# Betta floating sideways sometimes



## muggie (Mar 17, 2012)

Hi,

i got a betta and he is floating sideways sometimes only. when he is moving, he looks normal. when he's steady, he begins to float sideways. is he suffering from Swim Bladder disorder? what should i do?

Thanks.


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## aqua001 (Jan 13, 2012)

Could you answer these questions? Thanks!


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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## muggie (Mar 17, 2012)

Housing 
What size is your tank? --- small? 1/2 gal.
What temperature is your tank? --- 69F
Does your tank have a filter? --- no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? --- no
Is your tank heated? --- no
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? --- none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? --- flakes
How often do you feed your betta fish? --- i have this fish for a day, i fed him one afternoon.

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? --- just had the fish for a day
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: 7.6
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? --- he looks normal. color is okay.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? --- floating sideways sometimes and if he's steady. doesn't swim much.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? --- hrs after i put him in the tank.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? --- not yet. 
Does your fish have any history of being ill? --- no. he was ok when i bought him.
How old is your fish (approximately)? --- ask my fish? lol i don't know.


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## wystearya (Sep 27, 2010)

I'm not an expert, but I can tell you a few things.

1st - Your really going to need a larger tank. Half a gallon is too small. You need at least a 2 gallon tank, 5 gallon is even better!

2nd - The temperature is way too low at 69 degrees. Bettas need a heater, and the temperature should be anywhere from 76-80 degrees. >> Don't get a heater and put it in the half gallon tank! It likely will be too little water and get too hot. Heaters are rated by tank size and I'm not sure they make them for anything smaller than 5 gallons.

3rd - A filter would be a nice thing to have, but not 100% necessary.

4th - Flakes are usually not good Betta food. Try getting some kind of Betta pellets. To feed these take a plastic spoon and get a bit of tank water to soak them in a few minutes before feeding to your fish. This will soften them and make them easier to eat.

5th - Did you get any kind of de-chlorinator for the water? This is a MUST have!!! 

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Your Betta is probably really cold and that is why he is not swimming much. Though, if you didn't use any de-chlorinator he is probably ill from the chlorine in your tap water.


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## newarkhiphop (Apr 22, 2011)

yea your betta is unhappy you need

1. a bigger tank , at least 1 full gallon 
2. a heater
3. water conditioned 
4. betta pellets


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## aqua001 (Jan 13, 2012)

I strongly forward Wystrearya. It seems like he may have hurt his swim bladder. If I were you I would not treat him yet. just keep a close eye one him and update us with his progress.


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## muggie (Mar 17, 2012)

his current pic... 

the water is conditioned. i have bloodworms ready for him once he gets well. i hope.

should i give him a pea??


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I agree about all recommendation that you already get. Well my betta live long in 74* though. But i want to say something else.
1/2 gall you need to do 100% water changes every about 3 days. When you change the water try the new water be +-2* the same temp as he already in. You can put water conditioner and let it stay this way water will be the same temp if he is in the water that is room temperature.
How much flakes you gave him? You wrote that he was ok when you bought him. So may be you gave him too much of the flakes. Try to fast him for a day and see if he is better. Is he bloated? If he will get worse and fasting will not help give us update. You will need to do Epsom salt treatment. Give us update and we will give you instruction on that. 

I would alway recommend to have aquarium salt or epsom salt at home if you have a betta.

I personally don't like flakes. I feed with pellets. But i really don't like to give more then 2-3 at once. I feed my bettas 2 times a day. And one day a week fasting is recommending. I like Aqueon Betta pellet, New Life SPECTRUM Betta Formula. Also there is TOPFIN Color Enhancing Betta Bits kind of bigger then others but my bettas eat it.

Good luck give us update.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

We put thread at the same time. Did he get like that after you feed him?


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## muggie (Mar 17, 2012)

i live in a basement and its cold here so i might transfer him to the ground floor… i hope it will help get the right temp. 
what do you mean by +-2*?
i gave him i think around 5 flakes. lol i think i overfed him.  i think he is bloated. he has this "snake" shape too when he's swimming. what is worse than floating sideways? 

i read about the epsom salt… actually i already prepared a bowl with a conditioned water and with epsom salt. lol. 

the first day in his new tank, i didn't put aquarium salt. 

yes, he started floating sideways after feeding him.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

If he get like that after you fed him then just fast him tomorrow and see if he is better. I don't think that 5 flakes it too much though. Wait until tomorrow give us update. 
You don't need to put aquarium salt. Aquarium salt you usually treat bettas with other disease. It don't recommended to put aq salt on regular basis.

+-2* i meant when you change his water you need to make sure that new water that you going to put him in will be the same temperature that he is already in. Big difference in the temp can shock him. If you have him in the room temperature how i understood you can let water stay for 8-12,24 hrs this way temp will be the same as you fish already in. I have thermometer which you can stick on out side of the tank , which is very sensitive. 

 

​As low as $6.99


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

DO NOT feed peas. Some people do, some people don't, I don't think it's worth the risk when you have epsom salt. Sometimes it just makes the problem worse.

Fasting him would be the best thing to do.. Betta do not know when to stop eating, and will eat themselves to death so you must be careful how much you feed. 2 or 3 small meals a day is better than one meal a day. 

You should be able to get a 2.5 gallon glass tank at petsmart for around $15 plus tax.
I'm sure there are 2 gallon or bigger fish bowls available as well, if you like the fish bowl look.
You should be able to find a Tetra brand heater, for 2-15 gallon tanks, for $15 plus tax at Walmart. 
Walmart also has a 5 gallon starter kit with a filter (but no heater) for around $30 if you have room for that 
69F is REALLY cold. Even when he gets better, his colour will be bad, and he will just sit around all day and not do much.. If you upgrade him, with a heater, his colour will show better and he will swim around all day like crazy.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

i want to add something to what i wrote. If you ever will use aged water like i wrote don't forget to put water conditioner


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