I put my betta in a salt bath to treat two burst abscesses, one on his back and the other on the side. It was going well well until he randomly started doing this coughing motion and air was coming out of his gills. I was filming him to try documenting the state of his abscesses and got it on camera. I removed him from the bath immediately after I saw this. Anyone have an ideas as to what happened?
https://v.redd.it/vpmmzxui1grg1
Posted by Kage-creations_22
2 Comments
Warm salt bath relieving gas pressure for him. Maybe he was already constipated.
Short answer: They do that.
Longer answer:
Betta have “labyrinth” organs. Natures next best thing to lungs. Because bettas usually are in stagnant low O2 pools they can/do go to the surface and gulp a bubble of air into said organ. The also occasionally burp said air back out of their gills.
My boy does this occasionally. He usually dashes to the surface and gets another mouthfull of air shortly after.