Possible constipation, strange breathing

[ansalong]

I have another thread going about a possible parasite in my fish, but I'm not sure if these things are related, and I'm hoping for some more opinions.

Yesterday morning I saw a white stringy poop from my Betta, and with help from Betta Slave I picked up some food (which he rejected) and some anti-parasite tablets.

He is in a 1gal quarantine bowl with no gravel so I can see what his poop looks like. The water is treated with the anti-parasite tablet, PRIME and 1 tsp of aquarium salt. He's been in the bowl since last night and I am preparing water for a water change.

He blew me a bubble nest today, but he is looking very sad and listless. He has the beginning of a poop that has been hanging off of him all day but he has not seemed to push it through. It looks normal in color but usually doesn't have trouble. Pic below, I know it's hard to see but it's the little orange thing hanging off the right. He ate breakfast happily, and when someone approaches the bowl he gets feisty but otherwise he just hangs there.

When he flares at me it looks like only his left gill flares, the other stays in.

I watched him take a big gulp of water and push it out through his gills. I know this is normal in most fish, but is it also normal for Bettas? I wasn't sure since they breathe air.

Any thoughts on any of this? Is it all parasite related? Should I feed him dinner if he is the same tonight?

[bloo97]

How often do you change his water?

I wouldn't feed him tonight and see if he does better tomorrow.

[ansalong]

I do a full water change every day. I'll fast him tonight if he doesn't improve. Thanks!

His gills seem fine now so I guess that was just paranoia on my part.

[bloo97]

Just keep up with water changes and you'll be fine. Post if yo have any more problems with your fish. :)

[ansalong]

Thanks bloo! Looks like we're on our way to normal. I think he was just sad in the qt tank.

Is gulping water and pushing it out his gills normal for a betta? I hadn't seen him do it before but he might just do it all the time and I don't see. It was pretty cool to watch, I just want to make sure he should be doing it.

Thanks!

[kfish]

Originally Posted by ansalong

Thanks bloo! Looks like we're on our way to normal. I think he was just sad in the qt tank.

Is gulping water and pushing it out his gills normal for a betta? I hadn't seen him do it before but he might just do it all the time and I don't see. It was pretty cool to watch, I just want to make sure he should be doing it.

Thanks!

Like little fishy yawning? If so, that's normal. It's cute, isn't it? :)

Mr. Fish does that at night after his light's been on all day (well, he does it sometimes during the day, too, but more often at night). I think it might actually be yawning, lol. He lets me know when it's fishy bed time (then I sing him the fishy bed time song... yeah... I know).

[ansalong]

Wait really? That's hilarious! I didn't think of it as that. It looks like when other fish breathe. He hasn't done it again (that I could see) and it doesn't seem to have hurt him at all.

How does the fishy bed time song go? Fishnu is so feisty that he doesn't ever look sleepy, so I let him know when it's bed time. But he sleeps in his betta bed now which is the cutest thing ever.

[kfish]

Haha. Just before I shut off his light I tell him it's fishy bed time. When I shut off the light, he swims up to the top as fast as he can and looks up at the light like, "What?! Bed time?! No way!" The song is always different, haha. But basically I just tell him that, "YES, it's fishy bed time!"

[dramaqueen]

lol! That reminds me of these 2 dogs I used to petsit for. The woman told me when I took them out at night for the last time, I had to tell them "it's night potty time. " lol