My betta is floating on his side at the top of the water unable to balance himself. Whats wrong with him?

Answer 1

Something is wrong with his swim bladder.

"My fish are upside-down/ can't swim

This is a common problem whereby fish lose their equilibrium and are unable to maintain their position. This can result in the fish swimming awkwardly, laying upside-down either on the bottom or top of the water, or unable to maintain a horizontal position in the water. This is often attributed to swim-bladder problems and indeed this is the most common cause of loss of equilibrium. The swim-bladder is an air-filled sac laying just under the backbone at the top of the abdominal cavity. By inflating / deflating the swim-bladder, the fish can adjust its position in the water and maintain neutral buoyancy.

The swim-bladder can be affected by bacterial or viral diseases. In addition the swim-bladder may malfunction, leading to over or under inflation. Clearly anything which affects the proper functioning of the swim-bladder will also affect the fish's equilibrium.

However, before diagnosing all equilibrium problems as swim-bladder disease, we should be aware that there are other conditions which can cause buoyancy problems. Disease in other organs such as kidneys and intestines for example can also cause problems. This can happen if there is any swelling of the affected organs leading to either a change in organ density or pressure being put on the swim-bladder. This is often a problem with fancy goldfish whose abdominal cavity is tightly packed.

Treatment is difficult, mainly because it is virtually impossible to diagnose the cause and secondly there are only a few conditions that will respond to treatment. It is always worth considering a course of antibiotic injections in case a bacterial infection is involved. An attempt should be made to see whether the fish is defecating, in case the problem is being caused by an intestinal blockage. If this is suspected it is worth either trying to feed the fish a few frozen peas, which act as a laxative, or else try baths in Epsom salts (70g / litre for 5 minutes) which has the same effect.

If these treatments do not work, there is little else that can be done. There is some work being carried out on exploratory surgery, but there are very few veterinarians undertaking this "cutting edge" procedure.

There are a few reports of fish recovering from balance problems, so it is worth giving the fish some time. One report suggested "wedging" the fish upright between two objects was helpful. If there is no sign of recovery after 7-10 days, the kindest thing is to euthanase the fish."

Good luck, the frozen pea thing works really good!

Answer 2

my wife is having the same exact problem with her betta it just floats at the top on its side and looks dead but when you tap on the tank it swims normal for a second then right back to the top on its side this fish has been like this for over a month. it also has a big white spot on her side that looks like the scales have been rubbed off. if you can find out the problem please let us know we have tried this whole yahoo answers thing but really didnt get anywhere.

Answer 3

Your Betta is dying,they are air breathers,so I doubt that had anything to do with it,but he is filling with air so he can no longer keep his balance,you sould check your PH level 7 is ok for Bettas,make under your gravel is clean,an indication of that would be cloudy water,you should have a heater,they make out better with one and plenty of places for it to sleep,plant etc.make sure you make regular water changes and not to much at a time,check the PH coming from your faucet,keep the filter clean and try again,they are beautiful.

Answer 4

its not dying = = my betta was like that yesterday cause I overfed!! it really didn't feel like I fed too much...it was just 2 extra pallets and I went to school, came home and he was floating at the top... anyways, his FINE now, dun flush him yet!!! and when betta's die they are at the BOTTOM on its side...just dun feed your betta for a day or two. He should be fine soon, and dun feed too much (try feeding him cooked and peeled pea to clean his system if he is still floating after 3 days...)

Answer 5

Sounds like he may be full of air or bloat. Has he eaten a lot? I would try keeping him off food a couple of days. Some people have luck feeding their fish a squished pea to help get the gas out.

Answer 6

omg i had the same problem five minutes ago and it is slowly dying/its dead.......im sorry :'[

but its normal it happends

here are some ways to check if it really is dying

did you feed it to much ?

well tap the tank or get a plastic glove and reach in and see if it moves .....

look at its gills and see if its moving...

wait for a while and if you cant solve anything than pick it up and see if it looks dead...

if its is than flush it down the tolit

like what i did

but oh well

you can buy another one.....

Answer 7

Bummer.... I hate to say this but I think he could be getting ready to go to fish heaven. My condolences if this is the case.

Answer 8

He's getting ready for the great fish pond in the sky.

Answer 9

Sounds like he is dying - sorry. Not much you can do - make sure your wter is clean and de-clorinated correctly.

Answer 10

His swim bladder is messed up. Sorry but he is probably going to die.