Expert: Richard Hight - 10/6/2009

Question
I recently purchased my betta fish, Thor, from petsmart.  When I brought him home he ate the pellets just fine and would swim about his bowl.  After about two days he began to sit at the bottom of his bowl and only go up for air.  He will not eat his pellets anymore and has not pooped in about a week.  I read online that to help his constipation that I should feed him a thawed pea.  I did and he ate the pea up very quickly. I then let him fast for 2 days, but still no bowl movement.  I then tried giving him a epsom salt bath but still no results.  Is there something I can do to help him poop and eat again?  He lives in a one gallon bowl by himself along with a plastic plant and colored stones.

Answer
Hi Sarah

The first thing you need to do is stop feeding him pellets. The pellets expand when they are wet and will cause discomfort and constipation. Feed him Tetramin Tropical Flakes and BettaMin Flakes, and Bloodworms about once a week as a treat. This will provide him with a well balanced, nutritious diet and all he needs to be happy and healthy. Be sure to break up large flakes into small enough pieces for him to eat.

Do a good water change (about 30%) and feed him another pea. Don't just thaw the pea, cook it until it is tender. Remove the outer shell and break it up into small enough pieces for him to eat. Add 1tsp of Freshwater Aquarium Salt (not Epsom Salt) to his water. Do this in the morning and let him fast again for 24 hours. Then start him on the flake diet. Feed him a cooked pea once a week to prevent constipation in the future. Do a 30% water change once or twice a week to give him fresh clean water.

Finally he really needs to be in a larger tank. A 5 gallon covered, heated and filtered aquarium is best. Bettas will get sick in small bowls without a heater. The temperature needs to be 78°. Plastic plants are not great for Bettas, they will tear a Bettas fins with even the slightest touch. Replace your plastic plant with a live plant that has large leaves for him to rest on. A Peace Lily or Brazilian Sword are excellent choices. If you don't want to get a live plant, a silk plant will also work. He also needs a log or rock with a cave for him to hide in. This tank environment, along with a proper diet will give him a long, happy and healthy life.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Richard