When feeding and checking on your fish, you observe one of your betta fish behaving abnormally and seeming sleepy. Moreover, you notice something dangling from it after taking a closer look. What could it be? Is it their gut?
While this may be daunting and create many questions, maritime interests are not uncommon, and there are possible explanations for this.
Please continue reading to find out what is causing your betta fish intestines hanging out and how to fix it.
Contents
Why Are My Betta Fish Intestines Hanging Out?
The betta’s lengthy string can indicate one of two things:
- First of all, if you observe a brown thread forming around your betta’s anal fin, this is a definite indication that your fish is constipated. Overfeeding bettas causes constipation, which can lead to bloating.
- Second, when you notice a white thread extending from your betta fish’s abdomen, it shows that your fish has an internal parasite. These viruses can develop inside bettas if they are fed false or low-quality food.
What Are The Symptoms Of Constipation In Betta Fish?
Suppose you suspect your betta fish is constipated; there are several signs and causes to consider:
Stringy Feces
While this might be difficult to detect unless you constantly monitor your betta, you should check for fibrous droppings. The droppings of a healthy betta will always sink to the floor.
When your pet becomes constipated, its feces turn fibrous and adhere to the body. Once you see this, you should begin to treat constipation right away.
Spitting Out Food or Not Eating
This is not an obvious sign of constipation. However, it can be a useful signal.
If your betta ignores its food (which is quite rare for bettas) or throws it out, you should also search for other red flags. You can make a more intelligent choice if you see this with other constipation symptoms.
On the other hand, loss of appetite is a fairly frequent symptom of many disorders. Consequently, you should not rely solely on this pointer.
Not Swimming or Lethargic
It’s best to check to determine how healthy or sluggish your betta appears. Constipation might be why your fish is not swimming as frequently as it should.
However, because this is a relatively frequent symptom in many conditions, you should not overlook it.
Bloated Belly
A swollen stomach is another typical indicator of constipation in bettas. If your fish has difficulty pooping, their excrement is not going out. The longer you wait, the larger your betta’s tummy will become.
Whenever you find your betta’s tummy swollen or bulging, treat it for constipation. However, make sure it isn’t ascites.
The simplest method to know whether your betta has ascites is to check the scales for a pine cone; if your betta exhibits these signs, you must act quickly.
Trouble Swimming
Constipation might make it harder for your betta to move in more difficult situations. Should this be the case, you’d better begin curing your fish as soon as possible since it will be uncomfortable.
Your fish will have water bubble illness at this stage. So, besides looking for constipation symptoms, you should study more about bubble disease to ensure your betta doesn’t develop a more serious ailment.
How To Treat Intestines Hanging Out In Betta Fish?
Although prolapse in your fish can be intimidating to your fish, there are ways you can treat it:
Surgical Extraction
To accomplish this, you must anesthetize your animal. You may cut and remove hung vents from your fish using a CO2 laser or wrap-around lanyard.
You can also place the injection into the fish’s vaginal entrance. The guts will be discharged or pulled back inside your fish’s body.
Conservative Treatments
The first thing to do is monitor your fish to see if the vent goes away. While this is certainly not the most prevailing circumstance, it is possible.
Another option is to scatter granulated sugar over the fish’s dangling intestines. Sugar can help minimize edema and encourage the salamander to return to your fish.
Finally, rubbing the prolapse back through into betta fish is an option. Because your fish will move, you want to use some fish softener.
Remember to massage the mesentery to minimize inflammation and help your fish’s intestines settle into the body’s interior.
Epsom Salt
This is the most effective method of treating your fish’s prolapse. If you have other fish in your aquarium, you should store the sick betta fish in a different tank.
Add 1/8 teaspoon of Epsom salt for each 5 gallons of water in the quarantine tank. After that, raise the water’s temperature to 78°-80° F.
Your fish will have to spend at least a few hours in this habitat. Increased heat and Epsom salt will reduce edema and intestines hanging, allowing them to return within your fish.
How To Prevent Constipation In Betta Fish?
Rather than subjecting your betta to the agony of constipation, it is preferable to avoid the problem from arising in the first place. Here are some methods for preventing betta constipation.
- Weekly fasting days: Setting aside one day every week when you do not feed your fish betta is critical. Remember that bettas consume algae, so your pet will not go hungry! A fish’s digestive tract may clear after 24 hours without meals, which wards off constipation.
- Avoid overfeeding: The betta’s stomach is approximately the same size as its eyeball. As a result, it is quite easy for them to overeat. To keep constipation at bay, we suggest giving your betta food twice daily.
FAQs
How To Get Rid Of Internal Parasites In Betta Fish?
If you believe your betta has one of these parasites, eliminate all raw meat and vegetation from the tank. After that, you should replace the water and clean the aquarium with an anti-parasitic medicine.
Can Betta Fish Die From Constipation?
Although constipation is usually not a concern, it can have catastrophic consequences, such as swim bladder disease, if left untreated.
Conclusion
The article has introduced you to the symptoms and ways to treat betta fish intestines hanging out.
Thank you for reading the post; see you soon!
