betta fish cant stay at bottom of bowl

Question
Hi Chris,

Question:

I have a betta fish who can not stay at the bottom of its bowl. It seems to be constantly pulled by one side to the top of the water (one side of the fish protrudes from the water), where it then fights to swim back down, only to float up again sideways. This has started tonight, and to make things easier for the fish I added a small plastic plant, which he can use as a sort of anchor to stay under water. I cleaned his bowl out a few days ago, and I wonder if the lack of rocks at the bottom of the fresh water has somehow caused this. What is happening, and what can I do?  

Thanks,
Steve

Answer
Hi Steve;

He's constipated and has developed gas in his belly. Feed him green peas broken up into little chunks. The peas act as a laxative and help him expel the gas too. Also make sure that his water temperature is high enough so he can digest properly. Bettas are tropical and need temperatures of 78 to 82. If you can get him warmer he should recover more quickly.

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Chris Robbins

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