Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've got a concern about my Betta - there's a bulge near the back of his body, circled in the pic.

He's in a 5g tank, solo, with plants, heat and a filter. Tank stats all look normal, so I'm assuming it's cycled properly. His behaviour seems fine - plays in the plants, rests at the top or hides behind them, and gets excited when I'm near.

I'm a bit worried as I haven't seen any poop in the tank since he's been in there. Am I overreacting or should I take action? I've held off feeding him today to see if this makes a difference.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Looks normal to me. The bulge, is it symmetrical, same on the other side? Don't worry about not seeing any poop, I hardly ever see it in my tanks. I figure it's either getting filtered out or breaking down fast.

I'm pretty sure that's the swim bladder, it's more noticeable in bettas than other fish if you ask me. He looks healthy to me, nice tank setup you've got there.

The bulge is the same size on both sides, so that's reassuring. Thanks for putting my mind at ease, I was getting a bit worried.

I'd love to hear about your tank decorations, as I'm looking for some inspiration for my little guy's home. What kind of plants and decorations do you have in your tanks? I'm having trouble deciding what would look best, and I'd love some ideas for giving him more places to hide and play.