floating male betta

Question
I've had my blue veil tail for over 4 months now and just the other day he started having trouble getting to the bottom of his bowl and is laying most of the time at the top on his side...he did jump out of the net while i was cleaning is bowl and so i thought he just might have a bit of air in his belly , you know like he needed to burp...but now i'm really worried.  He's belly and eyes aren't swollen and he doesn't seem to be gasping for air.   Should i just get some Maracyn 2, or would that kill him if he doesn't have an infection?


thank you,
Charlie

Answer
Hi Charlie;

Maracyn 2 probably won't have any effect on him unless he has an infection, and I don't think he does. He most likely has gas in his belly. Stop feeding regular food for now and give him little chunks of cooked and peeled green peas for a few days until he is feeling better.

Keep his bowl in the warmest place you can. Bettas that are too cold develop digestive trouble pretty easily. Put a lamp on him for more heat if you have to. Let the water temperature slowly rise from the heat of the lamp. His water should be 78 to 82 while he is recovering. The rest of the time he can be as low as 75. If he gets sick again when the temperature drops you may have to keep it high all the time. Some bettas are more sensitive and their owners don't realize it until the winter months come along.

I hope he feels better soon.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins