my poor betta!!

Question
QUESTION: I have a male betta that seems to be very sick. There has been no changes in his feeding schedule- every other day- or his water. His belly has gotten really big and he keeps floating on his side- he keeps trying to fight it though so hes going all over his tank uncontrollably. I don't see any external changes besides the size of his stomach. Any idea of what this could be? And how I could help him? Thanks!

ANSWER: Uh oh, this sounds very serious.  From the symptoms, it sounds as if the fish is bloating, and having some swim bladder issues.  Unfortunately, unless it is caught and treated in time, bloat can have long term effects, and even kill the poor fishies.

First thing to do is do a 100% water change.  Now I don't know if you meant that how it sounds, but from what I read, it seems you're not doing water changes?  A betta needs his water changed at least once a week, sometimes more if you feed a lot(though it sounds like his feeding schedule is good).

Part of the problem with not changing the fish water(other than it going yellow and smelly), is that ammonia from fish wastes builds up in the water and can damage his fins, scales, and even cause a condition called dropsy.  It can considerably shorten a fish's life, as well.

When you refill his bowl, add an eighth of a teaspoon of epsom salts, along with your regular dechlor.  This will help reduce the water trapped inside your betta, and hopefully bring down the bloat.

If you've been feeding freeze dried bloodworms, they can also be the cause of the issue.  Freeze dried anything has no moisture, and thus absorbs moisture in the belly, swelling up and bloating the fish, then becoming difficult to pass.

Unfortunately, once dropsy has progressed to a certain point(the scales sticking out and giving the fish a fuzzy look, best viewed from the top) there's not much you can do to help him.  Hopefully he's not this far gone, but I did want to get that out there to warn you that even if you help him, he may not get better.  But do try, and follow up if you need any more assistance :)

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

QUESTION: Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! I did a water change and added aquarium salt and declorinator. I don't think his scales are sticking out yet but his belly is veryyyy round. I have been feeding him and my other bettas freeze dried blood worms- but I didn't know that was bad for them. He is the only one that is having this problem. I believe this only began happening yesterday- is there still a chance he could make it? Is there anything else I could do for him? What should I be feeind my bettas instead? Thanks again!

Answer
Well first and foremost, let's stop feeding for a few days... At least three is my recommendation.  Then blanch some frozen peas(briefly boil them so they're about half cooked), and skin them.  It should have a crumbly texture, so you can just crumble it on top of the water.  This is to help clear his system, and hopefully reduce that swelling.

Most people will suggest feeding pellets, but I don't like those, as I find they're often too much for some bettas to eat, and they can also swell in the tummy.  While I've not used it myself, I've heard good things about Hikari pellets, as they're smaller and don't swell as much.  I feed my bettas(and there's 9 of them right now!) a variety, including tropical granules, betta flakes, and frozen blood worms and brine shrimp.

Many people don't realize the danger of freeze-dried bloodworms, but they can safely be fed if you remove some water from the tank and soak them for about 10 mins.  This pre-bloats them, so they won't swell in the tummy.  This can go for all freeze-dried foods.  As well, they're not very nutricious for the fish, more of a light snack(think popcorn), and shouldn't be given more than once a week.

Hope this helps!