Betta Constipation

[sweetp544]

I have heard that bettas get constipated. How do you tell if they are or not? I have a male betta that i just got a few days ago, who currently has ich, but he seems to have a buldge inside near his rear tail. Is that what constipation looks like??? And treating with a pea is the best way to go?? Will it hurt my other fish if they eat the pea??

 

[Taridan]

I don't suppose you could get a picture? Have you seen your male pooping at all?

Cooked, slightly smushed and De-shelled Pea's shouldn't hurt your other fish, but you'll want to do a gravel vac a 2-3 days after, as if the other fish do eat the pea's they will clean out their digestive system as well.

I'm not sure if your fish is constipated though, as whenever Mine have seemed to be so the bulge in their stomach area was always more towards the head half of the fish than the tail half of the fish.

 

[sweetp544]

I dont think it would show up in a picture because sometimes its hard to see. Yeah the buldge as i call it is pretty close to his rear fin , if it isnt constipation any ideas on what else it could be

 

[starrynightxxi]

correct me if i'm wrong, guys, but what you're probably seeing, livebearer, is the muscle linked to his caudal (tail) fin. All my guys have a very slight bulge in that area as well, but its hard to see unless you're really looking, and since none of them are sick, or showing signs or difficulty swimming (as i would assme they would if it were a tumor that size), that's what i've always figured it to be. It would be a pretty major muscle, after all.

 

[sweetp544]

Good point. That probably is what it is. One other question is with all those fins hanging down, how can you possibly see if he is going to the bathroom because i have no idea if he has since i got him or not. My other fish i can see it.

 

[starrynightxxi]

i rarely see my guys either, but the way they beg for food, i'm pretty sure they aren't constipated

anyhow, you would see it trailing between the ventral and anal fins, see on the image where it says "end of intestines"?

 

[sweetp544]

Oh its way up there on those fish!! I had no idea. I dont know much at all about bettas. They just look really pretty. That buldge seems to be in the region of where it shows the swim bladder. But he has no problems swimming. Thanks for the diagrahm it showed me a lot i didnt know.

 

[liz2]

Oh livebearer, your posting made me smile. I had this visual piccie of bettas having their own private bathroom!