BETTA FISH IS SICK

Question
Hi Karen,

I have a male betta fish and he has been sick for about 1 week. He will not eat and he stays at the top of the bowl. He is also not swimming that well. He is having difficulty swimming. I brought him to the pet store and they tested the water and they said it was fine. I tried Betta revive and it is not working. We ask the pet store for some suggestions and they said to try to give hime some blood worms. The fish will not eat them. It seems like his gills are inflamed. Can you tell me what to do. I appreciate your help. Thank, you Maria


Answer
Hi Maria,
Sounds like he has swim bladder disorder. The swim bladder is a special organ that controls the fishes equilibrium and when something interferes with it the poor fish looses equilibrium and will either float miserably at the top or sink to the bottom. The most common cause to this condition is diet related. The fish often becomes constipated and therefore the blockage puts pressure on the swim bladder. The most common diet problems are too much dry food, overfeeding, not enough variety/fiber ect...

Curing and reversing the problem can be difficult depending on the betta's age and how much the condition has progressed. Some fish have a permanently damaged swim bladder due to rough handling or they might be born with a more sensitive swim bladder.

Steps for beginning treatment are-

*fasting the fish for a day and holding off the regular food being fed

*then offering a shelled green pea (feeding a bite-size piece off the end of a blunt toothpick helps)

*keep water quality as clean as possible. Poor water quality might be why his gills are irritated looking. Change the water as often as you can. Everyday would be great, making sure the replacement water is treated with a water conditioner and the temp is equal to or a little bit warmer than the betta's original water temp.

*If his belly looks swollen (may be due to fluid build up or constipation) Epsom salt added can help and it is safe to use just as a precaution. Dosage for small setups is 1/8 teaspoon divided into 5 equal parts. One part per gallon.

Treatment like this should last as long as the fish has symptoms.

More help on swim bladder treatment and issues can be found here-
http://flippersandfins.net/SwimbladderDisease.htm

Hope this helps!
Karen~