BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish help! i think my beta is dying

[color:"blue"]okay.. so i've had a pet male beta for the past.. oh seven months or so. lately though, i've noticed that he's started floating around at the top of his bowl.. so at first i was kind of like.. well that's weird.. but i kind of let it go, hes been known to do that sometimes.

but then i noticed.. he's kind of started floating on his side at the top of the bowl.. with his side even out of the water.. so i started to worry.. but its like.. maybe hes just being weird.. so i cleaned out his tank, gave him some water and kind of left him alone..

well.. now, a day later.. hes kind of gotten worse.. he'll try and swim down towards the bottom of the tank, but it's like he gets pulled back up.. so i changed his water again, fed him some more.. even put in his little castle.. but...it's not really helping much.

so.. i moved a lamp over him, put it on the second notch. i didnt put it directly over his bowl, but off to the side.. so he still gets some light and everything.. but.. i dont think it's helping him much.

what can i do to keep my beta alive? i've never had one of them act like this.. and i've had maybe three or four before this one.. i'm kind of worried.. and i'd really rather not have to say goodbye to him any time soon.

so.. what can i do to keep him alive?[/color]

This happened to my brand new betta a few days ago. First of all make sure the water is clean and dechlorinted etc. Second make sure the water is at least 75F preferrably 80F. Put a little aquarium salt into his tank 1 teaspoon for every 3 gallons. Third get some Marycn2 for frewshwater fish and treat him with that. If that doesn't work then use Parasite Clear.

Most importantly feed him a little less food. If his tummy buldges abnormally then you are feeding too much food. What kind of food are you feeding him? If you can fast him for a day during the treatment it would help.

Those were the things I did and now my betta is not floating anymore and stays at the bottom. It sounds like your betta is having the exact same problem which is swim bladder issues.

I agree that the issue sounds like swim bladder problems. However, I don't think you need to medicate him unless there are other symptoms. I had a betta that would continually do it. At first I was like you, eh, thats weird. However, it got worse, to the point you are describing. Know what I did to "cure" him? Changed his food. I tried different foods until I found one that didn't make him go sideways. (It ended up just being flakes, so maybe try that first). He lived another 2 years or so, and never went on his side again. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I hope this helps!