My betta had a swollen belly and now it looks like its gone...im worried...please tell me whats wrong?

Question

it kind of looked like it busted :(

Answer 1

That is the very final stages of dropsy and yes, the fish has literally split open from the fluid built up inside. If it's not dead yet remove it and euthanize the fish, it is suffering.

MM

Answer 2

Dropsy is actually a "symptom" and not a disease in itself. When a fish has an advanced case of dropsy, its scales will appear to stick off of their body like an opened up pinecone.

CAUSES:

It is actually undetermined as to what brings on this illness. Once thought to strictly be the result of an internal bacterial infection, this is not necessarily the case. It could be the result of a number of things ranging from an internal bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, internal parasites, or even cancerous tumors.

DIAGNOSIS:

What results is a blown up appearance. Your betta will literally look as though he has been inflated. This is caused by swelling within the tissues and organs, the result of fluid build up in the kidneys and the inability to excrete this fluid in a normal manner. In time, as a result of the swelling, the scales will begin to pull away from the body taking on a "pine cone" appearance. This is best seen by looking down on your betta from top view.

By the time your betta is swelled up enough that his scales begin to raise, the internal damage is "usually" (not always) too extensive to be repairable.

It is really undetermined if Dropsy is contagious, some say it is, some say it is not. I would advise you treat it as though it is highly contagious, do not take any chances. This is a very serious illness.

TREATMENT:

What is most unfortunate in treating this illness is the number of potential causes. This makes choosing a treatment for cure very hard if not impossible. You can only do your best, and the best chances of your betta's survival would be to catch this early, begin treatment right at the onset of the illness.

Do not use aquarium salt:

If you use aquarium salt as a preventative, you will want to perform a fresh water change adding no salt. When treating your betta for bloat due to dropsy or any other type of bloat for that matter, it is best not to use aquarium salt in your betta's water. The reason for this is because the fish cannot remove the sodium from it's own body. The betta is already having a difficult time getting rid of salts due to kidney dysfunction. This is what has caused the inflated appearance, as well as raised scales if he has reached that point. Your adding aquarium salt to the water is only increasing the problem. The addition of Epsom salt to the water, may be useful however. (This is discussed below).

Medication(s):

Because of the broad range of possible causes of this illness, it is best that you use a broad-spectrum antibiotic that covers both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.

One that is recommended is Kanacyn, manufactured by Aquatronics. Another option would be Maracyn and Maracyn-Two. Combining these two medications, which is safe to do, you are getting the benefits of treating both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Maracyn treats-gram positive, Maracyn-Two treats gram-negative. All bases are covered.

The use of Epsom salt:

Optional: Adding Epsom Salt to your betta's water is something you can do as an addition to treatment. This may help reduce the internal pressure caused by the swelling. Epsom Salt is made with magnesium, not sodium. Epsom salt does not pass through the walls of the stomach or gills and will extract water out of the surrounding tissue into the stomach, where it may be excreted depending on the level of internal damage that may have already occurred.

Should you decide to use Epsom Salt as an extra measure, know that Epsom salt is made up of Magnesium Sulfate. This does contain one part Sulfa in its make up. If you are using a medication that states it is not compatible with medications containing Sulfa, do not use this as a method of treatment . Dosage is 1/8 teaspoon of Epsom Salt per five gallons of water. If you are working with a smaller tank, measure out 1/8 teaspoon, divide it up into five equal parts. Add one part per gallon of water that you are working with. It will seem very little, that is fine. A little can go a long way. More is not necessarily better.

Additional procedures:

Added aeration may be beneficial for your betta while treating with medication to provide them with more oxygen.

Clean water is always important for a betta, but is especially beneficial for any betta facing an illness. You may find it helpful to change your betta's water more frequently while you are treating with any medication.

Always keeping your betta warm, between 76-82 degrees, will also help them to feel more comfortable and raise their immune system.

I'm sorry to say that I agree with MM. PLease put the fish out of it's misery:(

Answer 3

If the bloating is gone now and your fish is acting normal, then it was just constipation. this is normal for bettas, really it is!
This can be a side effect of over feeding and a low fiber diet. Try feeding your betta half of a cooked shelled pea every once in a while to "clean them out"

If he is swimming head up tail down and bloated then this is an internal bacterial infection that causes the fish to retain liquid and puts pressure on the swim bladder making them swim real wonky. this is treatable but it's very rare that the fish survives the treatments =(

If he eats normal then that's a good sign of normal behavior. have anymore questions? or if you want to explaing his symptoms further feel free to message me via yahoo messenger. Good luck!

Answer 4

for particular, warmth. you will get diapers for canines, she will be in a position to bleed. in case you elect to spay her, bear in mind that she remains fertile for as a lot as 2 weeks after the surgical procedure, so proceed to save her faraway from male canines till her wounds sparkling and your docs orders expire. And save in options, that seeing her fastened with yet another male is fairly annoying, and they couldn't section till the male's swelling is going down.