# See-through belly??



## nunuchan (Nov 6, 2010)

For the past week or so my betta has had very translucent scales underneath his beard, and it is always more pronounced right after I feed him. He doesn't show any signs of lethargy however though his dark blue scales I can see a creamish colored area where all of his important organs are. =/
Once, I didn't feed him for a night and it went away but feeding him less the next night just brought it back. He's an aggressive eater and is always doing tricks around his toys for food, even right after he's been fed his flakes.
I thought he might be constipated but I'm not sure. 

Any ideas??


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Sometimes when darker fish get bloated, the pale area that's usually covered up by the ventrals and the gill beard become much more pronounced. It's a fairly normal color pattern, but it does indicate that something about his feeding and his environment needs to change. Can you fill this out? http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

A clear picture of him would be extremely helpful.


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## nunuchan (Nov 6, 2010)

Adastra said:


> Sometimes when darker fish get bloated, the pale area that's usually covered up by the ventrals and the gill beard become much more pronounced. It's a fairly normal color pattern, but it does indicate that something about his feeding and his environment needs to change. Can you fill this out? http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233
> 
> A clear picture of him would be extremely helpful.


Housing 
What size is your tank? 0.5 gallon
What temperature is your tank? Warm, I don't know the exact temp.
Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? NO
Is your tank heated? Several times a day I replace some water with warm water.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? BettaMin flakes
How often do you feed your betta fish? Once a night except for after I change his water 100%, which I give him a little extra.

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? Once every four days or so.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? TopFin Water Conditioner for Bettas.

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

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Swollen, see through belly, but richer in color lately
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? More aggressive than usual, always attacking his reflection.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? About a week ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Feeding him every other night.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)? Have had him for about a month, and I got him from Petsmart, so I ASSUME 7mo.

Again, he's perfectly healthy in behavior except for that little cream spot. I don't have a camera with high enough res but I'll get a pic today.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Sadly, you really set yourself up for a ton of maintenance issues with a 1/2 gallon tank. 100% water changes every 4 days is nowhere near frequent enough to keep the ammonia level down in that tiny amount of water. You should be changing the water every day or every other day at most. This sounds excessive, but trust me, any amount of ammonia can be potentially dangerous to your fish. In such a small amount of water, the ammonia will quickly build up and over time, your fish will have a weakened immune system and likely get an infection from the ammonia burning his delicate fins and gill tissue.

Honestly, the best recommendation I can give you is to get a larger container. Half a gallon of water really is not sufficient to support any vertebrate animal, in my opinion, for many reasons--including the fact that animals in such small spaces often develop destructive neurotic behavior from being confined such as tail biting and glass surfing. Many become obese from lack of exercise. Both of these issues can result in fatal complications. 

Temperature is another big problem in this setup--they don't manufacture heaters that are suitable for safely heating such a small amount of water. Unless you have a room in your house set on a thermostat to suit the fish, you really need to get a larger tank and a good adjustable heater. Most quality heaters are designed for use in aquariums that are 2G or larger in volume, so I consider 2G to be the bare minimum size you should be looking for.

Adding warm water throughout the day is not a good option. You are only causing rapid fluctuations that stress out the fish. In an arid environment like Arizona, it's very hot during the day and very cold at night, which only complicates your temperature issues. Getting a heater would be your best option. 

If you don't have the money to upgrade your tank and get a heater, spend your money on getting a quality heater, and get a cheap temporary container--such as a rubbermaid/sterilite plastic storage bin from walmart or target until you can upgrade to the tank you really want. These are great for bettas, and can be safely heated. Best of all, a 4Gal bin is only about $3. You can't beat that. Plus, you won't have to change the water so much. 

His issue is probably due to complications caused by stress from poor water quality and temperature fluctuations along with temperatures that are probably on the cold side most of the time. Cold blooded animals depend on temperature for metabolic processes like digestion--if they get too cold, digestion and circulation slow, making the fish vulnerable to constipation and bloating. Better water quality and consistent, warm temperatures should be of great help to him.

Good luck, I hope he perks up for you soon.


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## nunuchan (Nov 6, 2010)

What about a filter? I found a decent 10G tank at Petsmart for under 15 bucks, but I kinda only have around 30 to spend right now. What should be my priorities for him before I can get more for him?


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

You can keep bettas in 1 to 2 gallons, although most people on the forums suggest 2.5 gallons. You can pick up a 1-2 gallon glass jar to keep him in for really cheap if you're tight on money. Critter keepers also make really cheap homes. The most important thing is clean water and a heater, then you can save up for whatever tank you like!


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

Tanks/containers under 5 gallons do not need to be filtered if you keep up on the water changes. Most important thing is to get him a bigger home than a half gallon, buying a heater, and frequent water changes 

In my 2.5 gallon I change the water once every 2-3 days. I have live plants as well to help keep the water cleaner.


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## bettabreeder123 (Nov 7, 2010)

*scales*

well since betta scales or any other fish scales are like see through they get their colors from like pigment. so if u see a see through stomach your fish could be worth lots of money or something else that i never heard of.


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

bettabreeder123 said:


> well since betta scales or any other fish scales are like see through they get their colors from like pigment. so if u see a see through stomach your fish could be worth lots of money or something else that i never heard of.


If the see through scales come and go depending on when the fish eats, it's probably a health problem and not natural coloring.


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