Another Fat Betta Story-

[MEAlston]

I took delivery of my female betta at the first of the month..she was
egg-laden at the time. Since, she and her mate have coupled, she has
released eggs...but she still has that swollen belly. Her appetite is
ferocious to say the least.

The lady at the fish store sold me TetraMin granules (good for bettas
clearly marked on the label) and TetraMin Flakes Clear Water Formula with
ProCare®. I'm going to try some Epson Salts, but before I just wanted to
post the question....Her swimming appears fine..her personality is perky and
she isn't afraid of me..I've been able to couple her in my hand and she's
taken flake from my hand...Both fish are not shying away from me.
She comes to the surface when I tap on the hoods.. Lately she is preferring
some seclusion from the male...not out of fright or intimidation, for sure.
I have seen a long, thin fecal track suspended from her about 3 days
ago..but She is still has that pregnant look. Her color is fine, a dark
golden yellow with black recessing into the tail and a powder-white face.
Since this is my first betta, do the females normally mature into a 'rounded
belly', per say?
Thanks...-ED

[Nikki]

"MEAlston" > wrote in message
...
>I took delivery of my female betta at the first of the month..she was
> egg-laden at the time. Since, she and her mate have coupled, she has
> released eggs...but she still has that swollen belly. Her appetite is
> ferocious to say the least.
>
> The lady at the fish store sold me TetraMin granules (good for bettas
> clearly marked on the label) and TetraMin Flakes Clear Water Formula with
> ProCare®. I'm going to try some Epson Salts, but before I just wanted to
> post the question....Her swimming appears fine..her personality is perky
> and
> she isn't afraid of me..I've been able to couple her in my hand and she's
> taken flake from my hand...Both fish are not shying away from me.
> She comes to the surface when I tap on the hoods.. Lately she is
> preferring
> some seclusion from the male...not out of fright or intimidation, for
> sure.
> I have seen a long, thin fecal track suspended from her about 3 days
> ago..but She is still has that pregnant look. Her color is fine, a dark
> golden yellow with black recessing into the tail and a powder-white face.
> Since this is my first betta, do the females normally mature into a
> 'rounded
> belly', per say?
> Thanks...-ED
>
>
all nine of my female are fat with eggs, and have been since I got them. I
would not worry about it. It is not very often that it becomes a problem. If
its causing problems with her swimming or you see she is having a problem
like not eating or something along those lines then worry but if she seems
fine she is. I have one female i been a little worried about because i was
getting ready to breed her, had her in the glass and even released her but
knew this male was just not going to work he is to mean, more then normal,
and i was right i could not leave her in there he would of killed her, and
she has been full with eggs, i am going to put her with some one else but
just not sure who because she is red.
Nik

[Nikki]

"MEAlston" > wrote in message
...
>I took delivery of my female betta at the first of the month..she was
> egg-laden at the time. Since, she and her mate have coupled, she has
> released eggs...but she still has that swollen belly. Her appetite is
> ferocious to say the least.
>
> The lady at the fish store sold me TetraMin granules (good for bettas
> clearly marked on the label) and TetraMin Flakes Clear Water Formula with
> ProCare®. I'm going to try some Epson Salts, but before I just wanted to
> post the question....Her swimming appears fine..her personality is perky
> and
> she isn't afraid of me..I've been able to couple her in my hand and she's
> taken flake from my hand...Both fish are not shying away from me.
> She comes to the surface when I tap on the hoods.. Lately she is
> preferring
> some seclusion from the male...not out of fright or intimidation, for
> sure.
> I have seen a long, thin fecal track suspended from her about 3 days
> ago..but She is still has that pregnant look. Her color is fine, a dark
> golden yellow with black recessing into the tail and a powder-white face.
> Since this is my first betta, do the females normally mature into a
> 'rounded
> belly', per say?
> Thanks...-ED
>

Forgot to say this.....i have found the problem with betta's and the reason
they end up with swimmers bladder is because they are little pigs, i think
in most cases they would just eat and eat, their bellies i have read are the
size of one of their eye balls, so figure even if your giving them betta
flakes, which are small but expand a bit, and they will usualy keep eating
and they get sick, so some times i notice with my females who are all ready
big with eggs then they eat and their little bellies look big..
Nik

[MoonShine]

"Nikki" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "MEAlston" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I took delivery of my female betta at the first of the month..she was
> > egg-laden at the time. Since, she and her mate have coupled, she has
> > released eggs...but she still has that swollen belly. Her appetite is
> > ferocious to say the least.
> >
> > The lady at the fish store sold me TetraMin granules (good for bettas
> > clearly marked on the label) and TetraMin Flakes Clear Water Formula
with
> > ProCare®. I'm going to try some Epson Salts, but before I just wanted
to
> > post the question....Her swimming appears fine..her personality is perky
> > and
> > she isn't afraid of me..I've been able to couple her in my hand and
she's
> > taken flake from my hand...Both fish are not shying away from me.
> > She comes to the surface when I tap on the hoods.. Lately she is
> > preferring
> > some seclusion from the male...not out of fright or intimidation, for
> > sure.
> > I have seen a long, thin fecal track suspended from her about 3 days
> > ago..but She is still has that pregnant look. Her color is fine, a dark
> > golden yellow with black recessing into the tail and a powder-white
face.
> > Since this is my first betta, do the females normally mature into a
> > 'rounded
> > belly', per say?
> > Thanks...-ED
> >
>
> Forgot to say this.....i have found the problem with betta's and the
reason
> they end up with swimmers bladder is because they are little pigs, i think
> in most cases they would just eat and eat, their bellies i have read are
the
> size of one of their eye balls, so figure even if your giving them betta
> flakes, which are small but expand a bit, and they will usualy keep eating
> and they get sick, so some times i notice with my females who are all
ready
> big with eggs then they eat and their little bellies look big..
> Nik
>
>
Okay....thankx ever so much for the advice. She's was perky and full of
enthusiam..this afternoon she is to herself by the roots of some willow moss
I planted this weekend...-ED

[-ED]

> > Forgot to say this.....i have found the problem with betta's and the
> reason
> > they end up with swimmers bladder is because they are little pigs, i
think
> > in most cases they would just eat and eat, their bellies i have read are
> the
> > size of one of their eye balls, so figure even if your giving them betta
> > flakes, which are small but expand a bit, and they will usualy keep
eating
> > and they get sick, so some times i notice with my females who are all
> ready
> > big with eggs then they eat and their little bellies look big..
> > Nik
> >
My bettas' appetites are ferocious to say the least...I'm guilty of feeding
them at least twice a day.. what they will eat in a 5 minute window. I
called myself being lean on their feedings while the cycle was taking place.
The female has become really dormate, so to speak...
I had planned on picking up some Epson salt in the morning...should I
proceed?
Thanx for the replies -ED (one training wheel is gone..one to go =)

[Frank]

ED wrote,
>My bettas' appetites are ferocious to say the least...I'm guilty of feeding
>them at least twice a day.. what they will eat in a 5 minute window.....

All they can eat in 5 mins. is to much at one time - all they can eat
in 1 min. would be a lot better for the fish (all of them). I feed mine
5 to 6 times a day, but always leave them looking for more food...

>I had planned on picking up some Epson salt in the morning...should I
>proceed? ...

Well, if your going to keep feeding all they can eat in 5 mins. at each
feeding, then I would say yes, your fish are going to need it ;-) ...
Epsom Salt is cheap, and not only used for treating constipation. Most
people don't quarantine their new fish and plants, so it's not a bad
idea to clean-out your fish every couple of months just to check for
worms... You might also want to pick up a tube of neosporia cream, a
jar of peroxide, and some Q-tips, just to have on hand...............
Frank

[-ED]

"Frank" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> ED wrote,
> >My bettas' appetites are ferocious to say the least...
>
> Well, if your going to keep feeding all they can eat in 5 mins. at each
> feeding, then I would say yes, your fish are going to need it ;-) ...
> Epsom Salt is cheap, and not only used for treating constipation. Most
> people don't quarantine their new fish and plants, so it's not a bad
> idea to clean-out your fish every couple of months just to check for
> worms... You might also want to pick up a tube of neosporia cream, a
> jar of peroxide, and some Q-tips, just to have on hand...............
> Frank
>
Frank...are there any theories abound that one should keep a certain ratio
(ppm) of epson salt in freshwater tanks?....I think I read somewhere here
that at higher levels, it was bad for their gill membranes....Your help is
greatly noted.

[Altum]

-ED wrote:

> My bettas' appetites are ferocious to say the least...I'm guilty of feeding
> them at least twice a day.. what they will eat in a 5 minute window. I
> called myself being lean on their feedings while the cycle was taking place.
> The female has become really dormate, so to speak...
> I had planned on picking up some Epson salt in the morning...should I
> proceed?
> Thanx for the replies -ED (one training wheel is gone..one to go =)

Five minutes?!? My bettas wolf down their one feeding a day in 30
seconds, tops.

None of my fish get enough food to eat for five minutes except for
loaches on slowly dissolving shrimp pellets and herbivores eating
cucumber or algae wafers.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to email me.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[Frank]

ED wrote,
>are there any theories abound that one should keep a certain ratio
>(ppm) of epson salt in freshwater tanks?..........

You wouldn't want to keep Epsom Salts in a tank full time, it a
purgative! I have seen it take up to a week to get working, but once
the obstruction is cleared I would think any food the fish ate would go
through the fish so fast the fish wouldn't get the nutrients out of its
food............... Frank

[Tynk]

MEAlston wrote:
> I took delivery of my female betta at the first of the month..she was
> egg-laden at the time. Since, she and her mate have coupled, she has
> released eggs...but she still has that swollen belly. Her appetite is
> ferocious to say the least.
>
> The lady at the fish store sold me TetraMin granules (good for bettas
> clearly marked on the label) and TetraMin Flakes Clear Water Formula with
> ProCare®. I'm going to try some Epson Salts, but before I just wanted to
> post the question....Her swimming appears fine..her personality is perky and
> she isn't afraid of me..I've been able to couple her in my hand and she's
> taken flake from my hand...Both fish are not shying away from me.
> She comes to the surface when I tap on the hoods.. Lately she is preferring
> some seclusion from the male...not out of fright or intimidation, for sure.
> I have seen a long, thin fecal track suspended from her about 3 days
> ago..but She is still has that pregnant look. Her color is fine, a dark
> golden yellow with black recessing into the tail and a powder-white face.

> Thanks...-ED

> Since this is my first betta, do the females normally mature into a 'rounded
> belly', per say?
Yes. Yes they will often keep a fully ropunded belly.
The females don't release all their eggs either during a spawning.
And..you also need to consider how much food she has in that already
full area.