beta floating to top on his side

[MoppinTheFlooR]

I have had him about a year now, this happened when I first got him I think because I was feeding him too much. I think I would give him too many pellets. Now though I give him about 3 a day and today I noticed he was starting to do it again. It looks like he struggles to not float to the top and he kinda starts to float on his side so he swims down to get out of it. Seems like he is kinda smart cus he wedges himself on stuff so he doesn't float up to the top. I'm worried that maybe it is because I'm feeding him too much again. I was reading some people saying that it could be poor water quality and he is going for air? that doesn't soudn right though, I try to keep the tank as good as I can, I do need a filter but I can't afford one and I'm real busy all the time.

pls help thx

[aokashi]

what's your water temperature? and what food are you feeding him?

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Hi, does he look bloated at all? If he looks bloated, are the scales around his midsection lying flat, or are they slightly raise (making him look kind of like a pinecone)?.... Has he pooped recently (and if so, what did it look like?)

Please answer the questions below, and put N/A beside the questions you cannot answer, so that people have more information:

Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

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?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?

[MoppinTheFlooR]

Originally Posted by aokashi

what's your water temperature? and what food are you feeding him?

sorry took me forever to reply.

I have a heater that keeps the tempeture around 72 at the lowest. I'm feeding him "new life SPECTRUM betta formula" Natural color enhancing 1mm semi-floating pellets

[callistra]

He's freezing at the very least.

Bettas are tropical fish and must be kept at a temp between 76-82, with 78-80 being ideal. The temp must be stable and not be dipping or jumping around. In a 2 gallon you can get an adjustable 25w heater. Any new heater should be tested for 24 hours in similar size container with in tank thermometer to make sure it will hold a constant appropriate temp between 78-80F. Then the betta must be acclimated to higher temp either by floating in a cup inside the main already fully heated tank for an hour, or by adjusting the heater to increase the temperature of the tank no more than a degree per hour and 5 degrees per day.

Please fill out the rest of the guide..

[MoppinTheFlooR]

Housing
What size is your tank? It is a 10 gal tank but split in two for two betas so they each have 5 gal
What temperature is your tank? heater keeps tempeture above 72
Does your tank have a filter? No, need one, I water change as much as I can
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no? don't know what is
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? They are both alone, BTW they both eat the same thing and the other is fine

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? It looks like the brand is SPECTRUM. They are pellets "betta formula"
How often do you feed your betta fish? I feed them both about 3 a day, since this has been happening I haven't been feeding him in fear that it is the food that is doing that to him because I felt like that is what it was in the past. I feed the other beta the same food though and the same amount and he is fine.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? about 2 times a week, I really need filter
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? I'd' say I do about 20-40% water changes, usually on the lower side
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? I just put water cleaner in, the brand is.... Splendid Betta complete water conditioner. I need to get new stuff though I got this for free and it is a small bottle. What would you recomend?

Water Parameters: What do you mean? Peremeter of the tank?
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? I have not, Is it necessary to get a kit? I want to but the ones I looked up were so expensive

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Not that I have noticed, the one that has the problem I have had about 6 months longer than the other one and and the one I've had longer has always been lager, I thought the other one might catch up in size but it never happened
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Since he has been like this he kinda floats at the top, he was trying to not go sideways and I didn't feed him for a few days and he seemed fine so I started feeding him again and it looks like it is starting to happen again so I stopped feeding him again so he doesn't start floating sideways again
When did you start noticing the symptoms? When he started almost floating sideways and trying to correct constantly and staying at top of tank
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? no, just by not feeding him
Does your fish have any history of being ill? just this happening when we first got him and I thought it would be because we fed him too much because we used too
How old is your fish (approximately)? about a year and a half? or maybe a year.

[MoppinTheFlooR]

Originally Posted by callistra

He's freezing at the very least.

Bettas are tropical fish and must be kept at a temp between 76-82, with 78-80 being ideal. The temp must be stable and not be dipping or jumping around. In a 2 gallon you can get an adjustable 25w heater. Any new heater should be tested for 24 hours in similar size container with in tank thermometer to make sure it will hold a constant appropriate temp between 78-80F. Then the betta must be acclimated to higher temp either by floating in a cup inside the main already fully heated tank for an hour, or by adjusting the heater to increase the temperature of the tank no more than a degree per hour and 5 degrees per day.

Please fill out the rest of the guide..

Just did, thank you very much, very knowledgable, I want to do the best things.....

[aokashi]

I think callistra is busy...

Yes you should get a filter...and warm up your tank a bit more... preferrable between the 78-82F range.
The ideal betta temperature will help with the fish's metabolism and prevent problems such as constipation, bloat, sbd.... etc...
Most of the time, warming up the tank alone can remedy these problems...

I recommend you to do a 100% water change every two weeks, and do a thorough gravel vacumm weekly... ontop of your usual water changes...

[callistra]

If you don't have a filter then you need to do 50% during week one and 100% by the end of week 2. Otherwise he will be suffering from ammonia poisoning, and it will just continue to build and build and build until it becomes lethal.

You should look for a good quality pellets whose first two or three ingredients are whole fish, not fish meal or wheat. He should be fed two small meals a day (how many depends on the pellet you pick up) and one fast day a week.

Water changes should be done like this to avoid shock and stress:

The 50% changes the betta can be kept in the bowl and use a siphon remove half the water and as much of the debris as possible - be careful your betta stays away from the siphon as being sucked up by it can kill him. For the 100% you need to remove him - scoop him out with a plastic solo type cup and set aside while you thoroughly rinse the bowl and gravel to remove the debris. Then he should be acclimated to the new water by floating for an hour while you slowly add a couple tablespoons of new water to the cup every 10 minutes. When you release him, try to let as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. All water changes should use same temp water, matched to running tap using the in tank thermometer and the water needs to be premixed with conditioner before adding it to the betta tank. If you don't already have anything, you can use gallon water jugs from the grocery store - rinsed thoroughly in hot water but no chems.

If you get a filter you will need a reliable drops kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.. It also may need to be prefiltered and baffled and the heater should be next to the filter to circulate the warm water, otherwise you will just have huge pockets of cold and hot water across the tank