Seriously Overbloated Betta.

[Channti]

I'm a little concerned... I accidentally fed a few too many pellets to my betta, Yesterday at 9pm.
It's now 26 hours later, and he's still bloated, whereas his tankmate is back to normal size.

Nyx is not showing pineconed scales, and as I've dealt with dropsy in bettas before, I'm almost positive that that is not what i"m dealing with here.

I'm going to pick up some peas at the grocery store tomorrow, but is there anything else I can do for Nyx in the meantime? He's bloated enough that he spents a lot of his time on the bottom of the tank, so I put him in a "breeder box" to make the climb to the surface a little easier on him tonight. I've never seen any of my bettas stay this bloated for this long. Usually it passes within a few hours...

 

[Caprichoso]

Hi,
I found this info, hopefully it can be of use. Good luck!


One of the easiest things you can do to avoid constipation is to fast your fish one day a week. A day off will not hurt your betta; in fact it will allow him the chance to clean out his digestive track naturally.

If you find your betta is constipated first give him a day or two without any food. Simply not feeding will often cure the problem. If after two days he is still constipated, feed him the inside of a pea. I buy a box from the freezer section at the grocery store and let one thaw out each week, remove the skin and offer him a small portion about the size of one of his eyeballs. This isn’t as unusual as it may sound. It’s actually a trick-of-the-trade and is used by betta keepers all over the world.

For severe constipation, a tiny portion of daphnia can be served your betta. Daphnia is known to act as a mild laxative.

Keep a close eye on your fish and constipation should cure itself so long as you are not overfeeding and are offering a proper diet. You may find it helps to remove any gravel or décor in the tank while your fish is blocked up. It will make it easier to tell when he has returned to normal. If your tank is cycled, you may find it easier to remove the betta and keep him in a hospital tank until he is well again.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I just wouldn't feed him for a day or so until it goes down.

 

[Channti]

Nyx hadn't been fed for over a week as i'd been on vacation.
Normally I only feed him 3x-4x every week.


Unfortunately, I woke up this morning to find him dead. Still no idea on what the cause of death was.... I'm a little upset. He was gorgeous, and I'd only had him a few months. It was all pretty sudden.

 

[Caprichoso]

So sorry to hear that

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

So sorry to hear that

Me too.

 

[Curiosity101]

I accidentally fed a few too many pellets to my betta,

Still no idea on what the cause of death was....

When you went away for the week and the fish weren't fed their digestive tracts will have slowed down (they weren't using them). You've then gone and fed him loads of food which is body can't deal with. It will have been sat in his stomach (or intestine... but my bet goes for stomach). Where it will have caused either physical or bacterial problems.

When you came back you should have fed him A pellet. Then another one the next day... n slowly have worked him back up to full feedings.

Although I feel for your loss (it's never nice losing a fish), please learn from it. Firstly, never over feed your fish... just don't do it. Secondly, remember if they've been starved for a long period of time (much like a person), they can't handle anywhere near the volume of food they once could.