# constipated or something else?



## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

hey guys, 
I posted bout 2 & 1/2 to 3 weeks ago about Ish's gills looking grey. He's been fine after a couple days, sorry I didnt get back on, had some family issues that distracted me once I saw him gain his color back.
Now I think we have a new problem. I was feeding like 10 minutes ago, and noticed that the area between the bottom of his head and sorta below/in front of his gills. There's no scales sticking out that obvious, and his sides don't look swollen, just the bottom part. 
He's eating like a little pig, swimming around, and his fins aren't clamped to his body. He gets Hikari multi-vitamin enriched brine shrimp usually every day (two to three small pinches) and usually 3-4 times a week he gets a special treat, tetra baby shrimp sun dried gammerus (1 to 2 crushed, depends on size of the shrimp that i get out). 
I'm hoping it's constipation, and I might be freaking out cause I was looking at pictures and one that looked like his was said to be a tumor. Sorta highly unlikely (fingers crossed)


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## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

ok, couldn't find the edit button so this will work. I was looking through some other threads and found how to describe where Ish is swollen, in his pectoral fin area. hopefully this will help ya'll get a better idea of where. I plan on posting pictures, one of my friends borrowed my camera and the one on my phone bites, so it'll be tomorrow morning before I can post one... if Ish lets me get a picture that is lol


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Is he THIS kind of bloated?:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/lauraleellbp/10gal Betta/sickbetta.jpg

Or more like:
http://www.total-care-guide.com/CrownTail3.jpg
?


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## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

PewPewPew said:


> Is he THIS kind of bloated?:
> http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/lauraleellbp/10gal Betta/sickbetta.jpg
> 
> this type of bloated :-?


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## kgs1992 (Jun 11, 2011)

Have a look from the top & check how his scales look.

Is it like these:


















Or like this:









Also, when you look from the top, can you see the bloating or no?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

kgs, I hope that top pic of the serious pineconing isn't your fish.  

Ishybaby, the best way to tell if he is constipated is to put him in a barebottom tank. Either put him in a hospital tank (with heater of course) or remove all the gravel from his current tank. Then watch for poo. If he's not passing any in 24 hours, it's most likely constipation. Post back if he hasn't gone and we'll talk treatment. 

Also, fast him. Don't feed him another bite even if he begs and he will. Oh yes, he will definitely beg.


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## kgs1992 (Jun 11, 2011)

@Sakura: No, it's not my fish, but whoever had that fish; I pity him/her.
@ishybaby: I suggest you do NOT add salt to the water and as Sakura said, move him to a hospital tank & maintain optimum water quality.
Please do get back about the symptoms of your betta's condition.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

kgs1992 said:


> @Sakura: No, it's not my fish, but whoever had that fish; I pity him/her.
> @ishybaby: I suggest you do NOT add salt to the water and as Sakura said, move him to a hospital tank & maintain optimum water quality.
> Please do get back about the symptoms of your betta's condition.


That's good, I didn't think you'd let your fish get that bad.  But someone sure did, poor thing.

Ishybaby, I agree. Don't add salt until we know what's going on. Hang in there.


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## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

thanks for responding guys  

@kgs1992: from the top his doesn't have any bloating or scales sticking out, he looks like the third picture you have posted

so no salt right now, hospital tank, and being looked at like i'm a mean person/getting puppy eyes cause of no food... lol this is gonna be fun


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## kgs1992 (Jun 11, 2011)

It's a good thing he doesn't look like the one's in the first two pics 
Yes, and no matter how much he pouts, don't give in. No food for at least a week or till he poops and the bloat reduces.
Keep the heat up around 80 it's good.
Also, if you see anything abnormal, get back and post immediately. (Pics would be appreciated as it's much easier to see what's wrong.)
As for trying to make him poop, you can make him flare by holding up a mirror against his tank and he will flare and dance around the tank.
Try this 3-4 times a day but for no longer than a few minutes.
Needless to say, water changes of 50% every other day for 2.5 gal and above and 100% every other day for <2.5gal.
Keep us posted.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

ishybaby said:


> thanks for responding guys
> 
> @kgs1992: from the top his doesn't have any bloating or scales sticking out, he looks like the third picture you have posted
> 
> so no salt right now, hospital tank, and being looked at like i'm a mean person/getting puppy eyes cause of no food... lol this is gonna be fun


Welcome to the club.  My guy bit me when I fasted him for constipation. Think I would have preferred the puppy eyes . . . oh wait, got those too . . . and the wiggle dance . . . and the one where he floats at the top and looks up at the surface a lot, then at me, then at the food, then at the surface . . .


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## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

update:
Ish has had a TINY poo, and seems slightly more swollen. he was acting normal, especially when i tried to get pictures of not wanting to look away from me thinking it was a game. I drove 2 & 1/2 hours to parents house for the weekend and he came with, but he seems worse now. I put him in the 1 gal bowl that they have for him with a heater, and he started floating sideways and gasping for air. I grabbed his smaller traveling cup and put cleaned water in and placed him inside and he's still acting odd, lying on the bottom and laying sideways. But when you pick the cup up he starts swimming normal. 
He also had little white spots on one side and i was like "ich! o no!" and ran my finger by his side and they floated away, so i guess air bubbles? 
so now that ya'll have witnessed my tiny (ok, major) worry attack over a betta fish, any suggestions, or is it the waiting game? reason i ask, is cause my parents have a petsmart and crappy lfs down the highway from their house if i need to grab anything for him tomorrow.

thanks guys


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

I'd advise an epsom salt treatment at this point..I havent kept up with this thread, but tbh, he needs more than just fasting if hes that big.

I would add in 2tsp/gallon of unscented epsom salt to the tank, pre-dissolved. Do not feed him, of course. Do this for 3 days, and then for 7-9 more, use 3tsp/gallon. Change the water each day, and acclimate him accordingly. Keep him in a dark, peaceful place.

Epsom salt acts as a laxative to help him go as well as helps reduce swelling in his belly. I would stick the heat at 78'F if you can.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Only a tiny poo and he's MORE swollen? Not good. It's time to try the epsom salts. Mix 2 tsps into 1 gallon of dechlorinated water and let dissolve (stir it to make it go faster otherwise it will take FOREVER). When it's as dissolved as it's going to be, pour it in with him, but try not to pour it ON him. Keep him warm and quiet and if it looks like he is having trouble rising to the surface to breathe, you can lower the water level to 1 and 1/2 inches. If he will eat, get some NO SALT ADDED frozen peas. Take one and put in boiing water for 2 minutes. Next, take it out and put it in some ice water for about 30 seconds. Now that the pea is blanched, cut it in half and take out a small part from the middle. You only want a piece of pea that's about as big as a pellet, absolutely no bigger. Let your guy eat that. 

After this, it's the waiting game. Fast him, change the water and continue the epsom salts every day, post if anything happens or you just want some encouraging words.  I hope he gets better, I hope the salt works. Hang in there and get well soon, little betta buddy!


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## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

lol got another question guys
I got a mirror and held it in front of Ish, and my mom and I thought he was gonna flare quick, but he never did. He would sorta swim up to the side and look, then turn around and ignore it. what'd do ya'll think, is he just not interested or too sick to flare? or something else? I never had a betta that wasn't willing to flare even when sick


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Has he always flared quick? Depending on how often you get him to flare, he could be not interested or on to your little game. ;-) But there's a possibility he might not feel up to it since he doesn't feel well. I hope it's the former option and he's just wised up and realizes, "Hey that's just me in that mirror and dang it, I look good."


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## ishybaby (Jun 1, 2011)

Hey guys! just letting ya know ish finally had a poo  yay!
thanks for the help!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

ishybaby said:


> Hey guys! just letting ya know ish finally had a poo  yay!
> thanks for the help!


Wooohoo! *happy dance* Good to hear, I hope he's on the road to recovery. :-D


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