Betta Swim Bladder Disease

Bettas are a type of tropical freshwater fish known for their bright colors and their potential to be aggressive with other betta fish. Swim bladder disease or disorder is a medical condition common in bettas.

  1. Causes

    • The most common cause of betta swim bladder disease is overfeeding your bettas, according to HealthyBetta.com. Other possible causes of the disorder include constipation, lack of variety in the betta's diet, bacteria or injury due to spawning, dropping a fish or adding water to the tank too quickly.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of betta swim bladder disease include abdominal swelling, difficulty swimming upright, floating sideways or remaining at the bottom of the tank.

    Time Frame

    • Betta swim bladder disease develops quickly. Often, fish change their behavior overnight, according to HealthyBetta.com.

    Treatment

    • The treatment for betta swim bladder disease is not feeding your betta for up to 36 hours, according to Fish Junkies.

    Prevention

    • To prevent betta swim bladder disease, select one day per week to not feed your betta. This gives the fish's digestion system time to process food. Breaking a betta's feeding into smaller meals also helps prevent betta swim bladder disease.