Sick Beta

Question
My beta Alejandro has been a sick boy since I bought him, in July. He never wanted to eat and when he did eat he always spit out his food. Last week he was on his side at the top of his tank and I assumed he was dieing. He then tried swimming to the bottom but couldn't stay down and he floated back up and turned on his side again. I researched it online and thought he had swim bladder disease, so I fasted him and fed him cooked, shelled peas like the websites told me to. He was a lot better, the best I have ever seen him. He was playful and energetic, but this only lasted for a couple days. I fed him a tiny bit of regular food last night(flakes) and today he is again floating on his side and unable to swim to the bottom of his tank. He was bloated last week when he was sick but he is now bloated even more than before. Has the swim bladder disease come back, or is there something else wrong with him?

Thank you,

Danielle

Answer
Danielle,

 Sounds like swim bladder is back. Do the whole pea thing again. Try changing his food often, then need variety. All 11 of my adults get flakes, pellets, frozen and freeze dried blood worms and brine shrimp and since I also have fry they get freshly hatched brine shrimp. Pick one day a week to fast your Betta. This helps him digest what he still has without adding to it. Swim bladder can be due to over feeding. These guys will eat every time you feed them, so be sure not to over feed. Make sure he has a heater set at 82 degrees. Betta's are tropical fish and need heat. Repeat the pea process. Fast him for 2 days on the 3rd day feed him the pea and then fast for 2 days again. If he is still bloated repeat the fasting and pea.