It’s an unfortunate event when one of these shows up on our service. A tiny betta with a large lump on their belly. Of the follow differentials, none of them are any good. This is an overfed betta, Mycobacteria or a tumor. Sometimes, if a fish is cooperative, we can do a quick ultrasound and get a clearer picture. Other times, we do what we can for the only thing we have a chance to fix: betta over feeding.
Why does this happen to bettas? We see this quite a bit and most of the time it is preventable. What causes this “giant poo ball” formation in such a small fish? (And no, it’s not “constipation.”)
Overfed Bettas are Caused by Too Much Food…
Yes, we know betta’s don’t come with instruction manuals. It’d be great if all pets did. The betta food available on the shelves of your local store can be minuscule or half the size of your fish’s eyeball. Everyone loves to feed their fish their love, and many fish, bettas included, will eat more than they should in one feeding.
No matter what pellet size you have, feed enough to take up roughly the same space as one fish eyeball. This will vary from 10-12 pellets to 1-2 depending on your brand! After that, no more! And treats no more than once a week.
and Inappropriate Temperature.
Since fish are ectotherms, their metabolism is tied to the water temperature. Bettas are TROPICAL and need a heater. If the water is too cold, they can’t digest their diet, no matter what it is. Always make sure to have a thermometer in the tank, and not those stupid “stick on” ones, to make sure your heater is working correctly.
Poor Water Quality
For regular readers, this should have been your #1, and it’s usually compounded with the other points here. Why are bettas kept in terrible water? BECAUSE YOU HAVE THEM IN A $*@^$& BOWL!!! No fish deserves life in a bowl. It is archaic and cruel. Upgrade them to a new tank and stop living in Victorian times.
If they are in a tank with a heater, you’re ahead of the curve. But your water still needs to be within range in order to keep your fish health. This means regular maintenance and water changes! No exceptions.
Old Fish Food
We have never actually seen a betta finish an entire container of betta food. Unless you have more than one fish, you should NEVER attempt to finish it before buying a new one. After 6 months, most of the water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin C, have gone. Push it to a year or two (true story), and you are essentially feeding your fish cardboard. Yum! Replace your food every 6 months and be sure to store it properly!
And sometimes, you may do everything right and your fish still starts filling with food. Since they are such small fish, it’s hard for us to get in there and get down to core issue prior to death. Not all animals are built for a long life, no matter what species they are. If you’ve done everything correctly above, we and your fish appreciate your solid dedication to their care and well-being.
If this happens to my fish, what do I do?
If you are worried about betta over feeding, contact your aquatic veterinarian immediately. This issue should not wait. In the meantime, check your water quality and make sure it is within the appropriate range. If you do not have a thermometer, be sure to purchase one to make sure your heater is working appropriately.
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Hi I bought a betta 2 days ago and sadly this morning it died. He was fine on the 1st day, and fine in the morning om the 2nd day but later in the afternoon he was at the bottom of the tank. At first I thought he was just sleeping because he was on his side and I know they like sleeping on their sides. But then I checked on him again and he was still at the bottom of the tank, he would move but not that much, then thats when I noticed the bloating on his belly. I looked up online why that might be and I thought it would be constipation. But this morning he suddenly died and I am so confused why, do you think you can explain to me and help me understand why this happened?
We are very sorry to hear about the loss of your betta. There are many things that may have gone wrong, especially since he died so quickly. Unfortunately, we can’t tell much without seeing your fish in person. Again, we are so sorry for your loss.
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We have a betta fish that hasn’t eaten or taken interest in his food for over two weeks. Yet he looks and behaves healthy enough and still swims around and makes bubbles when we give him attention. The rare bits of food he has taken interest in he has spit out later. We have had him for about 10 months and may be guilty of overfeeding (after reading your article above). We have usually fed him between 3-6 pellets a day. We are feeding him Pro’s Choice Betta floating pellets. He has grown a lot since we’ve had him and looks like a mature fish now. We recently gave him a fresh change of water which we received from our local fish store to see if it was a water quality issue – but we have noted no changes in our fish that doesn’t want to eat.
If you are concerned about your fish, please call (831) 278-1081 for veterinary assistance. If you are outside California and Nevada, please visit https://fishvets.org or https://wavma.org
Hello my beta is beautiful and blue with hints of red. I think I’ve been over feeding him #1 #2 he seems to have something bulging out of his side near his fan I don’t know if it’s a tumor, cancer I’m really scared because we just got him to grow back his fins and he looks gorgeous but now he has something sticking and bulging out in the side of him really really scared please help!!!
If you are concerned about your fish, please call (831) 278-1081 for veterinary assistance. If you are outside California and Nevada, please visit https://fishvets.org or https://wavma.org
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