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A couple of days ago, my mother and I brought a possibly dying betta. When we got him, he didn't have much color and was laying on his side. The same sideways position continued when he tried to swim, which was never longer than a minute. Most of the time he moves around my scooting around the substrate. Im happy to say he no longer swims sideways but he definitely is still having some problems. Mostly with swimming for long periods of time and eating. It isn't that he won't eat, he just can't swim enough to get the food. I've been feeding him my pleco's xtreme bottom wafers as a sort of temporary solution. Does anyone have a better solution to our feeding problem?

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I recently brought home a betta that was not doing so well too. I ended up treating with meds and aquarium salt and that seemed to get him back on the right track.

I agree with @Colu. I had a very picky (possibly because he wasn't feeling well) betta. I tried every food for bettas and ended up with hikari bio gold. 

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My betta loves frozen blood worms, and if you thaw them out first they sink pretty quickly. He also likes Hikari micropellets which sink after soaking  for a few seconds. I hope Cal recovers soon!

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If your Betta is trying to swim and having difficulties,  they may have swim bladder disease (which isn't a chronic diesase - it's a treatable and reversible condition).   It's often a secondary condition that appears if:

* The Betta has been kept in water too cold (77-80 degrees F is ideal) for an extended period of time.

* The Betta has been kept in dirty water where they've been exposed to unhealthy levels of ammonia, nitrates, and/or nitrates.

* They have been overfed or were fed dry food that expanded in their bellies and now have them constipated.

There are also cases where a parasite, injury, or birth defect can cause issues,  but nearly all male Bettas are raised in isolation until sold,  so parasites are relatively rare.  I would hold off on any parasite treatments until you see something indicating that is actually going on.

Here's what I'd do to help your guy out:

* Make sure you have him in a heated and filtered tank without tank mates that are going hassle him.  Clean water/treated water is especially important.  If you need tank suggestions- there's many people here that can help with that.

* Betta's need to take in air from the surface periodically.   If he's having problems swimming,  lowering the water level in the tank and getting something (like one of those suction cup fake "betta leafs" that attache to the tank glass) that he can "perch on" to keep himself near the surface is helpful to him.

* Get him some Betta specific food. Sinking wafers are mostly fish protein,  which is helpful,  but Betta's are carnivorous and the algae and vegetable matter in them probably won't digest well.  Betta's stomachs are also about the size of their eye balls,  so be careful of over portioning.

* Watch for his bathroom habits.  He should be pooping a couple of times a day.  If not,  he may be constipated in which case you need to approach food choices and feeding a little differently. 

 

Edited for spelling and grammar.

 

Edited by NanoNano
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@Alyssa Holdwick Probably be helpful to give everyone details of the tank (gallon size, tank mates, heater, filter, water PH and other readings if you have them, etc.) he's being kept in and how frequently his water is being changed as well.

Edit- With him having problems swimming,  you want to make sure that your substrate is clean (e.g. vacuumed with a siphon) to remove waste and leftover food so you don't have his fins in contact with waste and leftover food (which is attractive to the bacteria that cause fin rot). 

Edited by NanoNano
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