# Hunchback? Is this normal?



## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

This is my guy Pencil. I have had him 1 month. The breeder (from aquabid) told me he was listless prior to shipping. When I got him, he seemed ill, and was shedding his slime coat ALOT and not pooping, or else his poop was clear. I treated him with "General Cure" and he perked up, began pooping, and not shedding his slime coat so I can only guess it was parasites? (His "brothers" also perked up after General Cure). Now, he seems totally normal as far as feeding and pooing, but his swimming and posture is very odd... he almost looks like he has a hunch back! Is this normal? He should only be about 4-5 months old... and he looks like an old man betta!  Here's some pics and I will try to post a video too... His breeder photo looks GREAT and he does not appear to have a hunchback there. Am I being crazy? Has anyone seen this before??

*Breeder photo*







*
Home Photos*
First home- sick:








More recent:


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't see anything wrong :/


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

It's very subtle... But if you saw him in person, I think you would see it. Here's a video of him swimming, which he seems healthy and active, and all that.... But still, I think something is off....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_NdcOYVboY


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

Especially the 2nd pic (first home pic where he is sick) he swam like that (head up, body down)... now his swimming is more horizontal, but his back is kinda hunched like his tail is heavy... None of my other HM's swim like this. There is more power in their swimming.


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

He seriously looks fine to me. All betta slpledens have slight hunches in their backs- some more than others, but it shouldn't pose any threat that I know of to him.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Being sick could have aged him? Idk. I remember about a month ago when I woke up and looked at one of my fish and I just knew he was an old man. Don't know why, but he is.


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## betta dude (May 22, 2011)

evry betta has a back like that i like your betta by the way


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

Hmm. Ok, I don't think you all see what I am seeing. Yes, bettas have hunched backs to a DEGREE, but for him, it is more so, and looks unhealthy. Bettas should be "solid" and to me, he does not look solid. His hunch looks like he is weak, like his tail is too heavy, or he does not have energy to swim straight. It is very subtle, like I said, but there is definitely a difference between his swimming and my other bettas.


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

Maybe his tail is just too heavy for him? How new is he? He might just need to R&R to re-coupe


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

I've had him 1 month. He and another male I got from the same breeder were both listless/sick when I got them, so I treated them with General Cure, which perked them both up. The other guy is doing GREAT and seems very healthy (just skinny), but this guy seems off to me. He swims around and stuff, but he has that hunch, and it is more than just the regular betta hunch. Its like his whole body is bending in half... If this is just his anatomy then fine, but I feel like something is wrong. I can't imagine why a young male would look this way...


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Even I think his tail is too heavy, especially because in the video it sort of makes him sink, tail down and head up.. I don't think he has a hunch back, I have a guy with a hunchback and it looks like there are angles in his spine, I don't see it with Pencil.. Maybe if you got a flare pic we could compare with the breeder's flare pic.. Otherwise he looks normal 
I love his half-a-French mustache btw X3


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

I might have a pic of him flaring. Can you post a pic of your hunchback? The more I look at him, what it looks like to me is not so much his back but more his underbelly I guess. My other bettas have a straight line under belly. His bends midway, giving that hunched appearance. I think his tail is too heavy too, even though it is super thin. 3 of my fishies have staches.. :3 2 of them are girls. !! lol


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Here you go.. He's my ugly duckling  
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=74285&page=20

Should really get those girls waxed X3


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## BerkB33 (Oct 23, 2009)

Pencil is colored very nicely...good name too. The only thing I saw was about 12 seconds in to the video he stopped swimming and his tail "sank," but it looked like he was resting in the discharge of the filter and just "drifting" with the flow of water. He also looked a little "chubby," kind of "round bellied," maybe if he fasted for a day or so it would improve his swim motion? He looks really nice to me...?

I have barbs in another tank I keep. When they over eat, mainly with flake, they float in a head down position. I've noticed my bettas, when their bellies are full, do this same thing, but not in the exagerated manner the barbs do. Possibility?


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

they prefer the european look.

I see how your guy has an angled hunch. How is he doing, btw? Did his lesion heal?


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

BerkB33 said:


> Pencil is colored very nicely...good name too. The only thing I saw was about 12 seconds in to the video he stopped swimming and his tail "sank," but it looked like he was resting in the discharge of the filter and just "drifting" with the flow of water. He also looked a little "chubby," kind of "round bellied," maybe if he fasted for a day or so it would improve his swim motion? He looks really nice to me...?
> 
> I have barbs in another tank I keep. When they over eat, mainly with flake, they float in a head down position. I've noticed my bettas, when their bellies are full, do this same thing, but not in the exagerated manner the barbs do. Possibility?


Thanks and thanks for the first 2 compliments.  yeah, if he stops swimming he pretty much does a butt dive. His back end is usually lower than the front end when swimming... so, this is odd to me. My other bettas don't swim that way. He does have a big fat belly, but that's because he and the other 2 I got from the breeder are soooo skinny, so I let them eat a fair amount to try to bulk them up. Maybe he is constipated? Would that cause weird swimming posture?


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

o, n/m i just read thru the thread. Glad that hes doing better, fighter!


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Thanks I'm glad too! He' picked up an attitude and everything XD


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## BerkB33 (Oct 23, 2009)

When I first started keeping bettas a few years ago I was pretty "liberal" with their feedings. As a result, in MY opinion, it would lead to a bloating problem, then, it seemed, the bloated betta would come down with dropsy. Which is a bloating, pine coning disease that's usually fatal. What I've read says the bloating should not necessarily be considered the "cause" of dropsy...but that dropsy causes the bloating. Anyway, I learned the hard way. I watch very carefully for any increase in the size of their stomachs and will every week or so have a day of fasting. I suppose it's possible that when they're overfed the bacteria can more easily invade their system...or something like that? Old Fish Lady I'm sure knows the answer to that...guess I'll see if she can tell me.


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

hmm. None of my bettas are having bloat problems at the moment. I had a betta who died of dropsy (was healed 1x, then got it again and died) but he didn't eat at all when he had dropsy. And he didn't eat much before it either. I don't think Pencil is bloated at all, his stomach isn't actually that big.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

He looks ok, just keep an eye on him. But really? "Farts a Flame"?


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

hahaha! That was my friend Paul! So awesome!!


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

*rolls eyes* lol


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