# Swim bladder?



## LunaBetta (Apr 26, 2005)

Okay, we took all of our bettas in to the kitchen for their water change and noticed something very odd about "Blaze" our oldest Betta. We have had him since about November and got him at a local pet store. We noticed that he seemed to be fighting very hard to stay on the bottom of his tank and the second he stopped fighting he bobbed back up to the top like a fishing bobber. When he was fighting to stay at the bottom his rear end stayed up. We also noticed his gills were more flared or poofed out than usual. When he breathes at the surface a HUGE bubble comes out. We don't know what's wrong. We thought maybe it was swim bladder but we are really looking for more insight. please help?


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Thats the problem when water changes are carried out repeatedly, the fishes system dosn't have time to ajust to the new/cleaner water conditions. Best not do as many water changes from now on and don't feed your other bettas as much to prevent the same thing from happening. Poor fish.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

What?? 

Your fish has either gas or a swimbladder infection, and there's not much to do about it in either case but wait to see what happens.


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## Celeste (May 13, 2005)

how can changing the water too much cause that? that makes no sense. i do a 100% water change once a week on my bettas and have never had that kind of problem, and i feed them once a day, probably more than most people do (about 8 betta pellets or a small pinch of blood worms)


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Cichlid Man @ Sat May 14 said:


> Thats the problem when water changes are carried out repeatedly, the fishes system dosn't have time to ajust to the new/cleaner water conditions. Best not do as many water changes from now on and don't feed your other bettas as much to prevent the same thing from happening. Poor fish.


_*WRONG*_!

You will NEVER kill a fish with fresh water if you have been doing your water changes regularly, and are useing the same water source and perform the change appropriately; temp etc.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Yes, but the problem is when water changes are not done regulary and the water quality gets bad and then when all of the sudden a 100% water change is carried out the fish can't get used to the new water parameters in time resulting in a stressed fish prone to disease. Thats the issue here. If you can't get used to the idea that fish don't benifit from extreme changes in water qualities then fish keeping is a waste of time for you.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Normally you'd have a point, however weekly water changes qualify as "regular". That point is therefore moot.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

It's not about how many water changes you do, it's what you do to keep the water desirable for the fish without letting the water drop to undesirable levels.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Cichlid Man @ Sun May 15 said:


> It's not about how many water changes you do, it's what you do to keep the water desirable for the fish without letting the water drop to undesirable levels.


Makes no sense .... because thats exactly what you are doing to keep the water quality up ... the changes, and thereby keeping it from dropping to unnaceptable levels.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

The point is, if the water quality drops to say, pH 6.5, nitrates and nitrite quite high and then all of the sudden a 100% water change is carried out and the water is suddenly pH 8, nitrates and nitrite levels are 0, in a short space of say 5 minutes, this puts a huge amount of stress on the fish causing a disease outbreak more likely. But if the water gets undesirably bad and then say 10% of the water is changed every day until the water quality is exeptable, THEN 100% water changes can be carried out on a regular basis to prevent the water quality dropping again in the future.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

And you honestly think that those conditions were occuring in a betta bowl? 

My thought is not likely.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Well thats the problem with betta bowls, water fluctuations can be extreme due to no filteratian system. Those water parameters were just examples.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

And i agree, however this case in point, those that you pointed out, however accurate in other situations would be VERY unlikely to occur in the example above.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

And I agree, but if you don't test your water regulary then you haven't a clue of what could be going on with your water. All I'm saying is that I don't agree with betta bowls.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

I was under the impression that your point was:



Cichlid Man @ Sun May 15 said:


> Yes, but the problem is when water changes are not done regulary and  the water quality gets bad and then when all of the sudden a 100% water change is carried out the fish can't get used to the new water parameters in time resulting in a stressed fish prone to disease. Thats the issue here. If you can't get used to the idea that fish don't benifit from extreme changes in water qualities then fish keeping is a waste of time for you.


To which i responded (at length)



> Normally you'd have a point, however weekly water changes qualify as "regular". That point is therefore moot.


Heh, i guess we were arguing 2 different points ... or something


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

LOL, it's all healthy good fun.


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## Celeste (May 13, 2005)

if done right, betta bowls are just fine. i never test the water in my betta bowls and they all are perfectly happy, always have been. i have no filters, no heaters, i do 100% water change once a week and have never had a problem. i've never even had a betta get Ich before! my pond fish, who are in a 150 gallon pond with a filter made for a 300 gallon pond get ich every spring! we have never lost a fish to ich because we always treat it right away and they recover completely, but they still seem to get it every spring. i've never had a betta get anything in a betta bowl. my new betta, he's been in his bowl for less than 48 hours and he's already got a nice bubble nest going.


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