constipation in bettas

Question
Hi,

My beta, Peak, has been with me for the past 10 months now. the first fish i ever looked after. I got him when he was less than an inch ( body end to end not fin) and he has grown to be this inch and a half beauty.

I feed him freeze dried blood worms and very occasionally a live earth worm. He's reasonably active but off late he has taken to lying at the bottom of his tank (17 liters. He's the only fish inhabiting it. it does have 4 live plants). He does not seem to have issues swimming ( upward or around )and is reasonably interested in everything going on around his tank.

I dont understand why he lies at the bottom . how would i know if he had constipation?

i dont want to wait forever before i find that i was supposed to do something for him.

His tank does not have a filter but i clean and change water quite regularly. definately once a week.

please help.

Thank you
anita

Answer
Hi Anita,
Bettas are prone to constipation which is why you should give him one cooked frozen pea a week with the outer layer removed.  On the day you give him the pea, he should have nothing else to eat.  He must clean out his system.  Constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease, and if not caught in time, can be deadly.  This is due to overfeeding, and poor diet.
A Betta must have variation in his food.  Betta pellets one day, Betta flakes the next, glass worms the next, plankton flakes the next, mealworms the next, and bloodworms the next, and let's not forget the pea!  Never feed him earthworms, his tummy is the size of his eye, and we must always remember this when feeding him.  It is not good to feed him bloodworms all the time.  Bloodworms once a week, and that would be enough.   You must vary his diet.  You will find glassworms in the frozen section of your pet store, and they ususally sell mealworms too.   He should be fed 2 times a day..example: 2 pellets for one meal.
You must make water changes at least once a week, and make sure your ammonia level is zero, your nitrite level is zero, and that your nitrates are safe.  You can buy these small test kits at your pet store, and they are always handy to have.  Ammonia is the number one killer of fish.
Bettas should really be kept in 5 gallon tanks or more.  The water in their habitat may be shallow, but they have lots of room to swim.
A well kept betta may live up to 8 years.   Make sure your water chemistry is always perfect, and do your water changes.  Vary his diet, and you should have no problem.
I hope little Peak will enjoy his new diet, and that he will eat the pea.
Do not hesitate to write me if you have anymore questions on the Betta.  I love them, and breed them.
Lynda