Betta wont eat peas

Question
QUESTION: My betta seems to be constipated as he won't eat and is floating slightly sideways, however he is really picky and won't eat things that don't float so he won't eat bits of peas. I have tried holding it at the end of tweezers by his mouth but he just gets frustrated with me and swims away. Is there anything else around the house that will float and maybe help him? My tank has been set up for about 4 months, it is 5 gallons. I have 2 fish, one 3-year old betta and one baby black moor. I don't have a filter... i tried once and it killed my fish because of so much water flow in the small tank. I'm not sure of the chemical levels in the tank, nor have I ever checked them. I change their water about every week and replace 2 litres of water each time.

ANSWER: Hi Amy;

Poor guy. When they don't want to eat it's almost impossible to get peas into them. You could try epsom salt baths. Here is a page with info about that;

http://www.swishfish.com/files/diseases/constipa.html

Bettas and goldfish really should not be in the same tank. They have different temperature, filtration, tank size and dietary needs. Your tank is really small to have a goldfish in with no filter anyway. There are slower flowing filters that you can use and some have a flow regulator to reduce it. It may seem okay right now but your moor is going to grow and create a great deal more waste. It may be what's affecting your betta's health already. Without knowing the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, you're working in the dark, so to speak. You might want to get tests done at the fish store to see what's going on in there. Bettas don't need filters but goldfish definitely do. Make water changes of 25% three times a week to help keep them safe until you can get another filter going in there. Goldfish actually need a minimum of 10 gallons for just one fish once they grow to be over 3 inches. Goldfish get to a size of over 6 inches.

I hope everything turns out okay...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for such a fast answer. I found out after I bought my goldfish that he was going to grow to be huge, poops a LOT, and I will have to set him free in a nearby freshwater pond when he gets too big. The guy at the pet store failed to mention that. When will he stop growing because of the size of the tank?

Also, my betta only acts like this sometimes. He's very confusing. He doesn't seem to have any bloating, and will only swim tilted half the time. He will sometimes bite at food, sometimes eat it and sometimes spit it out... he has been very lethargic since he gave up chasing around the goldfish a few days after he was introduced. He won't respond when i put my finger by him, and won't bolt to the top for food when my hand comes near, and hides in his decoration most of the time. It's almost as if he has low self-esteem from not being the dominant fish anymore! He also had a weird undiagnosed large white spot on him before which I eventually cured after a series of medicines, but that hasn't come back.

Answer
Hi Amy;

What a shame that the fish store people didn't help you more. Some places are only interested in selling whatever they can, regardless of how it turns out for the fish. I don't know that this was the motivation at the store you bought yours from but it does happen way too often. You don't have to release your goldfish to a pond. Just get him a 15 or 20 gallon tank with a good power filter and he will be happy. Fancy goldfish such as moors grow to be about 8 inches long or so. Common goldfish are the ones that reach a foot or so and need 100 gallon or larger tanks or ponds.

The problem is, fish don't actually stop growing if their tank is too small. It's a common myth. I once saw a tragic case of a koi fish that had a bent spine. He would have been about 2 feet long but he was in a very small tank so his spine became deformed in order for him to swim in such a tiny space as he continued to grow. Most of them die before that happens so either way it's tragic. Goldfish and koi can live for at least 20 years when cared for properly. Here are some web pages about these issues and other tips for you on keeping goldfish;

http://www.flippersandfins.net/goldfishcaresheet.htm

http://www.firsttankguide.net/size.php

http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

Your betta really sounds stressed. It could be the goldfish bothering him or he might be having trouble with the water temperature now that he's older too. Bettas are tropical fish. If the water ever drops below 76f he can't digest his food properly and he could become constipated. He needs a heater in there to keep it consistent if it's too cool. Trouble is, your goldfish can't stay in water that warm all the time. He's a cold water fish. Basically, they need to be separated so you can create more ideal conditions for the betta to get well. Get the temperature at 78f to 80f and he will probably do much better.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins