Floating Up?

[Fawnleaf]

Hay!!

Ok, i'm short on time so heres the quick details:

Cody lives in a 3 gallon, heated, 79 F tank. He temporarily lives with one frog. Water changes: 100% Saturdays and 75% Wednesdays. He has been floating to the top of the water and if he stops moving, he slowly leans on his side, but will righten himself after a while. He looks bloated so I have been fasting him for 3 days straight but I see no improvement. Is he constipated? If so what should I do? I feed him Hikari Pellets and Blood Worms (frozen). In case there was something wrong with the water I switched him too another tank and am cleaning his old one right now. I can get Medication as soon as tomorrow, if needed. Pic coming soon.

Summary: He looks the same- no color loss. He just floats to the top like he has a floating device attached to him. He's also been bloated for 4 days- fasted him for 3 and no improvement.

[Oldfishlady]

I would QT and do Epsom salt 1tsp/gal (Not aquarium salt) 10 day treatment along with 100% daily water changes-if you have tannins I would add them as well and cover the top with plastic veggie wrap to keep the air warm and humid for the labyrinth

I like to use a clean 1gal jug and pre-mix my treatment water so that the tannins can steep and this also help to make correct dosage and the water changes easier

I also like to use something really small for the QT so that I can float it in the heated tank-I attach it to the side of the tank so it doesn't sink with the plastic veggie wrap as the cover and the shallow water help the fish get to air without struggling so much.

Tannins can be IAL, naturally dried and fallen from the tree Oak leaf(10-12 crush/gal of treatment water), blackwater extract, decaf green tea will even work in a pinch

The Epsom salt will help reduce swelling in the duct, work as a laxative and has a mild antibacterial/fungal effect

It can take 1-4 days to see any improvement but a full 10 day treatment is recommended....chronic floaters or constipation may need Epsom salt treatment on a monthly basis

I would NOT keep them in low dose Epsom salt long term as a preventive as it could cause it to be ineffective as a treatment when needed.

Cold dry air can also cause problems for our Betta labyrinth organ and you will see symptoms like-floating, side lying, rapid breathing..generally struggling to swim and breath-especially with tank that have openings that allow lots of air above the water and open top containers that don't have filters

[Fawnleaf]

Wow! Thanks for the information! I will do that.

Update: Cody is doing much better, he has stopped floating and acting strange. However, I will still carry out treatment just in case.

[Adastra]

Sometimes they just need a little help to get things moving. Having him flare will help him oust the rest of the poo in addition to OFL's instructions. You may also want to add more fiber to his diet in the form of frozen brine shrimp and/or daphnia. This will help keep him regular.

As for the frog, I hope you'll be getting him or her some frog friends when you transfer it to another tank as you have planned. :) Is it possible that the food you've set aside for the frog is being devoured by the betta instead? ADFs can be very difficult to feed when they're with other fish like bettas--so you'll have to take special care when target-feeding the frog. Also, ADFs shouldn't be allowed to get too hot. If possible, I think you should keep the tank around 77 degrees until the frog can be moved to the other setup you have in mind. If the water is 80 or above for long periods, it can place a lot of stress on their metabolism.

[Fawnleaf]

Originally Posted by Fawnleaf

He temporarily lives with one frog.

Yeah, I originally had him in my sorority but I am "renovating" it so he's in Cody's tank. I am getting another froggie once this is over.

Also, thanks for the tip about the daphnia and shrimp!