Betta fish is suddenly swimming strangely, I can't figure out what it could be... more inside?

Question

I've been searching answers & internet & nothing really sounds like what is going on with my betta. I came home yesterday & he's swimming oddly. It's hard to explain; it's almost like he isn't really using his tail to swim. If he tries to turn, it's like his body will bend in a U shape. It looks very un-natural, & I don't think he's doing it on purpose because he always seems to struggle to make himself straight again.
He's eating as he normally does (which is quite funny because he attacks his food...literally he jumps like he's attacking the food & will come a little out of the water.) He seems to have a harder time righting himself when he gets back into the water, & like I said the U shape his body will go to. His tail fin isn't spread out like it normally is, but he doesn't look discolored to me at all. It's hard to tell because he always had some white near the bottom of his fins but it doesn't look different. I change water regularly, & feed him once a day.

Also, he swims to greet me like normal when he sees me, and when it's getting close to the time I usually feed him, he will flare his face at me a little to let me know he's hungry...which he has always done.
I have no idea how big the tank is that he's in, not very big at all, much bigger than the little weener bowl he came in. No filter or anything special. I use spring water when I change the water, and I have never used soap to clean the tank.
My boyfriend thinks I'm over-reacting, and maybe he just hurt himself one time when he was crazy attacking his food?
I'm more concerned because he usually spreads his tail fins and isn't really using it like he used to and doesn't seem as able to swim as fast as he used to...

Would adding aquarium salt be helpful?

Trying to answer a few questions:

Ss soon as I saw he was acting odd I changed his water.
There is plastic plants in there but the leaves are soft, & he usually loves swimming in between them and hiding around them.

Here are a few pics.
I took the first two today, and the other two when we first got him.
The pictures aren't very good quality, but it does show what I mean how his tail used to flair out always, and now it's not...
To me it doesn't look like he's discolored from before. I did shine a flashlight on him (he didn't like that!)

Another concern I have is the rocks we have on the bottom...if they are okay. I noticed while cleaning them that they seems to be coming apart a little? What kind of rocks would be better?


http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x233/anabele3/CanonCamera340.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x233/anabele3/CanonCamera341.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x233/anabele3/068.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x233/anabele3/067.jp

Also next week I will be getting a bigger tank--like one of those rectangular ones (I have one in storage for him but haven't had any time off to run up and get it.)

Answer 1

Change his water, add in some aquarium salt and a mild antibiotic such as bettafix. It's hard to tell, without seeing the fish, but he could have a bacterial infection, or perhaps parasites. Shine a flashlight on him. If you see golden colored shiny stuff, then that's called Velvet and is a parasite. If that's the case you can add in a parasite treatment in lieu of the bettafix. He may have just injurred himself on something in the tank. Are there any plastic plants or sharp decorations?

Answer 2

It could be the water conditions or swim bladder disease. You need to change the water in bowls that aren't filtered at least every 3 days. You can add a pinch of aquarium salt to the water. You should also fast him for a few days. Some times Betta's get constipated and cause's their swim bladders to mess up. Which can cause them to swim sideways or even up side down in severe cases. The Melafix as someone else mentioned is more of a preventitive. I have never had much luck from it. Just keep the water clean. Betta's are tropical fish and need to be in a heated, filtered tank. No less than 2.5 gallons. The fish can live in a bowl but not a long healthy life.

Answer 3

Have you changed the water since you noticed these symptoms?

My betta had done the same thing (bending in a "U" shaped fashion) except he became quite discoloured.

Once I changed the water & cleaned his bowl, he was fine within a few hours.

I think I might have accidentally sprayed fly spray too close to the tank...

Answer 4

First of all you have pics of 2 different bettas on here

and none of them seems sick to me

Since you're upgrading anyway, don't forget to have a heater as well, they do best in temperatures around 78-82 degrees, and the color will flourish as well

The reason he seems odd do you is because he needs more room to swim


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 5

maybe he has a tail fin boo boo? i don't really know that there's anything to do about that, other than let him work it out.