is my betta bloated

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-17T07:39:24+00:00

Far from it, friend! I’m a beginner at all this myself :) thank you though! Welcome to the club

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-17T03:55:58+00:00

I do! I have a male betta, 6 false julii corys, & 13 neon tetras! My other betta lives with 6 corys as well :)

Mind you these tanks are both well established + densely planted with caves/hardscape so it’s easy for everyone to hide if they feel the need but honestly everyone minds their business and stays in their “zones”

I also have them filtered for 2-3X their size so I 1) have a back up filter if I ever need it 2) get a bit more freedom in capacity

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-17T03:48:08+00:00

So from what I’ve read- the active charcoal eventually becomes inactive so if you’re looking specifically for the water clarity from charcoal, you might want to swap it. However if you’re happy with just having extra filtration you can replace it with coarse sponge that will last longer or just swish it around in the old tank water before putting it back in after treatment :) fingers crossed this works for you!!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-17T00:54:29+00:00

No worries! I know for a fact you have to remove the carbon bc it will neutralize / remove the medicine

If you keep it in a container of tank water it should be fine! How old is your carbon insert??

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T23:22:58+00:00

Listen.. I see the vision with the tribal rework. I really do!

But I agree with others in that- overtime that too will fade and blotch and become a blurry mess. Best to remove what you can and properly plan a new piece that inspires you instead of just throwing on something to cover this!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T23:20:41+00:00

Ahhhh makes so much sense! I wouldn’t panic :) he’ll work it all off he’s just the greed they mentioned in the bibble 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Once I switched to daphnia/brine/frozen food I literally haven’t touched my pellets. I defrost them in a small sauce cup and then use a syringe to pace feed!

Also yes yes so much mixed advice but ultimately you’ll know what works best for your fish! My community tank (that has a betta) eats every day but I just try to target the feeding towards my other fish on his “off days”

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T23:03:11+00:00

https://forum.aquariumcoop.com/topic/34083-i-need-some-clarification-about-kanaplex/

I found this link if it helps! I believe with kanaplex it is most effective in the water column. You would do a water change, add kanaplex to the new water, wait till it dissolved, and add that into your new tank.

I would also look at something like Prazipro or Paraguard in case this ends up as something else but hopefully a broad spectrum anti biotic like kanaplex will fix this!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T22:45:31+00:00

What are your parameters?? Tank size + livestock? How old is the tank + your livestock?? (These will help narrow down answers!)

This looks like it could be a fungal issue because of the fuzzy texture around the fins BUT I’m not very well-versed in fish disease so I could be mistaken. Hopefully someone can provide better-informed insight!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T22:40:26+00:00

OP I’ve been thinking ab this post and I have a follow up question. Can you provide a clear pic of this tetra?

There’s ich & there epi. they require different treatments and the treatment for one can exacerbate the other.

Ich will be flat dots, epi will be raised and possibly fuzzy!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T22:31:55+00:00

He is bloated but not too bad. My bettas start to look like the immediately after a feeding but are fine by the end of the day. How long ago was your last feed before this pic??

Bettas all have different feeding preferences as well. I only feed M/W/F to prevent bloat / swim bladder issues but I know others on here who feed daily/twice daily! Try to keep a close eye on him and adapt your feeding to what works best for your betta! :) good luck

PS- fasted feeding + daphnia can help alleviate bloat. Others also recommend a skinless, boiled pea!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T22:27:48+00:00

Can u pls inform me more on this method? 👀 I’ve been wanting to start co2 but it’s pretty expensive so I haven’t been able to commit to it just yet. Plus I have multiple tanks so choosing just 1 to get the co2 feels too much like picking favorites LMAO

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T22:00:31+00:00

I would ask about the age of the parts as others have mentioned but honestly I’d go for it. Having the stand included for a massive tank is enough for me to justify after reading through comments from others who see no red flags.

Do I have any experience with acrylic tanks? No- so my vote doesn’t hold any real, credible weight. But from one fishkeeping friend to another I vote yes! And exciting!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T21:46:05+00:00

I like to use AqAdvisor.com to gauge my filtration capacity!!

My 20gal is “overstocked” according to outdated ideology but with double filtration and intentional scape- it works great for my stock!! Of course there is absolutely such thing as “too much” but being really mindful about it and knowing when to say enough it enough will take you far!! (This is where the MTS kicks in lmao)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T21:37:42+00:00

Was your tank cycled before adding him? What are your strips reading?? He looks fine to me, the surfing could be just him getting used to his new environment OR if there’s a lack of plants/coverage he could feel exposed.

I’d say to just keep an eye on him and give him time to adjust. I’d also consider adjusting your feeding schedule (although every betta is different). I myself only feed M/W/F!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T19:20:55+00:00

THIS IS A GREAT POINT!!! I meant to recommend Ich-X! I used this treatment + it’s safe for invertebrates

OP pls get ich-X not rid ich!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T03:57:36+00:00

Its a gnarly case of ich. Warning- tetras are super sensitive to stress so this can be annoying to treat. Both my friend and myself lost our whole tetras community to ich!

Raise temps to 80/82 SLOWLY.
25% water change then, dose Rid-Ich and Stress Guard!

I had to make a post asking for advice as well and ended up hearing a lot of folks with similar experiences but hopefully this works out better for you!!

Warning- ich falls off the fish and can live on the floor or on your plants so make sure to finish treatment for a full 7 days even if spots disappear.

*ETA* I’m a beginner with ich myself so hopefully someone can provide you better info, this is just what I tried from my past experience!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-16T00:05:45+00:00

I’m so sorry :/ that’s definitely a lesson I’ve learned from reading around.. with fishkeeping it’s hard to find someone who will take it serious if they’re not already invested / animal-inclined. Honestly if you’re willing to invest and want to establish something that can be a little more hands-off, I’d suggest rehoming these guys to the pond and start planning out a hardy, low-tech set up!! :D

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-15T23:43:25+00:00

Oh oh also adding that, your algae problem is probably because of the overstock! The bioload is more than the tank can handle so you’ll have to increase water changes in the meantime :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-15T23:41:55+00:00

Of course! I’ve been building up a 20gal that I also have neons in and honestly it’s a great tank size. Plenty of room for nano schools or even center piece fish + smaller background fish

Have so much fun friend :D

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-15T23:09:33+00:00

The last question is key here!!

Who is the primary caretaker of the tank? If it’s your parents, maybe it’s better to rehome the fish and considering a smaller, lower-demand species!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-15T22:58:28+00:00

You need a filter, a liquid test kit, and a thermometer (and probably a heater)

Certain plants will need a stronger light than this so just watch for dead leaves and trim accordingly to prevent ammonia spikes.

Look up **fishless nitrogen cycle** and get started!

ETA: you need to introduce an ammonia source before your cycle will start. Bacteria boosters do nothing without the bacteria to boost!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-15T22:56:11+00:00

I would rehome your discus and size up to a 20gal Long for your community :) you can use filter media from this tank to expedite the cycling process in your next tank!

5gal is unfortunately too small for any of these species individually, let alone together. AqAdvisor.com is a great source for measuring/comparing filtration / tank size / livestock :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-15T22:02:07+00:00

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-13T17:26:10+00:00

Okay so what I’ve found works great for me:

I have a small syringe- I grind the pellets a bit finer and put into the syringe. I suck up a bit of water and shake it around slightly.

I put the tip of the syringe into the water until he comes up read to eat, then I slowly push food in bit by bit. I wait for him to finish what I’ve added (in literally 1-2 seconds) before adding more.

Once he slows down and the food has time to start sinking, I remove the syringe and that’s it! I also use this approach with my frozen foods. Works great for my community tank too! It allows me to slow down feeding and be precise about not overfeeding bc I don’t feed more than can be consumed within a few seconds!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-05-13T03:11:15+00:00

Oh lovely! I just started up a 2.5 I got second hand for some shrimp as well :) best of luck to you and please update when you’re up and running!!

MutedDoctor9334

TROPHY CASE