I need help with my betta fish?

Question

My betta has had a bad fin on his left side since i got him, the only thing is that recently he's been leaning to his side everytime he stops moving. he looks uncomfortable and i keep checking on him to make sure he's alright. he has problems with swimming downwards and relatively stays to the top. his breathing is a little stressed, but he seems to be ok. i want to know if there is anything i can do to help him.

i've had him for about 9 months, i know he's probably nearing the end of his life span. i'm just curious on how to make things seem better for him.

Answer 1

it definately sounds like a swimbladder disease
CAUSES:

Swim Bladder Disorder is often caused by overfeeding or lack of variety in the diet. SBD is not contagious and there is no need to destroy a fish with this condition as he/she is not suffering. SBD may be a side effect of a constipated betta.

PREVENTION:

Some betta owners fast (do not feed) their betta for one day per week to cleanse the betta's system. This is a useful method to prevent Swim Bladder Disorder and/or Constipation, especially if live or frozen foods are fed on a regular basis. Another feeding option thought to prevent SBD is splitting a betta's feeding up into two small meals per day, rather than one larger meal. This reduces the amount of food intake at one time and allows the betta's system to process it easier. Always remember a betta's stomach is about the size of his eyeball, so a little food goes a long way. Variety in a betta's diet is important both to prevent illness, and insure they are receiving the necessary nutrients to stay healthy.

DIAGNOSIS:

One day your betta is fine - swimming around happily and blowing his bubbles. The next day, he is swimming lopsided, not as active and maybe a tad bit dull in color or bloated. The "swim bladder" is located on the spine of the fish between his belly and tail. If the bladder becomes enlarged/swollen or tight, it can cause your fish to have difficulty swimming. Usually with swim bladder the fish will either float on one side or lay at the bottom because he has difficulty getting to the top. It may appear as though the betta has lost their buoyancy.

TREATMENT:

Try to keep your betta's diet balanced and not to overfilling. The swim bladder will soon correct itself and your betta will begin to swim normal again.

Similar to constipation, you can also try to fast your betta for 24-48 hours. Next, take a cooked pea and peel it. Feed a small portion of it to your betta on the end of a flat toothpick. Watch to make sure your betta is going to the bathroom, as this will mean the SBD and/or constipation is subsiding.

Additional procedures:

Clean water is always important for a betta, but is especially beneficial for any betta facing an illness.

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



Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 2

you dont have to buy another tank just go to walmart or petsmart and buy a gold fish bowl and she would be happy that way she can eat and don't worry about gettin attacked! If a female that wasn’t ripe, or ready for spawning, would have entered a males tank, it’s possible that she would’ve been attacked, as non-ripe females are not tolerated within the vicinity of the nest. By not fleeing, a female indicates her readiness to spawn. Yes, some times if you are not careful when trying too breed bettas, the male will attack the female and he can injure the female, the females are much smaller than the males. A Male and a Female: In the wild, females stay clear of males, except during mating. When cohabiting in tanks, males might kill females, and are generally kept apart unless (a) they are juvenile siblings, (b) they are breeding, (c) there is a partition, or (d) the tank is large enough for the female to escape attack. Often, before breeding, breeders use such a container to allow female display without risking harm by the male. Two or more Females: Bettas are not schooling fish, but in a large tank with many hiding spaces, female bettas can cohabit. When two females share a tank, one usually bullies the other, however, four or more females will establish a hierarchy allowing peaceful co-existence, nevertheless, females living in community must be monitored for aggressive females.

Answer 3

There's no reason a betta you've had for less than a year should be dying of old age. And not changing his water will not save him stress as much as it will poison him with toxic water.

Swim bladder problems are usually easily cured. The cooked, deshelled pea is a great first step. Be sure to take leftovers out of the tank after a couple of hours so they don't foul the water. Also, keep his water as clean as possible to help his system heal as easily as possible, which means doing MORE water changes, not less.

If you want to reduce his stress, keep his tank dark for a few days, and make sure he's in a quiet room.

Good luck! I hope he makes it.

Answer 4

well one. bettas can live up to 10 years so it should be no where near the end of its life.
second properly maintaining the tank is not changing it all at once. you should take out 25% of the water each week and adding 25% newly decholrinated water to the tank. he should be in at least a 5 gallon with a filter.
third you can withhold feeding for three days cause this sounds like a swimbladder issues.. and then on the 3-7 days feed thawed out skinless peas to him. this will help releave the pressure on the bladder... and then after the first week and the three days of pea feeding feed some frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms instead of floating food

Answer 5

If it is swim bladder (which it could be, sounds like it!), give him a piece of a cooked and cooled peeled pea. That can help the fix expel toxins and can right him again. Keep in mind, it may not work, but it's worth a shot.

Answer 6

i think the most help you can give him is just making sure he has no competition in his home -- so no friends. you might make things better by giving him a bigger home -- something 2 1/2 to 5 gallons is a great home for a betta. he will get more exercise and the water won't get so dirty so quickly. clean water is always better.

Answer 7

It sounds like his swim bladder is going. How old is he? Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot you can do for fish. He will either make it through or not. I would just try to enjoy the time I have with him I wouldn't suggest cleaning the tank or anything stressful for him right now.

Answer 8

id say hes getting old id go to the pet store and see if there is any thing they can do