yesterday i found my beta floating on his side twice and thought he was dead?

Question

he has never done this with me before.i don't know if fish sleep but can it be that he was sleep and just turned on his side or is he sleep? every night he's at the top of the tank and does'nt know what's going on but in the morning he's very active

Answer 1

This sounds like a mild case of swim bladder disorder. Bettas with this issue either float or sink if they aren't actively swimming. Also they tend to list to one side. This could be a result over feeding, disease (often due to poor water quality), or age.

I'd hold off feeding him for a day or 2. Then cook a pea, peel it, and feed part of it to him. (This may help if his digestive track is backed up, and he's bloated.) Also be sure you are completely cleaning his bowl weekly, and if it's smaller than 3 gallon. Do a partial change mid week. Be sure the new water is the same temp as the old.

Note that swim bladder disorder is the result of other factors. As long as he's otherwise healthy he could survive for years even with worse symptoms. I've had friends with bettas that spent 99% of their time on the bottom, and had to forcefully swim up for air. Which survived for over a year, and lived to be ~4 years old all told.

PS- On the subject of aeration. Bettas breath air from the surface of the water unlike most other fish. In fact they can't get it from the water, and will drown if they can reach the surface. The poster recommending aeration doesn't know much about bettas. Bettas don't like strong currents or lots of water agitation.

Answer 2

If hes really active in the morning, than most likely he is just sleeping. Betta fish do sleep, mines would always float under something and just stay there for a while. Laying on the side sounds unusual, try to look up more information on the web, or call your local pet store and ask.

Good Luck :o)

Answer 3

Believe it or not, Betta fish are known to go to sleep. They usually lay on the bottom, not on the top, but they look dead until you touch the bowl when they"jump" up and start swimming again.

I was assistant manager at a pet/tropical fish store for 5 years, and every morning when we opened we would find close to half the betta sleeping.

just to be safe, change the water? How often do you change it? Betta bowls, since they do not have filters, should be changed anywhere from every 3-4 days to once a week at the latest.

Answer 4

Doesn't sound like Ich. But it could me. Ich (or "ick", same disease, different spelling) is an external parasite that will look like your fish has been covered in tiny grains of salt. They're little white dots that ususally start on the fins and spread to the body. They can kill a fish, but they're easily treated. Having ich for a fish is the same as having fleas for a dog or cat. ON THE OTHER HAND there may be too many toxins in his water. Change 25% to 50% of his water right away. It reduces the toxins that will make fish sick. Be sure the new water is the same temperature as the old water and use a water conditioner too.

Answer 5

He has Swim Bladder ailment, it isn't a ailment. it is continuously led to from overfeeding, constipation, or bacterial an infection. His swim bladder controls his buoyency (sp?). there remains a danger for him no matter if it isn't too late. stop feeding him. His bloated abdomen is putting rigidity on his swimbladder. If he's not any extra ideal after 3 days feed him a room temperature shelled pea. As a very last hotel provide him an epson salt bath by putting a tablespoon of epson salt in accordance to gallon. The water ought to be at 80 tiers. Take the water he's in and placed him in a cup and drift on the water to regulate the temperature slowly so that you do not wonder him. you could also pass to Wal-Mart and get anti-fungal pills. reduce it up and drop a peice about the dimensions of your pinky nail in his water. i wish it may avert him, i understand it is hard to lose a fish. EDIT: The espon salt bath is completely possibility-free, regardless of the very undeniable actuality that it ought to be the spectacular hotel of all else fails by way of the undeniable fact that is stessful on a ill fish. It helps treatment the bacterial an infection.

Answer 6

Check him for any growth on the body. Covered by cottony slime or gold dust or look as if it is sprinkled with salt? You might want to change the water and put in a bit of salt and monitor. Sometimes it is just the fish personality. No worries. I've got one which will actually lay at the bottom to take naps and will jolt up when it's near feeding time.

Answer 7

First, change the water immediately. Second, purchase a small aerating device. It may not be getting the proper amount of oxygen. Three, in case it's Swim Bladder Disease, crush a frozen green pea and place it in the tank or bowl. You might have fed it too much and is bloated. The green pea will help the bloatedness.

Answer 8

I don't have a clue. Mine seems to sleep but he sleeps at the bottom of the bowl and he's in normal fish position. My roomate had a beta that jumped out of the bowl onto his desk (while we weren't there) and it dried up. My roomate thought he was dead but didn't want to take care of him right away so he put him back in his bowl and then the fish came back to life and started swimming around. Maybe your fish just dies every night and comes back to life like my roomate's did.

Answer 9

I have had a Beta for 2 years and he has never been on his side. I am not sure if they sleep but I thought that fish only go on their sides if they are ill or almost ready to die.

Answer 10

He is sick,call a fish store and let them know whats going on and they can tell you what may be wrong and recomend drops to put in the tank.