Sick beta fish

Question
My beta had swim bladder disorder, but he seems weaker. Sometimes he swims rapidly before sinking to the bottom. He has never done that before. I put him back in his tank, the water level about five inches. He would stay at a corner for a period of time before sinking to the bottom and laying on his side. I put him back to a smaller container. It has been two weeks since his constipation. When can I put him back in his regular tank? Also, when should I start feeding him regularly and about how much?

Answer
Hi Cecillia,
Have you been giving him peas? Does he still appear constipated? (Symptoms like bloated belly, not pooping much or having difficulty)

How often do you change his water? And what size tank does he have? Is there any way you can test his water? Sorry for all the questions, but it helps to know these things in figuring out fish problems.

Sometimes bettas can have bruised or otherwise damaged swim bladders that take some time to heal and recover. And some bettas are born with poorly functioning swim bladders. Other things like bacterial infections, tumors, cysts, or other diseases can cause swim bladder malfunction.

Older bettas also have greater difficulty in recovering from health conditions.

For now I'd still give your betta some time and all the while making sure he has as clean water as possible and make sure its warm enough for him. Keep working on feeding the peas and if he seems bloated, you could also try some epsom salt in his water. I've also taken a small-bite-size amount of pea and put a grain of salt in it. For adding epsom salt to your tank, take 1/8 teaspoon of salt and divide it into 5 equal parts and then add one part per gallon.

Best of luck and I hope this helps!
Karen~