I Over Fed my betta

Question
what should I do I mean he is fat not yet sick but still what can I do for him to get back into shape!

Answer
Good afternoon, Olga! Thank you for your question.

So, your betta is a little thick in the middle! While it certainly is possible to make your betta fish fat, if it happened suddenly it is probably bloated and/or constipated.

Add 1/3 teaspoon (use a measuring spoon) per gallon of Epsom salt to his water. If that does not work, get a thawed frozen pea or an unsalted canned pea, squeeze out the contents, and try to get him to eat a little bit of the pea. Both methods will help him to move his bowels.

One of the biggest problems with overfeeding is that uneaten food will foul the water in your little buddy's tank. Make sure to manually remove any uneaten food, since bettas seldom eat any food that is left sitting at the bottom. Their stomach is only the size of their eye, after all!

Test your water if you suspect anything else, ammonia and nitrites should read 0 ppm (always!) and nitrates should be under 20 ppm. Your local fish store will test your water for free, but I recommend owning a test kit of your own.

Hope that helps! Hope your betta feels better soon.

Nicole

P.S. Check out http://www.bettatalk.com if you haven't already. It is a terrfic site about betta fish from the founder and president of the L.A. Betta Society.