Is he bloated
Is he bloated
I'm getting really worried about my betta - he's looking kinda puffy and it's freaking me out. He's still super active, which is weird, and I'm not sure what's going on. Also, the live plant in his tank just started dying out of nowhere. Can someone please help me figure this out?
Re: Is he bloated
If you could post a picture of the fish and plant, I'd be happy to take a look. However, I'm not keen on opening zip files due to the risk of viruses and other malware.
Generally speaking, if a fish is still eating and swimming normally, and its poop looks normal, it's probably okay.
If the fish has stopped eating and its poop is stringy and white, it might have an internal infection. On the other hand, if it's still eating but producing stringy white poop, it could be a sign of intestinal worms.
Overfeeding can cause fish to become bloated, so it's worth considering the amount you're feeding your betta. Fasting it for a day a week can be beneficial, and feeding adult fish once a day can help prevent obesity and other health issues. A varied diet that includes dry, frozen, and live foods can also help keep your fish healthy, as can regular water changes and tank maintenance.
Generally speaking, if a fish is still eating and swimming normally, and its poop looks normal, it's probably okay.
If the fish has stopped eating and its poop is stringy and white, it might have an internal infection. On the other hand, if it's still eating but producing stringy white poop, it could be a sign of intestinal worms.
Overfeeding can cause fish to become bloated, so it's worth considering the amount you're feeding your betta. Fasting it for a day a week can be beneficial, and feeding adult fish once a day can help prevent obesity and other health issues. A varied diet that includes dry, frozen, and live foods can also help keep your fish healthy, as can regular water changes and tank maintenance.
Re: Is he bloated
I'm really worried about my betta now. He's still eating fine, but I haven't seen him poop in a bit, which is kinda freaking me out.coltin wrote: ↑Sat Apr 26, 2025 6:50 am If you could post a picture of the fish and plant, I'd be happy to take a look. However, I'm not keen on opening zip files due to the risk of viruses and other malware.
Generally speaking, if a fish is still eating and swimming normally, and its poop looks normal, it's probably okay.
If the fish has stopped eating and its poop is stringy and white, it might have an internal infection. On the other hand, if it's still eating but producing stringy white poop, it could be a sign of intestinal worms.
Overfeeding can cause fish to become bloated, so it's worth considering the amount you're feeding your betta. Fasting it for a day a week can be beneficial, and feeding adult fish once a day can help prevent obesity and other health issues. A varied diet that includes dry, frozen, and live foods can also help keep your fish healthy, as can regular water changes and tank maintenance.
Re: Is he bloated
Hold off on feeding him for now. I'd appreciate it if you could post better photos, coltin mentioned having trouble with the zip file you uploaded earlier.
Re: Is he bloated
A clear view of your betta's body would be really helpful. Try taking a photo with a dark background, like a piece of paper or card, behind the tank. That way, we can see if his scales are sticking out, which would be a sign of bloating.
Re: Is he bloated
To help you better, can you please answer these questions:
What's the tank size? Is there a heater, and what's the temperature set to? Got a filter? How strong's the current? Is the tank cycled? How often do you do water changes, and how much water do you change? Do you vacuum the substrate? What additives or chemicals are you using - like a De Chlorinator? Tap or bottled water - if bottled, what's the brand? Got a water test kit? What are the readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? What's your cleaning process? What's the feeding schedule - what, how much, how often? Any tank mates - what kind, how many? How long have you had the Betta? Any history of illness? What about plants or decorations - give me some details. Can you post a close-up of the fish? And a tank pic?
What's the tank size? Is there a heater, and what's the temperature set to? Got a filter? How strong's the current? Is the tank cycled? How often do you do water changes, and how much water do you change? Do you vacuum the substrate? What additives or chemicals are you using - like a De Chlorinator? Tap or bottled water - if bottled, what's the brand? Got a water test kit? What are the readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? What's your cleaning process? What's the feeding schedule - what, how much, how often? Any tank mates - what kind, how many? How long have you had the Betta? Any history of illness? What about plants or decorations - give me some details. Can you post a close-up of the fish? And a tank pic?
Re: Is he bloated
It's possible that my betta is still developing, or maybe it's even a female, I'm really not sure.
Re: Is he bloated
I'm really worried about my betta now - the photos are still not great, I know. He's just become super inactive and just lays in one spot for a bit, then swims somewhere else and just lays there again.
Okay, so to answer all your questions - my tank is 10L, it's got a heater set to 26 degrees Celsius, and it does have a filter. The current isn't strong at all.
I change the water once a week, usually around 40-50%. I don't vacuum the substrate, though. I do use a water conditioner and a neutflake regulator to keep the pH at 7. I use tap water, but I don't have a test kit.
When I clean the tank, I use a cup to scoop out the water and put it in another bowl, then I tip it down the sink. I fill up the bucket with new water, add the conditioner and stuff, and let it sit for a bit. Then I use a big syringe to suck up some of the stuff in and on the gravel. I slowly pour in the new water.
I feed him with the end of a spoon, just dropping the food in. He gets one pellet in the morning and one or two in the afternoon. Sometimes I give him freeze-dried blood worms instead. I usually fast him for a day a week.
He's got no tank mates, and I've had him for 6 or 7 months now - I forgot the exact day. He's been ill a few times, but it's always gone away on its own. He had clamped fins when we first got him, but that went away. Then he was inactive for a bit, but that went away too.
He's got a piece of driftwood with a plant on it, but like I said, the plant's started dying all of a sudden.
Re: Is he bloated
Stop this at once, it is harming your fish. What's the pH of your tap water, that could be why the plant is struggling.
You mentioned using a water conditioner, what brand is it?
You're only feeding him one pellet in the morning and one to two in the afternoon, I think that's not enough. My fish get five pellets a day, three in the morning and two at night, I use Northfin betta bits.
Do you pre-soak the bloodworms in a spoon of tank water before feeding?
By the way, if anyone tells you that pH lowering products like pH down are harmless, don't listen. There's more to lowering pH than just adding a few drops of some magic compound to a gallon of water.
Re: Is he bloated
The water conditioner I use is SEACHEM Prime.
The brand of pellets I feed him is Pro's Choice. I just drop the bloodworms in without soaking them first.
I'm pretty sure my tap water is around 8 for pH.