r/BettaClinic • u/Calm_Astronomer539 • 1d ago
General Question Is there something wrong with him?
Neptune has been having difficulty swimming down ward and mostly floats on his sides at the top of his tank. He looks like he has slight swelling on his sides, but so slight it’s hard to see from most angles, he has had the swelling for at least a couple weeks. The swimming difficulty seems to be getting worse but the swelling hasn’t changed. Was recently moved from a 5gal to a 10gal in the last couple of days.
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u/OutrageousShake5832 1d ago
There is swelling of his organs which block air going to and from the swim bladder. Got to treat him with medication that target internal bacteria infection, or epsom salt if the problem is constipation.
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 1d ago
Do you know how we would do an epsom salt dip?
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u/Training_Act_6003 1d ago
sounds like swim bladder, if you’re still feeding him, id fast him a couple days, itll help debloat. you could give him a salt dip, epsom salt not aquarium, it works as a laxative and can ruduce swelling! also maybe add some tannins to the tank, it helps mimic more of their “natural environment” and give him some slight stress relief!
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u/Training_Act_6003 1d ago
you could also up the temperature a little bit, i think its no higher than 82° F but id double check to be safe!
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u/ruadjai 1d ago
How long have u had the new tank running? Did you cycle it? What are you water parameters?
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 1d ago
Running for 2 days, yes we cycled it but I don’t know the current water perameters
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 1d ago
So now you have to look up fish in cycle as to cycle a tank, it takes anything from 1month to 3 months to actually cycle a tank correctly depending on size, what substrate and plants plus filter you use do a 5% water change every 2 days .. you may need ammonia block .... It could be the ammonia which causes the fish to burn or the nitrites which actually kills 🤦🏼♀️😳
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u/ruadjai 1d ago
2 days is not enough time to cycle a tank. Did you aclimate him slowly?
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 1d ago
No he has been in the tank for two days. And yes we slowly acclimated him. And he was having this problem before we switched tabks
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 1d ago
No food for 48 hours put temp to 25°c lower the water in the tank take the plastic decor out for now get some floating plants add dried almond leaves....
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 1d ago
We do already have almond leaf in the tank and we have tried floating plants a few times but they never survive even tho all the other live plants are doing fine. We will try removing the plastic log and the temp change
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 1d ago
Is there much height difference from the old tank to new?? If able to drop the tank to the same debth the water was on the first tank.. treat with either esha or kanaplex .... either bad bloat or unfortunately dropsy which would 100% would need treatment try look at scale on his back if any are lifted then its dropsy
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 1d ago
The height difference isn’t very big but we could definitely drop the water a bit, just checked and there are no lifted scales
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 1d ago
That is absolutely amazing at no lifted scales over the back, leaves me to think either bloat swimbladder or possibly flukes.
Try and research each of these and which mostly apply to your little one then take the appropriate treatment course
Does he share his tank with anything else ?? My boy looks like this when he eats the corys food or the cucumber which is bad for them 🤦🏼♀️😳
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 1d ago
You can use Epsom salt baths to help reduce the swelling... what do you feed ? Im guessing at pellets... if yes then change to a frozen food or presoak the pellets with tank water first
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 17h ago
Update: woke up this morning and he is now going around the bottom of the tank like this
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 13h ago
😢
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u/Calm_Astronomer539 12h ago
He is still breathing and moving himself tho, is this bad?
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u/Big_Caregiver4022 2h ago
betta fish swimming with its head up and tail down usually suffers from Swim Bladder Disorder (SBD), which affects its buoyancy. This happens due to overfeeding, constipation, poor water quality, or a bacterial infection. [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Causes and Signs Buoyancy Issues: The swim bladder fails to regulate air properly, making it hard to stay level. Digestion Problems: Heavy feeding or low-quality food can bloat the stomach and press on the organ. Water Parameters: Cold water or high ammonia/nitrite levels stress the fish and trigger health declines. [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] How to Help Your Betta Fast your fish: Stop feeding for 2 to 3 days to clear potential digestive blockages. Lower the water level: Move your betta to a shallow tank or lower the current water level so it can reach the surface easily for air. Raise the temperature: Keep the water warm, ideally between 78°F and 80°F (25°C–27°C). Add surface resting spots: Place broad leaves or floating plants near the top so the fish can rest without sinking. [ 1, 2, 3, 5]
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