My little sister's betta fish is floating at the top of his tank on his side. He is having trouble swimming down so I am guessing it is , but I don't know what to do. His water parameters are A-OK, and he was alright just the other day. I noticed a little black at the edge of his fins between his tail fins. He is a twin tail halfmoon. Please help! I do not want my sister coming home from camp to a dead fish!

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The tank is cycled, and it is 3.5 gallons. He also has some bloating above his beard fins just behind his gills

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  The tank is cycled, and it is 3.5 gallons. He also has some bloating above his beard fins just behind his gills

I would attempt to fast him, feeding him a boiled, deshelled pea is another option.

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alright, I will post a picture so that you can get a good look, too.

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I moved him out of the tank because I wanted to get a better look at his condition.

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Can you post any pictures. Views of the bloated area and the swim bladder area (while floating) would be helpful.

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Just did, hope that helps.

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We've seen much worse bloating. If you get him back in the tank and he does float at the top, I was looking for a sideways view of the swim bladder. It does not look that bad in the picture you posted.

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  Just did, hope that helps.

I know. lol I type slow and make sure I am asking all I need to ask. Sorry.

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Just discovered that my little sister did not turn her heater back on before leaving for camp. The usual 76-80 degree tank is, was (turned on heater) down to 72-75 degrees. Could this cause swim bladder disease?

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If the temp did not go below 70, I don't think any permanent harm was done. I would expect perhaps a little lethargy, but not a swim bladder problem. Unfortunatly just when you say "never" with bettas, it happens. Is he doing better with the heat closer to what he was used to? I think he may need an epsom salt bath to releave excess fluids (the only way my floater would stay down until I discovered he could not eat pellets that were not presoaked first) Are you feeding the same way your sister did? What is he getting each day? You may need to fast him as katie13 said.

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  If the temp did not go below 70, I don't think any permanent harm was done. I would expect perhaps a little lethargy, but not a swim bladder problem. Unfortunatly just when you say "never" with bettas, it happens. Is he doing better with the heat closer to what he was used to? I think he may need an epsom salt bath to releave excess fluids (the only way my floater would stay down until I discovered he could not eat pellets that were not presoaked first) Are you feeding the same way your sister did? What is he getting each day? You may need to fast him as katie13 said.

I can't help with this thread, but I'm glad somebody else pre-soaks their Betta's pellets. I've seen so many people post that it's not necessary, and thought I was foolishly soft, but even if it doesn't cause long term harm it can't be nice for this fish to eat something and have it expand to twice it's volume in their stomachs.

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I raised the temperature, and I am fasting Mr. Bubbles for the next 2-3 days. I feed him about 2 pellets a day, and yes he is doing much better since I raised the temperature.

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  I raised the temperature, and I am fasting Mr. Bubbles for the next 2-3 days. I feed him about 2 pellets a day, and yes he is doing much better since I raised the temperature.

I am glad to hear that! If anything else should present itself, let us know.

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My male betta fish has been constantly floating at the top of the tank vertically.

my tank is planted with caribsea naturals sand. i dose thrive once a week.

Below i attached the emergency template and photos of my fish.

Tank What is the water volume of the tank? 10 gallons How long has the tank been running? 4 months Does it have a filter? yes Does it have a heater? yes What is the water temperature? 79 degrees F What is the entire stocking of this tank? 1 betta (Please list all fish and inverts.)

Maintenance How often do you change the water? once a week

How much of the water do you change? about 25% give or take

What do you use to treat your water? seachem prime

Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? substrate

*Parameters - Very Important Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? i did a fish in cycle

What do you use to test the water? api master test kit

What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”. Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: the color appears between 5 ppm and 10 ppm pH: between 7.6

Feeding How often do you feed your fish? once a day or every other day

How much do you feed your fish? as much as he will eat in about a minute

What brand of food do you feed your fish? i feed omega one betta buffet pellets and omega one frozen blood worms as a treat

Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods? frozen occasionally but no freeze dried

Illness & Symptoms How long have you had this fish? since august 2020

How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? 3 weeks ago

In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? he sits at the top of the tank vertically and just floats there unless hes being fed Have you started any treatment for the illness? i have given him an epsom salt bath thinking it may be a swim bladder issue however i saw no improvement

Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? no

How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? his coloring appear faded

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I would try fasting for a few days first. I can't tell in the pictures, but often bloat/constipation can cause swim bladder issues. I would try fasting for 3-4 days then maybe try some frozen daphnia for a couple days.

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  I would try fasting for a few days first. I can't tell in the pictures, but often bloat/constipation can cause swim bladder issues. I would try fasting for 3-4 days then maybe try some frozen daphnia for a couple days.

Where can i purchase frozen daphnia? It doesn’t appear petco and petsmart carry it based on their website.

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  Where can i purchase frozen daphnia? It doesn’t appear petco and petsmart carry it based on their website.

They don't. If you have any local fish stores in your area they should have.

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He looks to have swim bladder but hard to tell from the pictures. Do what Betta'sAnonymous said.

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as of this morning, i noticed my betta flaring at his own fins and curling up in an odd way. He is still floating around too. I have started fasting as of yesterday.

I tried attaching a video however it’s not letting me. Any insight would be appreciated also, i managed to get some better photos of his body so hopefully it will help. Is there anything else i can do besides fasting? he has had 2 epsom salt baths in the past 2 weeks or so and i saw no difference.

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Hi,

You can actually give him an epsom salt bath every day, if it doesn't stress him out too much. He might be a bit bloated from looking at his tummy.

Do you have something that you can put near the top of the tank for him to lay on, like one of those plastic betta leaves with the suction cups? Or any other decor that reaches that high? Just in case it takes a few days for him to get better.

I would dim his lights so that maybe that will stop some of the flaring behavior. Make sure that he is getting at least a good 12 hours of lights off time.

I have used freeze dried daphnia since I can't get the frozen kind, either. Hakari makes it. It's not the best, but when it's all that you can get you don't have much of a choice.

Hopefully the fasting and then the daphnia (however you can get it) will fix the issue.

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  Hi,

You can actually give him an epsom salt bath every day, if it doesn't stress him out too much. He might be a bit bloated from looking at his tummy.

Do you have something that you can put near the top of the tank for him to lay on, like one of those plastic betta leaves with the suction cups? Or any other decor that reaches that high? Just in case it takes a few days for him to get better.

I would dim his lights so that maybe that will stop some of the flaring behavior. Make sure that he is getting at least a good 12 hours of lights off time.

I have used freeze dried daphnia since I can't get the frozen kind, either. Hakari makes it. It's not the best, but when it's all that you can get you don't have much of a choice.

I just ordered the freeze dried daphnia and it’s going to come on wednesday. I plan on fasting him until then so hopefully he will be okay.

I pulled a larger anubis from the substrate and left it floating so he can rest on it but he doesn’t seem interested His light is already on an 8 on/16 off schedule due to an algae issue so he is getting plenty of time without it on.

Thank you for the help, i hope he pulls through.

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hi again lol. I received the freeze dried daphnia today and after soaking it in tank water for around 10 minutes and then adding it to the tank, my fish won’t eat it. He seems uninterested. What can i do ?

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Maybe soak it in garlic juice or garlic guard. My bettas usually aren't much interested in the daphnia, either.

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I agree with the garlic juice. If that doesn't work, and this is going to sound controversial, try getting one larger piece of daphnia from the container, and try to put that one large piece right in front of him (without soaking it), and see if he goes for it that way. I know that this sounds weird, as most of it is ground up, but if yours is like mine, you will see some larger round pieces. I use a very small spoon to get those out, and feed them to my betta. If you can get it close to the out flow of your filter, so that it moves a little, like it is alive, that might even be better.

I know that this sounds weird, but bettas being carnivores implies that they have it in them to hunt. If it looks alive, he might go for it.

Just a few suggestions....I hope one of them works!!!!

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  I agree with the garlic juice. If that doesn't work, and this is going to sound controversial, try getting one larger piece of daphnia from the container, and try to put that one large piece right in front of him (without soaking it), and see if he goes for it that way. I know that this sounds weird, as most of it is ground up, but if yours is like mine, you will see some larger round pieces. I use a very small spoon to get those out, and feed them to my betta. If you can get it close to the out flow of your filter, so that it moves a little, like it is alive, that might even be better.

I know that this sounds weird, but bettas being carnivores implies that they have it in them to hunt. If it looks alive, he might go for it.

i managed to get him to eat a few pieces however i’m not sure which ones were soaked in garlic and which ones were straight from the bottle (i tried both). he really didn’t eat that much. how many pieces does he need to eat to help him?

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At this point, any of it will help. I usually try to get my guy to eat 3 or 4 good pieces, and that usually does the trick.

I am so glad that he ate some of it!!!!

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  At this point, any of it will help. I usually try to get my guy to eat 3 or 4 good pieces, and that usually does the trick.

Hi again I just wanted to come back and ask for more help because sadly i haven’t seen an improvement in my fish’s behavior/health. I have fed him the daphnia and he’s eaten the bigger pieces however i see no difference. Do y’all think there’s something else going on? or is there another treatment method i can try?

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Is he eating normally now? Is the problem just the floating issue? Do you see evidence that he is pooping?

Have you tried to epsom salt baths?

If he is floating to the top, that means that he has too much air in his swim bladder, and he can't deflate it. The other issue is that he might have an infection of some sort, but that is hard to tell from just the swim bladder issue. Usually infections will have other signs, like total lethargy, a loss of color, a total refusal to eat anything.

Sometimes, it does take a while for swim bladder issues to reslove themselves. Some times they don't get better. I would say at this point to continue with his treatment of epsom salt baths and feeding daphnia with a day or two of fasting every week. I would also do small frequent water changes to make sure that his water is super clean.

If you see any other signs, let us know.

I had a betta who had a swim bladder injury that never healed. His problem was the opposite - he could not swim to the top of the tank and could not stay afloat. I had to lower his water level, kept his water super clean, and feed him very carefully. So I made adjustments to meet his needs as his issue was not going to get better.

Bettas can live full lives with these issues. Again, it all depends on if it is an injury, a chronic issue (which some bettas have because of genetic factors), or just a problem that occured due to a momentary issue with water conditions, over feeding, temp issues, etc.

Also, if you can post some updated pics, that might be helpful.

I know that you are doing your best. Please hang in there!

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  Is he eating normally now? Is the problem just the floating issue? Do you see evidence that he is pooping?

Have you tried to epsom salt baths?

If he is floating to the top, that means that he has too much air in his swim bladder, and he can't deflate it. The other issue is that he might have an infection of some sort, but that is hard to tell from just the swim bladder issue. Usually infections will have other signs, like total lethargy, a loss of color, a total refusal to eat anything.

Sometimes, it does take a while for swim bladder issues to reslove themselves. Some times they don't get better. I would say at this point to continue with his treatment of epsom salt baths and feeding daphnia with a day or two of fasting every week. I would also do small frequent water changes to make sure that his water is super clean.

If you see any other signs, let us know.

I had a betta who had a swim bladder injury that never healed. His problem was the opposite - he could not swim to the top of the tank and could not stay afloat. I had to lower his water level, kept his water super clean, and feed him very carefully. So I made adjustments to meet his needs as his issue was not going to get better.

Bettas can live full lives with these issues. Again, it all depends on if it is an injury, a chronic issue (which some bettas have because of genetic factors), or just a problem that occured due to a momentary issue with water conditions, over feeding, temp issues, etc.

Also, if you can post some updated pics, that might be helpful.

hi! i’ve had a lot going on lately so i forgot to reply. I’ve again come for more advice lol. I haven’t seen much improvement and now sadly i have noticed only one side of his abdomen is swollen and he is swimming somewhat wonky.

i have been fasting and feeding the daphnia, frozen brine shrimp and pellets here and there.

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Hi,

Can you post some updated pics? Can you get a shot from above?

And have you tried to give him an epsom salt bath?

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  Hi,

Can you post some updated pics? Can you get a shot from above?

here are the best pictures i could get. He has had a few epsom salt baths since i noticed something was wrong so i’ll give him another today.

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He is such a pretty little boy!!!!

If you water parameters are good (ammonia - 0, nitrite- 0 , nitrate - 5 to 10 ppm's or so), and you think it is just that he was over-fed, then continue with the baths and the fasting and daphnia.

I would try fasting him 2 days in a row (again) to see if that makes the swelling go down (along with the epsom salt baths).

Then after the two days, feed him only daphnia for a day, and see if that helps.

Try to keep an eye on him to see if and when he poops.

I would also recommend that you do small water changes every other day to keep his water pristine.

As long as he is swimming (even though it is arkward) and acting normally, that is a good sign.

If this continues, then either he has a chronic issue, which you will end up dealing with a lot, or he may have some type of bacterial infection.

With the infection, you will see a decline in his eating habits, a loss of color, lethargy, clamped fins, and a decline in over-all health. If that is the case, you may need to give him an antibiotic of some sort. But that is only if he has other symptoms besides the bloat and swimming problem.

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  He is such a pretty little boy!!!!

If you water parameters are good (ammonia - 0, nitrite- 0 , nitrate - 5 to 10 ppm's or so), and you think it is just that he was over-fed, then continue with the baths and the fasting and daphnia.

I would try fasting him 2 days in a row (again) to see if that makes the swelling go down (along with the epsom salt baths).

Then after the two days, feed him only daphnia for a day, and see if that helps.

Try to keep an eye on him to see if and when he poops.

I would also recommend that you do small water changes every other day to keep his water pristine.

As long as he is swimming (even though it is arkward) and acting normally, that is a good sign.

If this continues, then either he has a chronic issue, which you will end up dealing with a lot, or he may have some type of bacterial infection.

thank you for all of your continued help! i feel a little lost dealing with illnesses.

I gave him a salt bath today for about 15 minutes with a recovery bath before returning him to his tank. I plan on giving him another tomorrow night and every day i can after that to see if it helps. I haven’t fed him today and i won’t tomorrow either.

If he does recover, what is a normal amount to feed him? i feed him pellets, frozen brine shrimp, and blood worms (alternating them throughout the week)

i appreciate your help more than you know!

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  thank you for all of your continued help! i feel a little lost dealing with illnesses.

I gave him a salt bath today for about 15 minutes with a recovery bath before returning him to his tank. I plan on giving him another tomorrow night and every day i can after that to see if it helps. I haven’t fed him today and i won’t tomorrow either.

If he does recover, what is a normal amount to feed him? i feed him pellets, frozen brine shrimp, and blood worms (alternating them throughout the week)

You are very welcome!

It sounds like you are giving him a varied diet. I unfortunately can't get frozen food very easily, so I have to depend on pellets, flakes and freeze-dried.

I usually feed twice a day, early in the morning and at least 8 to 10 hours later to give time for adequate digestion.

I feed a varied diet, so in the morning, I will feed about 2 larger pellets and maybe 2 small (Omega one being large, and Hakari bio gold baby being small), or 2 small pellets with a pinch of flakes (again, Omega One).

In the evening I will feed daphnia or North Fin small pellets and maybe some Fluval Bug Bites for Bettas mixed in there.

The thing to remember is that all bettas are not the same. And I have read over and over about feeding them as much as they can eat in 2 minutes. If I did that to my bettas, they would be very overweight, as they love, love, love to gobble their food. Some bettas are more active, others not so much. You can always check his tummy to see how distended it is after feeding, too, to help you determine how much to feed.

Why is my betta fish floating but still alive?

The swim bladder is a special organ that allows bettas to hover both laterally and sideways in the tank. They float in the water because of this gas-filled cushion, which is found in their belly.

How do you fix a floating betta fish?

Swim Bladder Disease Treatment Fix the water temperature: At the same time the fish is fasting, increase the water temperature to 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit and leave it there during treatment. Feed the fish peas: On the fourth day, feed the fish a cooked and skinned pea.

What to do if your fish keeps floating to the top?

First, check aquarium oxygen levels. Check that the filter is plugged in and switched on and that the fish tank water is being agitated and rippled by the pump. If you have an air pump, check that it's producing bubbles in the water.