Betta with big belly & turning pale?

Question

My boy getting a big belly & body colour turning pale slowly but he's still eating. He staying near water surface v. often & seems short of breath. I've given him epsom salt & green pea but doesn really help. I had several bettas dying d same way but its not dropsy cos d scales didn't open. What's happening to my boys?

Answer 1

Sounds like constipation. Try fasting him a bit.

Answer 2

Respectfully, if you've had "several bettas dying [the] same way", then you need the help of a good aquarium specialist (i.e., a full-service pet shop or aquarium; not a retailer that does it on the side).

You are probably doing something wrong, like overfeeding, or using water straight from the tap, or using non-aquarium plants or decorations in the bowl, etc, etc, etc. Don't be afraid to tell the retailer what you normally do; it just might be the one thing that you're doing wrong that can be easily fixed!

And, for the record, all bettas gulp air from the surface, because they are specially adapted to get oxygen directly from the air, as well as through their gills!

The third link, below, is an interesting resource!

Answer 3

Agreed, it does sound like constipation, or a blockage in the digestive tract. Could also be a parasitic problem, but doubtful. Are you given your betta a mixed food diet, or simply giving them betta pellets? Try mixing up the food, adding something with some fiber, like daphnia.

Answer 4

Be careful! My beta fish just died and he looked just like that before he did. I over fed him I think and that might be what's happening to your guys. He got huge cheeks and a huge belly and his blue started turning white and after about a week, he passed away. I really think I fed him too much. He ept eating and I thought that was helping but it wasnt...

Answer 5

it doesn't sound good, but I would call a specialty store not a chaine one