Why does my betta fish look like he's having a seizure?

Answer 1

Without a better description I couldn't say. If he sees his reflection, or just decides to get his mad on. He will flare his gill covers, puff out his fins, and basicly go mad for a bit. This is normal betta threat display, and some betta do it at the drop of the hat. In fact they seem to enjoy it to a degree. It's only bad if he is constantly seeing what ever sets him off. Personally I give my boys an hour or so of smack talk every week by putting their tanks next to each other.

Also rapid temp changes are said to cause "fits". Did you change his water recently? )Honestly I've never seen it as I make sure water is close to the same.)

Answer 2

Fish jumping out of a lake is not bodily irritation relief, its an act itchyologists refer to as "Breaking" and is the end result of an ambush attack.

Sharks are most commonly known for Breaks, they will strike a surfaced fish from far below the water for an immediate strike, this causes the fish to be thrown into the air after snatching its prey from simple kenetics and inertia. Hardly what I'd call scratching their backs.

Also other freshwater fish in lakes will also Break from the water in attempts to capture insects for their lunch.

Again, hardly resolving irritation. It sounds ridiculous to me that a fish would try to itch itself against air or the surface of the water with mildly abrasive sand available to them 24 hours a day 7 days a week at the bottom, along with coarse rocks and other such items they could use to their advantage.

Come on people... think about this.

As far as the twitching betta goes, I must concur with the status quo. It sounds as if your betta is going down the hill. Generally the "Fighting" stance mentioned which bettas perform in case of a reflection is the flaring of their fins, not exactly seizure material.

Epilepsy to my knowledge does not occur in fish, but there's a myriad of things I dont know in this world, so I may be wrong. However one thing is for certain, Epilepsy is hereditary, which means it's had it from birth. In which case would suggest to me that it utterly cannot be Epilepsy, since its new behavior. Take note that on earth, the main focus of epileptic treatments is directed at children.. Again people, please, just think about what you're saying to this person.

The epic debate over morality of keeping bettas in stagnant dishes versus a massive 10 foot million gallon tank with all the anemities of lux and vice is again, heresay. My mother in law has a 6 year old one in a flower vase, which notably has never suffered any ill effect of being within this vase. NOTHING DEPREMENTAL HAS HAPPENED TO THIS FISH FROM LIVING WITHOUT A HEATER OR FILTER.

Maybe he's just super betta hmm? I disagree, see the thing is she just takes care of it when the vase gets dirty, and it lives a wonderful life quite happy. If you wish to argue that it is not happy, I wish for you to get its signature on a document saying that he told you he was not... You cant do that? then dont argue it, I'd bet your betta suffers more in your massive aquarium than in the bowl. Try to prove me wrong... wait you cant...

Anyways.. Your betta is likely on its last fins, and may be out of the reach of aquarium medical science. This usually happens with age, or can be onset by confined spaces in the petstore, for long periods of time. Often the case is that Betta Splendens will suffer from abnormalities in their spines due to the cramped cups they live in, which may have an effect on its nervous system (obviously) and could also potentially lead to seizures or nerve twitches.

Depending how old your betta is, it might just be old age.

The water quality may be poor, so if you dont tend to it regularly, its probably dying from NO2- poisoning.

Hopefully we'll find more insight to your problem and find resolve better than claims of aquatic epilepsy afflicting your betta.

Answer 3

Do you have it in a large aquarium?
Betta's do not like large surroundings. 10 gallon max.
Do you have red tail or rainbow sharks? Betta's are very Territorial, as is the sharks, especially when the Betta's are the first introduced to the tank.
Do you have any other Male Betta's? they do not get along AT ALL (bred to fight each other).

Answer 4

I think you may have to change the water or feed them. I don't really know what you are taking about because you didn't give enough detail, but to me, it always seems that bettas have seizures. They seem so lazy and slow, you don't know wheher they are alive or not...lol

Answer 5

My Beta fish I think is sometimes dead. Seriously I will shake the bowl and it won't move! But I comes back to life. The only thing I know that would trigger that is you have changed its water and the water temp. that you changed it too was either too hot or too cold.

Answer 6

bettas don't have a tendency to have seizures extremely.... i dont imagine its the inability of heater that killed him, inspite of the indisputable fact that the very truth you probably did one hundred% water transformations. that finally f*cked his immune device a lot he gave in. you're really meant to do 25% water transformations.

Answer 7

It's one of two things,hopefully the former rather than the latter:

He is 'flaring',which is when they shove their gills out to look larger/tougher to a perceived opponent,which is perfectly normal.

Or.

He is dying,and this is terrible. I'm so sorry if he's gone.

Answer 8

Is it arching sideways? It's dying if so....again, if so...have you put a sudden rise or decline of the water temp while cleaning?
I killed my girlfiends goldfish years ago by doing this, I never told her..Do you think I should make that a question about honesty??

Answer 9

Get Betta vitamins for sick bettas, clean the water, purify the water, get the cloudy water out, DON"T let him die :(

Answer 10

He needs his water changed. He's in stagnant water and its irritating him. Parasites are getting under his scales.

It's why fish jump in lakes. To feed, but also to "scratch".

If you use tap water, let it sit for 24 hrs to dissipate any residual chlorine.