betta somersaults

Question
Thank you Prue. He has no trouble staying at the top of the water. He has trouble catching the Bio-gold pellet and I don't think he's eating. How can I be sure? What about adding Epsom Salt? How much per quart of water?

Linda
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Answer -
Hi Linda,

It sounds like your boy has swimbladder, a disorder where the gland that regulates swimming and air is blown out of proportion. It is - as you guessed - brought on by feeding and digestive problems. You may be feeding too much - a fish's eye is the size of it's stomach.

Reduce the water level to about 1/2 to 1/3 of the original amount in, so he gets to the surface more easily to breathe.  

Other than that, just leave him in a warm, peaceful place where he is free from lots of people walking around and bright light.

Hope this helps, and that your boy recovers quickly!

Prue

Answer
You're welcome!

Biogold floats, so when you feed him some, watch and see if he eats it. If he doesn't after a few minutes, leave him for a while and come back several minutes later. If the food was not eaten it will still be floating on the surface.

I wouldn't be too worried about him not eating, he will be fine for up to a week. Unless he looks visibly thin (sunken belly etc.) do not worry.

The main problem sounds like it is this 'somersaulting'! Epsom salts are used to treat swimbladder, or constipation - the two main suspects for your fish's problem.

The dosage for Epsom salts is 1/8 teaspoon of Epsom Salt per five gallons of water. Your tank is about .4 of a gallon, which would be almost impossible to correctly dose.

If you can, get a 5 gallon bucket, if possible a new one. Any soap residue on an old bucket can harm your fish. Condition his water as you usually do, and maybe add some of the gravel/plants from his old tank for comfort. Then add the 1/8 tablespoon of Epsom salt. Yes, it is a miniscule amount but it is very potent and do not be tempted to add more than this - it would be harmful. Keep him in this new Epsom salt tank until he is acting normally again, which I hope is soon. :)

But while we are on the topic of tanks, .4 gals is very, very small for a bettas' permanent home. Ammonia (toxic waste) builds up very quickly in such a small volume of water and almost daily water changes would be required, and that would stress your fish. There also, I would imagine, is not much swimming room in such a volume.

Fish can and do get depressed - I have seen it first hand. You sound like a true fish lover so I am sure you want your boy to be as happy as he can be - there's not much to do if you're a fish, anyway! The least we can do is give our pets a healthy home. And with a bigger tank, you can decorate it with an abundance of beautiful plants etc.

For your boy's ongoing health and happiness, I recommend you get a larger tank for him - at least one gallon. He will be happier, healthier and more active!         

Hope this helps,

Prue.