Male King Betta floating on side??

[geckokitty]

So about 2 weeks ago I went to Petco to get some mealworms for my gecko. I looked at the bettas and saw a male King Betta floating on it's side and it's swollen near the tail. I took him to the front and brought it to the employee's attention. Well tonight I went to get some more mealworms and there he was, still swollen and still on his side. They gave him to me for free and I brought him home. Put him in a 1.5 gallon aquarium with a filter and heater. I used spring water and some water I already had conditioned (I have a 55 gallon tank which I use to rescue goldfish). I put in some Stress Coat and a bit of AQ Salt. He is not swollen anywhere else except the area in front of his tail and he floats on his side. He has gotten more active and is trying to right himself, but that bloated part in front of his tail is like a bobber. I have not tried to feed him, because I know that is bad for a bloated fish. The tank is @ 78-80 degrees. Suggestions? He doesn't have Dropsy either, his scales are flat and he looks normal other than the bloating in front of the tail.

EDIT - I named him Leonidas since he is a King Betta and he's a fighter. :)

[Silverfang]

Stop the AQ salt. It sounds like he might have something going on with his swim bladder. Completely change the water, then add in epsom salt (magnesium sulphate). Unscented, dye free. You can find it at the pharmacy. It's fairly safe to start him at 2 tsp/gal.

The spot at the base of his tail you talk about being swollen is the caudaul penduncle (no idea how to spell it correctly!). And it is just more prominent in some fish. But from the description of trying to have trouble righting himself and bobbing. It sounds like swim bladder issues. Epsom salt can sometimes help relieve pressure so he can swim properly again.

IF he doesn't look bloated anywhere else, I'd say it's safe to go ahead and feed him. A good pellet if you have them. Just start out with smaller meals to make sure he doesn't get bloated.

[geckokitty]

Yea.. his body is like in an hourglass shape.. Like his head and gills, then it narrows, then it gets big again (but is not as wide as his head)... When I get off work in the morning I'll dump all of the water and put in some epsom salt. Since it's 1.5 gallons that would be 3 tsp if I'm doing the 2tsp/gallon ratio. I guess it's not anything REALLY serious or he would have been dead by now, so hopefully I can pull him out of it.

[geckokitty]

Epsom Salt is in. I used some conditioned water and some cycled water from my 55 gallon. Thought a bit of cycled water would do him some good. I don't want to feed him just yet, in case he is constipated.

[Thebettaqueen]

Also, Don't use Spring water; it removes some of the minerals a betta fish needs. Try from the tap, but with conditioner! It'll remove all the nasty stuff that could harm your fish c:

[geckokitty]

He actually is now in cycled water from my 55 gallon tank. I think cycled water from my bio-wheel filter is better for him because it has all the bacteria and stuff he needs. He is still floating on his side, but when he swims he is able to right himself and dart around a bit now. Put a couple of silk plants in there so he could feel secure and also get under the leaves, so he doesn't have to be on his side at the surface all the time. In the morning I'm going to take him to see my friend who owns a fish store here in town and knows ALOT about fish. I'm sure together we can pull him out of it. Keep your fingers crossed for Leonidas! :D