are these eggs?

[duskier]

I just woke up to a ton of tiny white dots covering the sand and moss ball - hundreds of 'em. No snails in the tank, she's taken care of any unwanted visitors months ago, that girl's got some serious attitude for a female. Today though, she's being super lazy, just chillin' instead of swimming all over the place. I'm pretty sure she's eating the dots, her poop was white today and that's probably causing her a bit of constipation - never seen it like that before. Can you guys confirm these are eggs? I do see a white spot near her, ahem, private area.

Water params are all good:
- No ammonia
- No nitrites
- No nitrates
- pH 7.0
- No tank mates, just her
- Temp's at 77
- It's been pretty chilly here in FL lately

[reef_lord9]

Nope, no tank mates, just her. Like I said, she took care of any intruders months ago.

[squidman]

I'm with reef_lord9 on this one, those dots do resemble air bubbles in the picture. A clearer pic would really help clarify things.

She does appear a bit bloated, but it's tough to say for sure without a better angle.

[duskier]

I'm with reef_lord9 on this one, those dots do resemble air bubbles in the picture. A clearer pic would really help clarify things.

She does appear a bit bloated, but it's tough to say for sure without a better angle.

I'm pretty sure they're eggs, but I'll take another pic for you guys. She's still acting really lethargic, barely swimming around and just kinda hovering there. The white poo is still a thing, so I'm thinking she's eating the eggs and it's causing her some issues. No changes in water params, still 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, pH 7.0, and temp's still at 77. No tank mates, just her solo in there. I'll get a better pic of the "dots" for you, but reef_lord9, squidman, I gotta respectfully disagree, those aren't air bubbles.

[duskier]

Nope, no tank mates, just her. Like I said, she took care of any intruders months ago.

No tankmates, just her solo.

I'm pretty sure the bloat's from ovulation and her snacking on them.

Hoping someone with long-term betta female experience can chime in - maybe you've seen this before? They're all over the sand and moss ball too.

Thanks

[reef_lord9]

I'd really appreciate it if @coltin could chime in, he's got tons of experience and I'm hoping he's dealt with something like this before with his betta females.

[SeaBidder]

My female betta never dropped eggs that I knew of, but it's clear this one's got a belly full. Be relieved she's laying, don't wanna see her get egg bound.

[SeaBidder]

I recall having a similar experience with my female goldfish - she laid eggs without a male, just the one time. Her sac got too full and she couldn't absorb them all, so she released them. Make sure to remove the eggs or they'll rot and cause ammonia issues.

[duskier]

Thanks for the info, I didn't know about egg binding. She's already eaten them all by the time I got home, she's such a beast, definitely gonna have a belly ache now. Appreciate the heads up, I'll keep an eye on her.

[reef_lord9]

I just woke up to a ton of tiny white dots covering the sand and moss ball - hundreds of 'em. No snails in the tank, she's taken care of any unwanted visitors months ago, that girl's got some serious attitude for a female. Today though, she's being super lazy, just chillin' instead of swimming all over the place. I'm pretty sure she's eating the dots, her poop was white today and that's probably causing her a bit of constipation - never seen it like that before. Can you guys confirm these are eggs? I do see a white spot near her, ahem, private area.

Water params are all good:
- No ammonia
- No nitrites
- No nitrates
- pH 7.0
- No tank mates, just her
- Temp's at 77
- It's been pretty chilly here in FL lately

You might want to do a water change just in case. I'd hate for her to pick up dropsy. That's when the belly or whole body gets swollen. Not good. If that happens, do a water change and move her to a hospital tank. Just a filter and heater, no substrate needed in there. After that, start with salt baths. For a 5 gallon tank, use 1.25 teaspoons of salt. Do this for 7-10 days. If she's not better, try Maracyn Two. The fish absorbs it through its skin and should start fighting off the dropsy. But if that doesn't work... well, it's not looking good.