my bettas sick?

Question

when i went to feed my betta this meorning his stomach was very bloated,what shuold i do? i feed him wardleys betta bites & freezedried bloodworms, & he woulnt eat his favorite food,any help would be appeciated.thanks......

Answer 1

He's probably constipated. They usually will refuse to eat when they're constipated. Don't feed him for a day or so, and see if the swelling goes down. From my own experiences, this usually does the trick. Constipation may result from feeding a betta the floating type of pellets which will sometimes expand in their stomachs, so it's good to soak their pellets for a few minutes before feeding in order to prevent constipation.

If the swelling doesn't go down for more than a couple of days, or gets worse, or his scales start to pop out from his sides, it might be dropsy, in which case you would have to buy medication to treat him. There is a good source of information about betta disease at http://www.healthybetta.com/

Answer 2

It's probably constipation. It is most often caused from feeding too many bloodworms, but it can be caused from overfeeding pellets also.

Stop feeding him for now. Wait a day or two and see how he is. I would take out the gravel or whatever's at the bottom of his tank so you can monitor his poop better. If he's still bloated in a day or two (I.E.- you see no new poop), try feeding him a little bit of a cooked pea (Peel the outside and give him a couple tiny bites of the soft inside part). It's a natural laxative for bettas. Wait another day, and if that doesn't work, try giving him an epsom salt bath.

More info on how to properly do that can be found on this website:
http://www.petfish.net/articles/Bettas/constipation.php

The epsom salt bath can help relax his muscles so it's easier to poop.

Answer 3

I do wish that you would go to the below URL.. click kon it and learn more than what I can tell you in this short space>

http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm