Question
Fish laying on bottom
Our Betta Fish has been laying at the bottom of his tank for over a month. He struggles to swim to the top to get his food and then sinks back down. He will jerk/swim fast if he is startled (tapping on the tank - we typically never do), etc.
We have owned this Betta Fish for over nine months. We had someone come in and take care of him while we vacationed for approximately 2 weeks. This person has taken care of the fish in the past but only a few days at a time.
When we arrived back his tank was dirty (we clean it once a week), several of his food pellets were floating at the top of his tank, and he was laying at the bottom.
We have cleaned his tank numerous times and have continued to feed him once a day 3-5 pellets, which is what we always have done. Please help.
AnswerHi Andrew,
Poor Betta! He seems to be showing symtoms of Swim Bladder Disease which is caused by poor diet, and overfeeding. Try feeding him a frozen pea which you will cook. Remove the outer layer, cut it in small pieces, and feed this to your Betta one piece at a time so that it doesn't fall to the bottom of the tank. Do not feed him anything else for two days. He must waste. Overfeeding a Betta leads to constipation, then Swim Bladder Disease. If you do not see him getting any better you will have to treat him with an antibiotic. "Kanamycin" is very good for Swim Bladder, but if you cannot find it, try "Tetracycline, or Furan 2." Waiting a month to cure your betta is a long time to wait. When Bettas are helped at the first sign of sickness, there is more of a chance for them to get better. I hope the little guy pulls through, as he seems to have been neglected while you were on vacation. Actually, you would be better to bring him to a pet store, and have them look after your fish for you. They may or may not charge you, but it is worth it as they should know how to care for him.
Here is some information on Bettas, and how they should be kept, that you may find interesting:
Bettas need 5 gallons of water or more to be healthy, and happy.
In their habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but they have lots of room to swim.
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases etc, is cruel. The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
They need a heated tank. Temperature should be 78-80 degrees. They are tropical fish, and are cold under this temperature. Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 (one) degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast would kill your Betta.) The temperature should always be stable. Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.
They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through. One teaspoon to five gallons of diluted aquarium salt may be added to his water, when a Betta is well.
Aquarium salt helps them with stress, and helps with parasites. However if a Betta is showing signs of a swollen tummy, salt should not be used.
They need a varied diet. This is very important. Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one well cooked frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease. A frozen cooked pea a week keeps them from getting constipated. Always remove the outer layer of the pea, and cut it into small pieces feeding it to your betta one piece at a time.
They should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal. We must remember that their tummy is the size of their eye.
Example: 2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important. Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat. There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas. If you do not have a filter, change all the water in his tank weekly.
Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female. The Betta male is a loner. Females can be kept together in a big enough tank, but they are also aggressive towards each other, and the tank should be at least 30 gallons with many hiding places.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young. (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die two or three years after we have bought them.)
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck. They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms! The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.
This turns my stomach over. Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water. They end up dieing, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them. They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated. If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time. I have bred them, love them, and know what is good for them.
If you have anymore questions, do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda
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