We just rescued this female betta from a big box pet store yesterday. She’s in a cycled, planted, 5 gallon tank. I knew she was stressed at the store and looked a bit bloated, but wasn’t until we got her in her new home that I realized we may have more than just stress going on. This is my first female betta so I’m not familiar with egg bound if that’s the issue.
At first, she didn’t want to move from the top of the tank and when she did, she struggled, swimming vertically. When still, her body would float on its side. Today she’s a bit more active, but still not swimming horizontally and still bloated.
I figured it would be good to fast her for 2-3 days because at first she looked constipated with maybe swim bladder due to her floating on side when not swimming. Then I noticed the white spot between ventral and anal find which might be ovipositor? Small white dot shown in pictures.
Seeking guidance on how to proceed … top view picture in comments.. “S curve”?
Water parameters are all in healthy and normal limits. I’ve also added almond leaves for tannins.
Ph-7
Nitrate- 0-5
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
GH- 3
KH- 6
Temp- 78
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1sldqem
Posted by hullabaloo10
3 Comments
https://preview.redd.it/sfzgcdmro6vg1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6038cd84e6f37de4a476f4953197f5e96e492e72
I am a beginner, but this could be bloat from being over fed. She looks really really chunky. Maybe fasting will help?
Being egg bound is fairly rare. Eggs are typically reabsorbed if they aren’t released. Signs of being egg bound are lethargy, loss of appetite, lack of movement.
Your fishes swim bladder does look swollen. There is no such thing as “constipated with swim bladder” though. Constipation is the inability to pass waste, and the swim bladder is an organ that affects buoyancy. Constipation can cause buoyancy issues unrelated to the swim bladder.
Also, her abdomen doesn’t look swollen or bloated at all. Looks pretty normal in that area.
If you notice that your fish is not going to the bathroom, fasting can help. If she’s eating and pooing normally though, there’s no need to fast and would be better to take a look at medications– however since you just got her yesterday I’d wait a few days and let her acclimate, the issue may go away on its own. Personally I’d advise keeping meds on hand anyway in case you do need them (you won’t want to wait for them to be delivered).