Hello everyone,
I've had my current Betta since May 14th, 2023, and I must say, I've never seen him like this before. This reminds me of a constipation issue I had with a Trichogaster lalius back in 2014.
Here's my setup:
• Aquarium size: 17.74" length x 11.81" height x 9.84" width, about 7.92 gallons;
• Substrate: 11.02 lb gravel nº 0 Aqua Pedras;
• Heating: heater Roxin HT-1300/Q3 50 W, set to 80.6 ºF (actual temperature around 78.8 ºF);
• Filtration: Xynyou xy-2835 sponge filter with air pump Tetra Whisper The Shape of Silence (10-30 gallons);
• Lighting: Hygger HG990 14 W, 68 LEDs, 817 lumens, 6500 Kelvin
• Photoperiod: 10 hours;
• Fauna: Betta splendens
• Flora: Elodea sp., Ceratophyllum demersum, and Taxiphyllum barbieri;
• pH: 7.5
• Ammonia/nitrite: 0 - 0.02/0 ppm
My feeding routine has been the same: Monday to Thursday, I feed him Poytara Betta twice a day. I fast him on Fridays, and on weekends, I feed him live Artemia franciscana from my own culture (about 4-5 shrimps per meal).
Everything was fine until June 17th. After that, problems started. Yesterday, he was lying on the substrate, occasionally tilting, and only swimming to breathe air. Since I have a filamentous algae infestation, I did a 3.17-gallon water change today (I also did one last week). I suspected overfeeding, so I reduced his food to four granules (about 1 mm) to minimize detritus. I removed some decorations to make water changes easier. Normally, I do water changes twice a month since his fin problems disappeared. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he lost his appetite and enthusiasm when seeing me.
Today, things seem slightly better. He's exploring the aquarium a bit more. As you can see in the video, he even used the aquarium magnet as a rest.
What could be the cause? Is it constipation?
Thanks for your attention.
[1] The test didn't help much with the colors.
A possible cause of constipation
Re: A possible cause of constipation
I like how he's perched on the algae magnet, it's close to the surface and provides a nice stable platform for him. I'm a bit concerned though, he stopped eating a couple of days ago and now spends most of his time just sitting there, doing nothing.
Has he had a bowel movement and if so, what did it look like? Is his belly swollen or bloated? And is he breathing more heavily or rapidly than usual?
Considering his symptoms, it's possible he might have an internal bacterial infection. These infections can cause fish to stop eating, become bloated overnight, produce stringy white poop, and breathe heavily, ultimately leading to their demise within a few days. Unfortunately, there's usually no cure for this.
However, if he's breathing normally and doesn't appear bloated, it could be something else entirely. In that case, I'd suggest trying a few things to see if it helps.
You could start by wiping the inside of the glass with a clean fish sponge, which removes the biofilm on the glass and the various microscopic life forms it contains. I'd also recommend doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate every day for a week, or until the problem is identified. This will help reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. Additionally, it'll remove a lot of the gunk, making any medication more effective. Just make sure any new water is free of chlorine and chloramine before adding it to the tank.
If you haven't cleaned the filter in the last two weeks, now would be a good time to do so. However, if the filter is less than six weeks old, it's best to leave it alone. When cleaning the filter, wash the media in a bucket of tank water and re-use it. Then, dispose of the dirty water outside. Cleaning the filter will help reduce the amount of gunk and pathogens in the water, making any medication more effective.
Increasing surface turbulence and aeration can also help maximize the dissolved oxygen in the water. And, you could try offering him some live brine shrimp to see if he'll eat it. Live daphnia can also be used if available, but brine shrimp is usually easier to obtain. If he eats the live food, that's a good sign, and I'd recommend keeping him on it for a few days to see if he improves before adding his dry food back in.
Has he had a bowel movement and if so, what did it look like? Is his belly swollen or bloated? And is he breathing more heavily or rapidly than usual?
Considering his symptoms, it's possible he might have an internal bacterial infection. These infections can cause fish to stop eating, become bloated overnight, produce stringy white poop, and breathe heavily, ultimately leading to their demise within a few days. Unfortunately, there's usually no cure for this.
However, if he's breathing normally and doesn't appear bloated, it could be something else entirely. In that case, I'd suggest trying a few things to see if it helps.
You could start by wiping the inside of the glass with a clean fish sponge, which removes the biofilm on the glass and the various microscopic life forms it contains. I'd also recommend doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate every day for a week, or until the problem is identified. This will help reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. Additionally, it'll remove a lot of the gunk, making any medication more effective. Just make sure any new water is free of chlorine and chloramine before adding it to the tank.
If you haven't cleaned the filter in the last two weeks, now would be a good time to do so. However, if the filter is less than six weeks old, it's best to leave it alone. When cleaning the filter, wash the media in a bucket of tank water and re-use it. Then, dispose of the dirty water outside. Cleaning the filter will help reduce the amount of gunk and pathogens in the water, making any medication more effective.
Increasing surface turbulence and aeration can also help maximize the dissolved oxygen in the water. And, you could try offering him some live brine shrimp to see if he'll eat it. Live daphnia can also be used if available, but brine shrimp is usually easier to obtain. If he eats the live food, that's a good sign, and I'd recommend keeping him on it for a few days to see if he improves before adding his dry food back in.
Re: A possible cause of constipation
I will try to answer the questions you asked, coltin.
You asked if he stopped eating a couple of days ago and spends most of his time sitting there doing nothing. Yes, that's correct. He only swam when I was doing sipLioning on the 19th of this month. As I mentioned earlier, he didn't want to eat and was not showing any enthusiasm or interest when seeing me.
Regarding his poop, I don't know if he has pooped recently, as I haven't seen it yet. Before this situation, it was rare to see him pooping, although I knew what he was doing since I saw the poop later.
As for his physical appearance, yes, he does appear swollen or bloated around the belly. However, his breathing is probably normal, as I haven't noticed any heavy or rapid breathing.
Concerning the water changes, I was wondering if a 75% water change with sipLioning every day would be feasible. I'm also considering the possibility of a sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanoplasma, as mentioned in Axelrod's book. Although the book is from 1987 and states that there is no cure, I will try to do more research about this.
I appreciate your suggestions, and I will try to offer enriched live brine shrimp with Spirulina powder, as you recommended.
You asked if he stopped eating a couple of days ago and spends most of his time sitting there doing nothing. Yes, that's correct. He only swam when I was doing sipLioning on the 19th of this month. As I mentioned earlier, he didn't want to eat and was not showing any enthusiasm or interest when seeing me.
Regarding his poop, I don't know if he has pooped recently, as I haven't seen it yet. Before this situation, it was rare to see him pooping, although I knew what he was doing since I saw the poop later.
As for his physical appearance, yes, he does appear swollen or bloated around the belly. However, his breathing is probably normal, as I haven't noticed any heavy or rapid breathing.
Concerning the water changes, I was wondering if a 75% water change with sipLioning every day would be feasible. I'm also considering the possibility of a sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanoplasma, as mentioned in Axelrod's book. Although the book is from 1987 and states that there is no cure, I will try to do more research about this.
I appreciate your suggestions, and I will try to offer enriched live brine shrimp with Spirulina powder, as you recommended.
Re: A possible cause of constipation
I'm getting a bit concerned now, the bloating and lack of appetite isn't a great combination. I think it's worth trying the live brine shrimp as I mentioned earlier, see if he's interested in that. Also, I'd recommend doing a daily water change and gravel cleaning for the next few days, this should help to reduce the amount of disease-causing organisms in the water. If this doesn't seem to be making a difference, it's possible that he might be suffering from an internal bacterial infection, which can be tricky to treat. In that case, antibiotics might be an option, but I'm not sure which ones would be suitable for this situation.
Re: A possible cause of constipation
I will do this. I also realized the water is slightly cloudy, which might be contributing to the problem, so I will make sure to address this issue as well.
Re: A possible cause of constipation
Here's my attempt at a "diary bulletin" to track the developments with my Betta. Today, I performed a substantial water change, roughly 75%, as the water level had dropped significantly. During this process, he became more active and interacted with me. However, after a short while, he resumed his previous behavior, lying on the substrate with some inclination. Later on, he returned to the magnet. Unfortunately, I didn't observe him consuming any food, including the brine shrimp I offered.
Re: A possible cause of constipation
From late yesterday to this morning, I observed my Betta reacting to his reflection in the background glass, which caused him to flare his gills and spread his fins, similar to previous instances. He consumed something from the substrate and has been swimming more actively. His belly appears less bloated than before. Yesterday, my mother was quite concerned about him and even tried to interact with him as if he were a dog, which seemed to spark some interaction. A few days ago, I added some almond leaves to the aquarium, and yesterday I noticed him performing quick contortion maneuvers on several occasions.
I also noticed a small white string-like object on his head, but I'm unsure what it could be. Below are some videos documenting his behavior:
June 19th, 2024 - Still not eating and mostly inactive
June 20th, 2024 - Some improvement, but still not eating
June 22th, 2024 - Ate the brine shrimp
I also noticed a small white string-like object on his head, but I'm unsure what it could be. Below are some videos documenting his behavior:
June 19th, 2024 - Still not eating and mostly inactive
June 20th, 2024 - Some improvement, but still not eating
June 22th, 2024 - Ate the brine shrimp
Re: A possible cause of constipation
I can barely see anything unusual on his head, but the fact that he ate and is now a lot more active is definitely a positive sign.
Re: A possible cause of constipation
Indeed, I'm glad to see this improvement. Yesterday was a bit of a challenge since I was away on a trip and couldn't feed him, but today he even ate the usual Betta food. What could have caused this sudden change for the better?
Re: A possible cause of constipation
It seems like the large water change may have had a positive impact on my Betta's health. If the issue was a partial blockage in his intestine, perhaps it's been cleared out and that's why he's showing signs of improvement.
PHPBB-BG.INFO