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Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 6:07 pm
by Foliuma
I stopped by PetSmart today and they were giving away betta fish that were deemed 'deformed' - thing is, most of them looked perfectly fine. I picked up two that caught my eye, but they both have some issues. The blue one I'm pretty sure has swim bladder disease - he floats to the top on his side and his sides and belly are super bloated. He's still active though. The red one swims okay, but his back is pretty severely curved to one side. I've got the red one in my 10-gallon with some neptunes, and the blue one in a 2.5-gallon with shrimp. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what I should do for these guys. I'm hoping just giving them a better environment will help them recover. My guess is they were overfed and had poor water quality in the tubs, which led to some internal problems. I've kept bettas before, but I've never dealt with this before. Any help would be great, thanks.
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 11:06 pm
by whetu
There's a lot of possibilities here. These fish are lucky to have found someone who's willing to give them a good home. Just provide them with the best care you can, and that's all anyone can ask for. You're already doing more than most by taking them in.
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 2:21 am
by coltin
It's likely just genetic deformities from inbreeding that's the root cause here. The one with possible swim bladder issues probably has air trapped in its intestines, try withholding dry food for a week and see how it goes - if it swims normally off dry food, then that's probably the issue.
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 3:54 am
by Foliuma
coltin wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 2:21 am
It's likely just genetic deformities from inbreeding that's the root cause here. The one with possible swim bladder issues probably has air trapped in its intestines, try withholding dry food for a week and see how it goes - if it swims normally off dry food, then that's probably the issue.
That makes sense, I was thinking maybe it was something like that. I'm a bit concerned about not feeding him for a week though, will he be alright going that long without food? Don't want to starve him, just trying to help him recover.
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 3:54 am
by Foliuma
whetu wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 11:06 pm
There's a lot of possibilities here. These fish are lucky to have found someone who's willing to give them a good home. Just provide them with the best care you can, and that's all anyone can ask for. You're already doing more than most by taking them in.
Hopefully, some TLC will help them recover a bit. Thanks
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 8:55 am
by coltin
Foliuma wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 6:07 pm
I stopped by PetSmart today and they were giving away betta fish that were deemed 'deformed' - thing is, most of them looked perfectly fine. I picked up two that caught my eye, but they both have some issues. The blue one I'm pretty sure has swim bladder disease - he floats to the top on his side and his sides and belly are super bloated. He's still active though. The red one swims okay, but his back is pretty severely curved to one side. I've got the red one in my 10-gallon with some neptunes, and the blue one in a 2.5-gallon with shrimp. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what I should do for these guys. I'm hoping just giving them a better environment will help them recover. My guess is they were overfed and had poor water quality in the tubs, which led to some internal problems. I've kept bettas before, but I've never dealt with this before. Any help would be great, thanks.
Try feeding it frozen or live foods for a week, see how that goes. These foods don't have air in them, so it's a good test. They'll be in the water, so the fish won't swallow air when eating. Dry foods float on the surface, and that's when the fish can ingest air.
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 12:08 pm
by Foliuma
coltin wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 2:21 am
It's likely just genetic deformities from inbreeding that's the root cause here. The one with possible swim bladder issues probably has air trapped in its intestines, try withholding dry food for a week and see how it goes - if it swims normally off dry food, then that's probably the issue.
Still no luck, his appetite is still great and he's active but that's about it. Yesterday night I noticed his scales around his belly were raised ever so slightly, hardly noticeable though. This morning it's still about the same. His tail's also gotten a bit more ragged and shorter, I'm pretty sure it's finrot now. I've been looking online for medications but since I'm in Hawaii, options are pretty limited. I'm stuck with whatever PetSmart or Petco has, can't order anything online since it'll take too long. Does anyone know what medications might be good for treating him?
Re: Help with bent back issues in betta fish
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 1:00 pm
by coltin
I think you're better off focusing on water quality to tackle the fin rot. Do a big water change and give the substrate a good gravel clean every day for a week or two, that should help clear it up. If you want, you can add a bit of salt to the water, about 1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres, but I'm not sure it's necessary in this case.
As for the scales, I'm a bit stumped. What's the fish's poop looking like? If it's all white and stringy, that's a sign of a problem. If it's normal and coloured, that's a good sign.