Fat Vs. Dropsy

[Rebecca]

OMG!!!!! Swimmy has always enjoyed his food, and being in a community tank, he sometimes steals from my cories. He's my 1rst and favorite betta, and very active in his 15 gallon with 4 cories and 6 minnows.
I just was watching him and noticed this huge belly. When I say huge, I mean ENORMOUS! Like he's pregnant.
No pinecone effect, but I'm really worried. He's still quite active. Does this sound familiar to anyone out there????

[gemjunkie]

Is the fish pooping? He may be constipated OR have a tumor on the inside. If he's not going like he should he might be stopped up. Try some peas added to his diet, and some daphnia. That will get things moving along if they are going to.
~Gem~

[darkfalz]

By "peas" he means, a very small piece of inner-pea at first. Try just fasting him a day first.

[girth vader]

Originally Posted by Rebecca OMG!!!!! Swimmy has always enjoyed his food, and being in a community tank, he sometimes steals from my cories. He's my 1rst and favorite betta, and very active in his 15 gallon with 4 cories and 6 minnows. I just was watching him and noticed this huge belly. When I say huge, I mean ENORMOUS! Like he's pregnant. No pinecone effect, but I'm really worried. He's still quite active. Does this sound familiar to anyone out there????

Dropsy in almost always indicitive of poor water quality. test your water and see where your levels are at. If they are within normal range then it should be something else besides dropsy. Never used peas b4 but that sounds like a nice additive to promote a monster poop like I said though, first check your water quality, nitrates, nitrites, amonia, PH and see what you come up with.

[Rebecca]

I did have my water tested, and ph was a little high--7.9. My LFS said it wasn't high enough to harm my betta, so I think I'll try fasting my tank a day, and then ad an inner piece of a pea the next. It's hard to tell if he's constipated. I own 3 bettas and rarely see any of them poop. Unlike my goldfish
I'm very careful how I feed my bettas, however Swimmy is very sneaky about eating my cories shrimp pellets.
Blech! Who said fish RELIEVE stress????

[darkfalz]

Bettas poop fast, in little balls, usually once a day. They don't swim around for two hours with a long string hanging out of them like other fish.

The piece of pea should be tiny, half the size of a matchstick head.

[TessaAndFishies]

My danio has the same thing! She looks pregnant, but no pinecone affect.