Constipated betta

[demilly]

Housing
What size is your tank? six gallons
What temperature is your tank? 74
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
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? Cory Cat

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? a variety
How often do you feed your betta fish? 1-2 x day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every three weeks
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 3-4 gallons
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? water conditioner, stress zyme

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate: 10
pH: 7.6
Hardness: 120
Alkalinity: 80

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? bloated stomach
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? laying on the bottom of the tank
When did you start noticing the symptoms? one week ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? moved him to a small critter keeper thing so he doesn't have far to go for air, and so I can treat him. I put one teaspoon of epsom salt in on gallon of water and am using that. I also gave him some green pea, he has not eaten it yet, but maybe he will, and I will check later when I change the water.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)?about a year




I am treating him for constipation , which, apparently is a common ailment with bettas. Unfortunately, I did not think about this until he was ailing for a few days. I started treating him on Friday, 5/6/11. He was symptomatic at the beginning of the week.

Am I using the right amount of epsom salt? I thought I read about using a tablespoon, I am using a teaspoon.

Anything else I should be doing?

Does anyone know how to warm up small container?

Thank you!

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum....

Sadly it sounds like it may be more than constipation.......it looks like a water quality issue, temp issue and stocking issue.....

Good that you have him in a small QT with Epsom salt...I would increase the Epsom salt to 2tsp/gal along with 100% daily water changes in the QT floating in a heated tank to maintain a water temp in the 76F range for the next 10-14 days...hold all food for 3 days and then offer half feedings twice a day during the treatment

In the 6gal filtered tank-I would start some daily water changes of 50% for the next 2 days and then 50% weekly with vacuum thereafter to maintain water quality for long term health

I would also recommend that you either re-home the cory cat or get a larger tank of at least 10gal and add a few more corydoras to complete a small school so you can meet their needs.

[demilly]

Thank you for getting back to me.

I changed his water and put him on a well insulated heating pad (lots of layers between him and the pad). I do not have a heated tank. I can get a heater tomorrow, if you think it will help. I don't think that he is going to survive as his scales are now sticking out; and from what I understand, that is a sure sign that he is not going to make it. Which is very upsetting.

Question: if the water tests okay, why does it need to be changed so often? I was told that I was changing it too often and not letting it cycle?

How many Corys need to be together?

Thank you so much!!

[Oldfishlady]

You have other things that build up in the tank that we can't/don't test for..dissolved organic compounds or DOC's that can be harmful and the only way to rid them is through a water change....nitrates will build up and as natural break down happens the water can become more acidic and when you make the water change it can cause shock issues especially as the fish sits in the high nitrate water as this can cause suppressed immune response.......thus the importance of regular water changes.....50% rule is what I like to use....remove half the pollutants and dilute the other half.......

Regular water changes do more than just dilute ammonia....once the tank has established the nitrogen cycle...water only changes will not hurt it, weekly vacuuming in all areas that can be reached without moving anything will not hurt it either.......you can over clean...scrub the walls, decoration, plants, vacuum 100% of the substrate, change out the filter media all in the same day- this could stall or disrupt the nitrogen cycle.....but just water only and light vacuuming even on a daily basis will not hurt the nitrogen cycle because the beneficial bacteria are sticky and adhere to everything very little are in the water column.....

True, once the fish starts to pinecone....they are usually going into a system shut down and rarely do they survive......but don't give up as long as he is not suffering........make him comfy with the Epsom salt water....

[demilly]

Well, he is still hanging in there, I don't know if that is a good or bad thing, I feel so bad for him. I am warming his water for the water change. I also put some betta medicine in this morning, thinking that maybe...

Anyhow, I did a 50% water change on both tanks, a five gallon and a six gallon tank m. I also have a little one gallon with another betta. He, at least, seems happy.

Thanks for all your help!

[roadrunner]

I hope your betta is feeling better. I was just wondering what you are feeding your bettas. You mentioned variety, but you did not specify what exactly and how much. Freeze dried bloodworms are good only as a treat and they should not be fed too often. Frozen are always better. I would also recommend to get some daphnia. Daphnias are high in protein and also work good as a natural laxative and are lot better than frozen peas to treat bloating. You may also consider fasting your fish once a week to clean their digestive system. Good variety of food (not overfeeding), clean water and constant temperature are the key to healthy bettas.

[demilly]

Thank you. I haven't checked on him, yet, this morning. By variety of food, I have something like ten different types of food for a variety. I think I was feeding too much. I will be cutting back, now that I know better, with my other betta, and any future ones. I will also fast them. I will have to look for Daphnia food. I don't think I have seen it. But I will look for it.

[demilly]

Sad news, my betta did pass away. He was hanging in there this morning, but I guess it was inevitable. At least he is comfortable now.