Betta - Swim Bladder? Bloat... Maybe Dieing?

[PrairieSunflower]

My betta has been in fantastic shape since I got him (other than some torn fins issues from time to time).  I've had him nearly a year.  The water stats are fine but I am going to do a water change in case.
 
His stomach seems oddly round so I am thinking maybe bloating of some sort, he seems to have some symptoms of maybe swim bladder in his balance is all off so I will be fasting him... but I feel there is something else that is "off" and I am worried he may be dieing but no idea of what.  He has no other symptoms to help anyone diagnose.
 
He is in a mature cycled 10 gallon tank, 80c, lots of plants, great water circulation.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Any pineconing?
 
Try to get him to eat a blanched pea.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Unfortunately... that was it.  He has died very suddenly.  He didn't have any pineconing at all, no loss of color.  He was perfectly fine this morning when I feed him.  I just noticed he suddenly went weird in the last little bit, half way through the water change I just said I was going to do in case... he just went under a plant and died.
 
I am really baffled!  I am 100% sure there has been no contamination, nothing new used in the room, no signs of illness until just now and then... dead.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Wow....maybe something burst internally?
 
Sorry about your loss.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I haven't a single clue.  He has been very very healthy far as I could tell since I got him.  The only thing was he'd rip his fins from time to time and they would curl while growing back and get sticky fin until they would straighten out (easily treated with fungus meds, not even a full dose)... but he hasn't had that problem in awhile so it wasn't even that.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him.

Swim bladder can be caused by to many dried foods, injury to swim bladder, birth defect to swim bladder,
bacterial infection of the swim bladder, bad water quality, over feeding, unstable temp.
 
What did the you feed the betta?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

He gets Hikari Betta Bio Gold, about 6 pellets pre-soaked every morning and usually one day each weekend I fast him.

 

[WILDER]

To be honest they need some veg in there diet and frozen foods.
Veg like peas, broc, lettuce, spinach, Anything green really.
Enjoy frozen foods like brime shrimp, daphnia, blood worms.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I do offer him the occasional blood worm and weekly some daphnia but he refuses to eat anything other than the pellets.

 

[WILDER]

Bloodworms are fine in moderation and fed very sparingly as they can cause bloat.
If you do intend on keeping more Betta's introduce them to a varied diet of veg. And Daphnia very good as
it helps fish from getting constipation. So do peas.
 
Sorry for your loss.
It's a year ago or just over since you lost the last one so not nice to lose another one so soon.
But knowledge and experience do help in caring for future fish.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

No one has suggested before to feed bettas veg.  I do know they need soaked food, and no over feeding as they are sensitive.  He used to eat more but he just stopped eating things other than the pellets so I stopped offering them that much.  Didn't even care for blood worms.

 

[WILDER]

OK. I do understand. 
You do get to know over time what your fish like and don't.
My cats go off something and I introduce it back in a few weeks time and they like it again.
Always changing there foods. 

 

[Wildbetta]

I don't really agree with the adding veggies to the diet of a betta.  They only really need protein based foods of which a pellet is perfect.  This is why I do not recommend feeding peas when one is bloated.  I recommend frozen daphnia.  Not only is it better for the betta, it is more often accepted which is helpful when trying to treat a bloating issue quickly.
 
Prairie -- I am really sorry that he died so suddenly.    There are just so many different things that could have caused the issue that there really is no telling what it was.  You were doing a great job with him and all his special needs.   

 

[WILDER]

OK. Sorry. I thought you could feed them veg. 
Never kept betta's myself.
Some sites say no, some say yes. So confusing.

 

[Wildbetta]

Confusion abounds about most things betta related unfortunately.    

I did want to make an addition to my earlier statement though.  While I don't recommend adding veggies to a betta's diet, they do best when given a varied diet.  The good quality pellets for bettas contain a balanced diet which is why I find them the best option for overall feeding of all domestic fancy bettas.  However feeding other things in addition to those pellets like frozen bloodworms, glassworms, and live foods like mosquito larvae help provide some plant protein which is preferable to trying to add vegetables.  Since bettas are insectivores this would be the way they attained the vegetative matter in the wild -- from the plants that are the food source of the insects they then ate.