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Betta fish is suddenly swimming strangely, I cant figure out what it could be more inside2007-11-24 23:10:15

I've been searching answers & internet & nothing really sounds like what is going on with my betta. I came home yesterday & he's swimming oddly. It's hard to explain; it's almost like he isn't really using his tail to swim. If he tries to turn, it's like his body will bend in a U shape. It looks very un-natural, & I don't think he's doing it on purpose because he always seems to struggle to make himself straight again.

He's eating as he normally does (which is quite funny because he attacks his food...literally he jumps like he's attacking the food & will come a little out of the water.) He seems to have a harder time righting himself when he gets back into the water, & like I said the U shape his body will go to. His tail fin isn't spread out like it normally is, but he doesn't look discolored to me at all. It's hard to tell because he always had some white near the bottom of his fins but it doesn't look different. I change water regularly, & feed him once a day.

Answers:

Change his water, add in some aquarium salt and a mild antibiotic such as bettafix. It's hard to tell, without seeing the fish, but he could have a bacterial infection, or perhaps parasites. Shine a flashlight on him. If you see golden colored shiny stuff, then that's called Velvet and is a parasite. If that's the case you can add in a parasite treatment in lieu of the bettafix. He may have just injurred himself on something in the tank. Are there any plastic plants or sharp decorations?

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maybe he has a tail fin boo boo? i don't really know that there's anything to do about that, other than let him work it out.

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Have you changed the water since you noticed these symptoms?