# Sitting vertically?



## Fac8900 (Apr 6, 2013)

I attached a pic. My betta has been sitting looking up vertically or laying on its side for a few weeks now. From research I thought it was SBD but I tried to stop feeding him and giving him a blanched pea which he ate but didnt help. His appetite seems to be fine but he legit can't swim right, he seems off balance and always rests like so in the pic. I usually feed a small pinch of flakes daily. Any help is appreciated


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Hello and welcome to the forums. Could you answer the following questions please? They'll help us determine any potential problems. 

Housing 
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?


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## Fac8900 (Apr 6, 2013)

SpookyTooth said:


> Hello and welcome to the forums. Could you answer the following questions please? They'll help us determine any potential problems.
> 
> Housing
> What size is your tank? About 1 gal.
> ...


 don't know how to tell. Got him mid-January 



Fac8900 said:


> I attached a pic. My betta has been sitting looking up vertically or laying on its side for a few weeks now. From research I thought it was SBD but I tried to stop feeding him and giving him a blanched pea which he ate but didnt help. His appetite seems to be fine but he legit can't swim right, he seems off balance and always rests like so in the pic. I usually feed a small pinch of flakes daily. Any help is appreciated


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

May I ask: have you kept fish before? I only ask because the following may sound a bit overwhelming if you are new to fish or bettas in general, but I assure you that there are lots of articles available on the website (as well as many wonderful, experienced members) that can help if you feel you need it 

I imagine it may be ammonia poisoning (or related to ammonia anyway). Ammonia is highly toxic. The container is extremely small and the water changes are too few. A container that size, I'm afraid, would need water changes every other day in order to keep ammonia at safe levels (0) - perhaps even daily water changes. Is it at all possible for you to get a larger aquarium? At least 2.5 gallons would be great but larger is always better. It'll offer more room for swimming, more water volume to dilute the ammonia produced via the fish's gills (fish don't pee, they excrete ammonia, and their droppings decay and produce ammonia too), it'd also allow you to invest in an adjustable heater which will ensure that the water stays at a constant temperature. In my opinion consistent temperatures are more important that one within the immediate range (78 - 80F for bettas).

Larger aquariums allow for decorations and hiding places which can reduce fish stress and keep the immune system in tact (stress = weakened immune system). Anything above 5 gallons also allows for filter to be installed and a cycle to be established (there are lots of articles on this website about cycling; in short it establishes a colony of beneficial bacteria in the filter that eat ammonia and turn it into something less dangerous).

Some people have had success keeping bettas in 1 gallon aquariums or containers but I really feel 2 gallons is a lot safer for the animal.

When you change the water, do you acclimatize the fish back into it? Acclimatizing is critical to prevent osmotic shock which can kill the animal or stress it, thus weakening the immune system. A fish needs to be acclimatized to both temperature and water quality and this is done by gradually swapping out old water with new, dechlorinated water over a period of time (usually 20 - 40 minutes).

Tropical fish flakes can also cause bloat and SBD, as well as increasing ammonia levels if too much is fed (which is often the case with flakes, I stopped using them because I could not measure out meals). A betta's stomach is a about the size of its eye and because of this they only need a small amount of food. Small and regular is usually best and a good brand of betta pellets are usually recommended. I use Hikari betta pellets but I don't know if they are still in business.

Bettas are also carnivorous so I would not advise feeding a pea again as their digestive systems are not designed to cope with that much vegetable matter (although they do have trace amounts of vegetable matter in their diet).


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I think that SpookyTooth gave you great advice.

Here's what I would do, if this was my fish:

1) Since he's in a 1 gal tank, I would follow the water change recommendations listed here. This means doing at least one 50% water change and one 100% water change per week. And since he is sick, I would do even more frequent water changes. As SpookyTooth described, ammonia and toxins can build up very quickly in small tanks. So frequent water changes are needed.

2) I would fast him for a day or two, so that the bloating goes down. Then, I would switch his food to a quality pellet, such as New Life Spectrum pellets, or Omega One Betta Buffet pellets. 

The Tropical Medley Flakes, that you're using currently, contain a lot of grains (rice, wheat, potato, soybean, etc). This can contribute to bloating and constipation, and buoyancy issues like your guy is having. Also, as SpookyTooth mentioned, flakes tend to be messy to feed, and can cause the water quality to decline if bits are left to decompose.

3) I would add some Epsom salt to his tank. Epsom salt can help relieve bloating, constipation, and buoyancy issues cause by this. Look for 100% pure magnesium sulfate. (No dyes, perfumes or additives.) (Do NOT use aquarium salt; it is not the same as Epsom salt, and could make his condition worse.)

4) Whenever you change his water (including if you add Epsom salt), you should acclimate him slowly, as SpookyTooth described. There are many ways to do a water change and acclimate (reintroduce) your fish back into the tank. Here is one variation:

 Note the temperature of the water.
 Using a plastic cup, scoop him, along with some of his water, into the cup.
 Clean out the tank. Refill with water at the SAME temp. Be sure to add the correct amount of water conditioner.
 Float his cup in the tank for about 15 min.
 Add a SMALL amount of NEW water to the cup. (Several tablespoons, or about 1.5 ounces.)
 Let his cup float for about 10 min.
 If the cup starts to fill too much, remove a SMALL amount of water from the cup. Discard it.
 Repeat steps 5-7, until about an hour has passed. 
 Gently release him into the tank.

If you decide to use Epsom salt, I would vary this slightly as follows:

 Note the temperature of the water.
 Using a plastic cup, scoop him, along with some of his water, into the cup.
 Clean out the tank. Refill with water at the SAME temp. Be sure to add the correct amount of water conditioner. *Add 1 teaspoon Epsom salt per gallon of new water. Make sure the salt is completely dissolved by stirring/mixing. You don't want the fish to come in contact with any undissolved salt.*
 Float his cup in the tank for about 15 min.
 Add a SMALL amount of NEW water to the cup. (Several tablespoons, or about 1.5 ounces.)
 Let his cup float for about 10 min.
 If the cup starts to fill too much, remove a SMALL amount of water from the cup. Discard it.
 Repeat steps 5-7, until about an hour has passed. 
 Gently release him into the tank.
 Continue to keep him in Epsom salt solution for 10-14 days, or until he is able to swim normally again.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you for expanding on that, LittleBlueFishlets. Was getting late last night and I'd had a blah day, was tuckered out.

LittleBlueFishlets advice is spot on. Good luck!!


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