Swim Bladder Disorder and Constipation

Swim Bladder Disorder (also called SBD, Swim Bladder Disease, or simply "swim bladder") is an extremely common disorder among bettas and other fish, particularly due to husbandry misconceptions. The swim bladder is an flexible-walled organ filled with gas, which controls the fish's buoyancy. Swim bladder disorder is a symptom rather than a disease in and of itself, but should be taken very seriously, as the conditions leading to it can be deadly if left untreated.

	Symptoms
	Causes
	Treatment
	Prevention
	Special Care for Fish with SBD

Symptoms

The betta is unable to swim properly, characterized by floating at the top, sinking to the bottom and/or listing sideways. The betta often looks like it takes it a great deal of work to swim to the bottom (if floating) or reach the surface (if sinking), and will pop back up like a cork or sink like a stone.

A constipated fish may look bloated (slightly or greatly), or seem to have difficulty passing feces (stringy, trailing, or exceptionally large poop).

Causes

The vast majority of the time, the cause is constipation. Constipation in bettas can be deadly if left untreated. Constipation causes the digestive tract to become enlarged and press on the swim bladder. Constipation is an extremely common condition.

Causes of Constipation

• Flake foods or freeze-dried foods. Both of these expand in the fish's stomach and cause constipation.
• Overfeeding. A betta's stomach is smaller than its eye.
• Temperature too low, slowing down the fish's metabolism, and therefore, digestive system. The temperature should be kept stable, at 76 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Extremely sensitive fish may become constipated despite the best diets and conditions.

In a relatively few cases, SBD may be caused by bacterial infections, parasites, or trauma (injury). Fish may be born with SBD, in which case it is a congenital defect. Congenital defects may contribute to a fish being particularly sensitive to constipation and having chronic or frequent SBD.

Treatment

When SBD is observed with no other symptoms or known causes, it is best to begin treatment for constipation. Most of the time, SBD will clear up immediately when the fish is no longer constipated.

• Keep the water super clean and warm (increase the temperature slowly, only a degree every couple hours, until it is around 80 degrees; keep the temperature stable).
• If possible, leave the tank's bottom bare (no gravel, rocks or marbles), so you can monitor the fish's feces. A hospital tank may be useful.
• Encourage the betta to flare by placing another betta's tank nearby, or showing the betta a mirror. Bettas often poo when they flare.
• Fast the fish for three days. No food at all.
• On the fourth day, feed the betta a blanched (frozen-thawed) pea. For bettas, as obligate carnivores, the pea consists mostly of undigestible fiber, which is wonderful for clearing out the digestive tract. Most bettas find peas extremely palatable!

  Take a frozen pea. Do not use fresh (risk of pesticides or other environmental toxins) or canned (too squishy and way too much salt).

  Place the pea in some dechlorinated, conditioned water (or simply take some from your betta's tank) in a microwave-safe container. Microwave the pea for a few seconds (mine takes about 10 seconds, but ovens vary), until thawed.

  Skin the pea by slitting the skin and squeezing out the two halves of pea. Discard the skin.

  Take about a quarter of the pea, and chop it into super tiny pieces. Remember, bettas have tiny stomachs, and do not need more than about a quarter. Feed the tiny pieces to your betta. Most of them love it!

• Usually, the betta will have a bowel movement within a day of the pea treatment. If the betta does not poo or there is no improvement, repeat treatment (fast and pea).

If the betta is pooping normally at the onset of SBD, and/or there is still no improvement after fasting and feeding a pea, the cause may be internal parasites or bacterial infection. Parasites may cause bloating. Either may cause clamped fins, lethargy, paleness and other general symptoms. If you are unsure which, it may be helpful to treat for both. Many anti-parasite medications and antibiotics can be used in conjunction, but check first.

If the cause is an injury, the only treatment is time, and keeping the water super clean and warm. Adding a pinch of pre-dissolved aquarium salt to the tank is also beneficial to help prevent secondary infections and assist the betta's other systems. With luck, the injury will heal and the betta will make a full recovery.

Preventing Constipation and SBD

Preventing SBD is primarily prevention of constipation and keeping the betta healthy in general.

• Clean, warm water is the best defense against infections!
• Feed quality pelleted and frozen-thawed food, not flake or freeze-dried.
• Keep the temperature high enough -- 76 to 80 degrees, and stable with no fluctuations.
• Do not overfeed. Remember how small betta stomachs are! Two or three pellets per day (alternated with frozen-thawed bloodworms and other frozen foods) are plenty for most bettas.
• Fast your betta one day a week, and feed a frozen-thawed pea (and nothing else) the next day.
• Feed small amounts (a couple pellets, or a couple bloodworms) twice a day rather than all at once.
• Do not feed flakes or freeze-dried foods; only high-quality pellets and frozen-thawed foods.
• If the fish becomes constipated even with these guidelines, soak the pellets for ten minutes in dechlorinated, conditioned water before feeding.

Care for Your Special Needs Fish: A Comfortable Environment for Your Fish with Acute or Chronic SBD

When a fish has SBD, simply moving around to eat or breathe may tax its strength or exhaust it, which leaves it open to secondary infections and many other problems. There are many steps you should take to help out your sick fish, and it may help to set up a "hospital tank" until the fish has recovered. Some bettas may have a defect or injury that results in chronic Swim Bladder Disorder. For a betta with chronic SBD, there are many things you can change about their habitat to make their life easier and more comfortable.

Give the betta a wide, shallow home, rather than a tall, deep one.

Bettas with SBD will have trouble reaching the bottom or surface, and if the water is shallow, the betta won't have to work as hard and tire itself out. Make sure the betta still has plenty of room -- at least a gallon and preferably much more.

A great "tank" for a special needs betta is a Rubbermaid (or similar) storage bin. You can find wide, flat versions in five or more gallons, a perfect size for a betta, and they can be heated with 25 watt submersible heaters. Holes can be punched in the lid to provide air, or, even better, a clear lid can be made from glass or plexiglass/acrylic for easy viewing. (Remember, bettas are jumpers; though an SBD fish may have trouble with such athletics, it's best not to take chances!) Bettas don't mind an opaque home, as they come from shaded, dark water in the wild, but it is important you spend time observing your betta every day for signs of illness.

Alternately, a large tank (such as a ten gallon) can be filled with only a few gallons rather than full to provide enough space but shallow water.

Provide a soft, silk plant (or live plant) with wide leaves at various heights.

The betta will appreciate some soft decor on which to rest at varying depths in the water. A betta with SBD will perch on the leaves like a butterfly. Use a silk plant or live plant, as plastic plants often have rough or sharp edges that will tear a betta's long, delicate fins.