBD or not.

1) .5 gallon is too small for any fish. You would need to be doing daily 100% water changes in a tank that small. I recommend getting at least a 2.5 gallon tank. While you can get a way with a 1 gallon there is a much larger chance of things going wrong. With a 2.5 gallon tank you can safely heat the tank and do less water changes (one 50% and one 100% a week if you do not have a filter).

2) You absolutely need a heater. However, you cannot safely heat a .5 gallon tank which is why you cannot keep a betta in there. They are tropical fish and need water that is at least 78-82 degrees. "room temperature" is too cold and changes too much for your fish to be healthy.

3) What brand of pellets are you feed? You should only feed pellets that are low in fillers. The best brands are Omega One or New Life Spectrum. Also you should be feeding frozen not freeze dried bloodworms. Freeze dried lead to constipation and bloating.

My guess is that your fish has ammonia poisoning. Please do a water change and upgrade your tank ASAP. You cannot keep a fish in those conditions.
 
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