Betta swimming issues

[BAT]

Hi All, My betta named Cutie is having trouble.  For the past two days he has been having trouble swimming straight and staying at the top of the tank. 

Initially I thought swim bladder due to constipation and fed daphnia.  Day 2, he became more lethargic and I tested water and there was 10+ nitrate so I did a water change (no nitrite). That helped only a tiny bit.  He was hiding in his cave and laying on the ground and not eating. I thought this could be dropsy and might have convinced myself there was pineconing. So I started Maracyn 2 and Kanaplex (added to water) and started an air stone.

Today he is less lethargic but still having trouble swimming upright and feeding aggressively. He now spends some time in his floating log and then some time in his cave.

water temp is 80F.

any thoughts?

[Colu]

I wouldn't recommend use maracyn2 and kanaplex together I would just use one of the medication mixing medication can be harmful to your fish in certain circumstances and be  stressful to your fish I would just do a full course of kanaplex and I would add some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 3 gallons the salt will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes 

[BAT]

Update on Cutie—  I finished out the kanaplex and gave an extra day or two. I increased the salt to 1 Tbsp to 1 gallon. All water parameters remain in good range. 
 Now he eats and is less lethargic - BUT he remains having difficulty swimming upright.  He looks like a paraplegic fish - uses his fins to pull himself up. But sometimes gets help from his swim bladder it seems. This has been going on for like 10+ days. The only difference is he is no longer lethargic and voraciously eats.

 

any ideas?

[Colu]

On 4/25/2023 at 2:15 PM, BAT said:

Update on Cutie—  I finished out the kanaplex and gave an extra day or two. I increased the salt to 1 Tbsp to 1 gallon. All water parameters remain in good range. 
 Now he eats and is less lethargic - BUT he remains having difficulty swimming upright.  He looks like a paraplegic fish - uses his fins to pull himself up. But sometimes gets help from his swim bladder it seems. This has been going on for like 10+ days. The only difference is he is no longer lethargic and voraciously eats.

 

any ideas?

I think it would be worthwhile treating with Epsom salt baths 1 table spoon for 1 gallon for no more than minutes for 5 days as Epsom salt acts as a muscle relaxant to relieve pressure on the swim bladder