Questions About Bettas

[Night61]

ok i have my first betta for about two months now i got him in febuary. i am still concider myself new to the betta world. i needed a room mate who was quite and clean and he fit the bill for one thing at least. but i still have lots of questions.
1 i know bettas make bubbles with there mouths, mine is always making bubbles rarely in nest form but there is always bubbles. is it unusal to see bubbles coming out from the gills?
2 what is a happy betta? mine is in five gallions is most of the time moving, he has plants and heaters. are these the signs of a happy betta.
3 my betta has had a bulge in his belly for the last week. i thought at first it was fat. but he has only had a tiny amount of food all week long. is this something i should be worried about or is he just a fat happy betta. (for some reason i cannot upload photos here i am unsure why.)

he gets food normally except this week from the freezer pea bloodworm, mosquito and brine shrimp he won't eat pellets or freeze dried stuff i know. he is a spoiled betta. he has plants, a log, heater (which burned me during an emergency water change when his tail started to shred), filter and five gallon tank. is there is anything else i should know about my betta to keep him my happy healthy dorm mate?

 

[llamalord305]

I doubt they can come out of their gills, but maybe he built a nest but some popped so others drifted away. Or he just blows bubbles abstractly.

 

[Night61]

well he is a little comedian. he constantly flares at my lap top. he loves to chase my pens and markers around and flares at me. he will hid in his log when i go looking for him. like i said he is my entertainment.

 

[LauraFrog]

If you're feeding him on entirely frozen food he's getting a very rich diet. It's possible that he's ended up constipated. Sometimes if you can get him to eat a pea that will clear him out. Other times you're best off using epsom salts - I don't know the dosage, so some other members who do might come along and tell you.

 

[azulfire24]

epsom salts??? sorry usa girl here but i never heard of using that, i know table salt with iodine can kill themm, i just get ''aquarim salt'' from the lfs

 

[LauraFrog]

Apparently it cures constipation. Never had a bunged up betta, and peas seem to clear out my platies. Never used it.

 

[liz2]

Shouldnt worry about the bubbles. If he is bunged up I should starve him for a couple of days to see if the bulge goes down. If it doesnt it could be something a bit more serious. Bit worried about your heater how did you burn yourself on it, hope it isnt faulty?

 

[Night61]

Shouldnt worry about the bubbles. If he is bunged up I should starve him for a couple of days to see if the bulge goes down. If it doesnt it could be something a bit more serious. Bit worried about your heater how did you burn yourself on it, hope it isnt faulty?

oh i was removing his tank water to do a water change because of sudden shredding of fins and the blasted thing stayed on after all the ater had drained away. i touched it with out thinking and i got burned by it. there was no water around it at the moment. it never seems to bother the fish, i actually think he is in love with it because he is always swiming around it.

 

[ibbledibble]

epsom salts??? sorry usa girl here but i never heard of using that, i know table salt with iodine can kill themm, i just get ''aquarim salt'' from the lfs

epsom salts are totally different to normal aquarium salts. you buy them from a chemist (pharmacist) you can use them to treat constipation in humans, or can bathe in them as part of a detox.
if your fish is bloated due to problems with its kidneys, adding normal aquarium salts will only make the problem worse, while epsom salts can sometimes help. you use 1 Tbsp per gal for baths (max 30 mins) or add 1Tsp per gal into the tank.