constipation

Question
hi my betta is having problems with his swim bladder, i have looked on the internet and i have self diagnosed his problem as constipation due to overfeeding. because of this i have cut his diet in half and have been feeding him pea "meat" (the inside to peas) because this is supposed to help flush his bowels and help with constipation. if i leave him for a day or two with no food he stops floating, but when i feed him, sometimes as low as 1 pellet he floats on the top of the bowl and has problems swimming. do you know of any cures for constipation that could help flush him out so he can carry out a float free life? im willing to try anything because its getting a bit ridiculous when hes been floating on and off for 3 weeks now.   

thank you
Cam Pepper

Answer
Hi Cam;

The irritation in his intestines bothering his swim bladder may be coming from the dried foods trying to soak up water as he eats. Try soaking the pelleted food in a little water before feeding or feed frozen diets instead. There are some good ones available at fish stores. Some bettas just can't tolerate dried diets.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins