our betta has developed a huge belly and it developed quite quick. we’ve had her since february of this year (2025). she gets regular water changes, she isn’t overfed, we fast her once a week, have tried epsom salt baths and tried feeding her daphnia.. nothing seems to be changing. she is still incredibly active, not showing signs of sickness just her appearance.
As a first move stop feeding completely for 2 weeks.
Then after one week, offer a pealed canned green pea. She wont like that and maybe be mad at you.
Leave it there, she is going to admit that it's better than nothing and eat some for sure.
What is the staple food you are giving ?
Betta needs roughage, the first cause is lack of fibers. Dry food that expands in stomach. Too much fat in diet.
Not enough exercises
There are many other things that could cause a betta to bloat, but at the speed it occurred, it has great chances to be nutritional.
Then after one week, offer a pealed canned green pea. She wont like that and maybe be mad at you.
Leave it there, she is going to admit that it's better than nothing and eat some for sure.
What is the staple food you are giving ?
Betta needs roughage, the first cause is lack of fibers. Dry food that expands in stomach. Too much fat in diet.
Not enough exercises
There are many other things that could cause a betta to bloat, but at the speed it occurred, it has great chances to be nutritional.
Burleson
New Member
Looks like dropsy I agree with the feeing of green peas that usually helps but you could also try doing baths with salt and methylene blue
I don't see dropsy (kidney failure) as the scales are still flat. I would question worms or nematodes. I don't see any red, threadlike creatures dangling from her anal vent, which would point to Camallanus nematodes. It could be helminth worms - treatable with praziquantel (which does nothing to nematodes).
A big issue is fish meds are under veterinary control in Canada, and can take some looking for. Most friendly fishstores can help out a regular customer, but chainstores aren't likely to.
A big issue is fish meds are under veterinary control in Canada, and can take some looking for. Most friendly fishstores can help out a regular customer, but chainstores aren't likely to.
quit feeding completely for 2 weeks?As a first move stop feeding completely for 2 weeks.
Then after one week, offer a pealed canned green pea. She wont like that and maybe be mad at you.
Leave it there, she is going to admit that it's better than nothing and eat some for sure.
What is the staple food you are giving ?
Betta needs roughage, the first cause is lack of fibers. Dry food that expands in stomach. Too much fat in diet.
Not enough exercises
There are many other things that could cause a betta to bloat, but at the speed it occurred, it has great chances to be nutritional.
then a canned pea after one week?
we feed her fluval bug bites. we did give her the pellets but we stopped because it was causing some change in her stomach and quit right away.
She just acts so normal, She doesn’t have any sign of parasites or anything. She acts extremely normal. Just a girl with a big belly!
Sometimes the big belly can be a pile of worms. They can catch them on the farms, or in transit from the farm. Gut parasites are pretty normal, but with tank conditions and a rich diet, they can prosper. I think the diet is right. Bug bites provide good roughage/fibre. She is an insect eater by nature.
The green pea trick is a fibre bomb to clear the fish out if there is a blockage. I don't use it myself, but it's a reasonable approach given that swelling.
Whatever it is, it's internal, and that means we're close to blind for diagnosing why. I like to assume it's the simplest problem and deal with it (tapeworm types). If that doesn't work, I treat for nematodes. If that doesn't work... onwards and upwards we go.
The green pea trick is a fibre bomb to clear the fish out if there is a blockage. I don't use it myself, but it's a reasonable approach given that swelling.
Whatever it is, it's internal, and that means we're close to blind for diagnosing why. I like to assume it's the simplest problem and deal with it (tapeworm types). If that doesn't work, I treat for nematodes. If that doesn't work... onwards and upwards we go.
I agree, I don't see dropsy signs either, as long as there is no parasites visible, I would still treat it as a blockage. Even more so if it build over in a week.
Roll the pea in epsom salt before giving it. But stop all food input. If she doesn't start to poop soon. It's not going to end well.
If you see any kind of worm like strings hanging her vent.Try to look as closely as you can to describe them.
Roll the pea in epsom salt before giving it. But stop all food input. If she doesn't start to poop soon. It's not going to end well.
If you see any kind of worm like strings hanging her vent.Try to look as closely as you can to describe them.
The thing is, she is pooping!
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