Help with betta fish swim bladder problems

[cleanerbot]

I've been noticing some issues with my 1 year old fin tank, Caboose, lately. He's been floating nose down with his tail fin up high and a slight curve in his back, just hanging out near the bottom of his tank. The weird thing is, he's still eating like a champ - as long as I hold him up to his food with a net, that is.

As soon as I saw these changes, I tested his water with my API master kit and the only thing that was off was the pH, which was too low. I was able to fix that, and I also did a couple of small water changes and added some aquarium salt just to be safe.

It's been almost a week since I stabilized his water, but he's still having swimbladder issues. His scales aren't pine-coning, so I'm hoping it's not dropsy. He's alone in a 5-gallon tank with a Fluval heater that keeps the temperature between 75-78 degrees, and he's got good filtration and an airstone to keep the water moving.

I'm new to the hobby, so I'm open to any advice - is there anything else I can do to help him, or am I doing something wrong?

[TimeLord]

I've had success with frozen peas for debloating my betta in the past. What I do is thaw them out in hot water, then I remove the skin - this is a crucial step since the skin's too thick for them. After that, I mash them up into tiny pieces that are easy for my betta to eat, and just drop them into the tank. If your betta's being picky, you can try soaking the peas in some garlic juice or mixing it with their regular food and some garlic juice. The peas really help to flush out their system and relieve the bloat. And as an added bonus, any leftover peas will likely get eaten by your snails.

[coltin]

I'd like to know the exact pH reading you got after stabilizing the water, as that's crucial for a betta's well-being. Since bettas originate from soft, acidic waters with a general hardness below 150ppm and a pH below 7.0, a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 would be suitable for Caboose.

It's also essential to test the pH of your tap water to ensure it's not the source of the issue. Try this: fill a glass with tap water, test the pH, and then let it sit for 24-48 hours before testing it again. This will give you a better understanding of your tap water's pH stability.

As for the diet, I recommend switching to frozen or live foods for a week, if you haven't already, to rule out air in the intestines as the cause of Caboose's swim bladder issue. Sometimes, bettas ingest air while feeding or breathing from the surface, which can cause temporary swimming difficulties. If Caboose's swimming improves after a week on a new diet, it's likely the air was the culprit. However, if the issue persists, it may indicate a genuine swim bladder problem.

Reducing the water level and minimizing water movement can help alleviate stress on Caboose during this time.

[cleanerbot]

I've had success with frozen peas for debloating my betta in the past. What I do is thaw them out in hot water, then I remove the skin - this is a crucial step since the skin's too thick for them. After that, I mash them up into tiny pieces that are easy for my betta to eat, and just drop them into the tank. If your betta's being picky, you can try soaking the peas in some garlic juice or mixing it with their regular food and some garlic juice. The peas really help to flush out their system and relieve the bloat. And as an added bonus, any leftover peas will likely get eaten by your snails.

I'm glad I came across this thread - thanks for the advice, TimeLord. I'll give the peas a shot and see if it helps Caboose.

coltin said:

What is the pH?
Bettas come from soft acid water with a GH below 150ppm and a pH below 7.0. If you pH is between 6.0 & 7.0 it is fine for him.

You should check the pH of your tap water too. get a glass of tap water and test the pH. Then put the glass of water on a shelf for 24-48 hours and test it again 24 hours later. See what the pH is then.

-------------------
If you are feeding the fish dry food, stop the dry food for a week and feed it frozen or live foods instead. If the fish can swim normally after that, then it had air in its intestines. They swallow air when feeding and when breathing from the surface. When they fart the air out, they can usually swim normally.

If the fish can't swim properly after it has been without dry food for a week, then it has a swim bladder problem and there is no cure for that.

Reducing the water level can help and minimising water movement can reduce the stress on the fish during this time.

Thanks for the info, coltin - I actually had the pH at 6.0, but I bumped it up to 6.5 thinking that was better. Good to know 6.0 is fine. I'll definitely test my tap water now, that's a great tip. I'll also reduce the water movement and stop the dry food for now. Do you think bloodworms are a good staple food for bettas, or should I consider something else?

[coltin]

Bloodworms are alright, but don't overdo it, once or twice a week is plenty. For a staple food, I'd go with brineshrimp, daphnia, or mysis shrimp instead - they're all better options for bettas.

[cleanerbot]

I'd like to know the exact pH reading you got after stabilizing the water, as that's crucial for a betta's well-being. Since bettas originate from soft, acidic waters with a general hardness below 150ppm and a pH below 7.0, a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 would be suitable for Caboose.

It's also essential to test the pH of your tap water to ensure it's not the source of the issue. Try this: fill a glass with tap water, test the pH, and then let it sit for 24-48 hours before testing it again. This will give you a better understanding of your tap water's pH stability.

As for the diet, I recommend switching to frozen or live foods for a week, if you haven't already, to rule out air in the intestines as the cause of Caboose's swim bladder issue. Sometimes, bettas ingest air while feeding or breathing from the surface, which can cause temporary swimming difficulties. If Caboose's swimming improves after a week on a new diet, it's likely the air was the culprit. However, if the issue persists, it may indicate a genuine swim bladder problem.

Reducing the water level and minimizing water movement can help alleviate stress on Caboose during this time.

So bloodworms are more of a treat food, I'll keep that in mind. I'm hoping my local petstore has some frozen brineshrimp, fingers crossed I can find at least one of those options.

[coltin]

If you can't find frozen brine shrimp, another option is marine mix - it's a great food that contains prawn, fish, and squid.

If the pet store doesn't have much, you might find something at a fishing store or even a supermarket. They often have frozen prawn in their freezers that you can use. Alternatively, you can buy fresh prawn and freeze it at home.

When using prawn as food, it's essential to use cooked prawn if you have shrimp in the tank. To prepare the prawn, defrost it first, then remove the head, shell, and gut - that's the thin black tube inside the body. Discard these bits and cut the remaining prawn tail into small pieces using scissors. Offer one or two pieces at a time, letting the fish eat before giving more.

Since one betta won't eat much, you can cut the prawn into segments and freeze them to avoid waste.