I recently got this Betta from someone at work, he looks like he struggles to swim and he is not very active maybe his fins are too long? Is there something I can do to help him?
Yes, long fin bettas struggle to swim. Their “cute butt wriggles” is because they struggle to move due to the weight. Especially when it comes to skinny frail chain store bettas with huge fins.
There is no cure, it’s genetics and an ethics issue. Many of us do not buy long finned betta fish anymore. Ethics aside, they are also just a pain due to fin ripping/nipping. Short fin bettas are extremely active and rarely rip their fins.
NorthernFishRescue on
my boy has the same issue, he has very heavy fins and struggles to swim. all you can do is offer tons of resting places and maybe lower the water level and watch to make sure he is able to get his food. 🙁 it’s unfortunate, i feel bad for my boy everytime i see him struggle to get around.
twibbletrouble on
Yeah, this is the sad part of bettas. Breeders keep breeding long fins and the fish have trouble.
I just want to say before you see it somewhere and think it might be ok. Do not attempt to cut or trim his fins. You could do serious damage to him, he could get infected. Just do not do it.
I only bring it up because I don’t want you to google and see that and be like “oh this normal” cause it is not.
What you CAN do for him is give him nice plants and spots to rest, those long fins tire them out. They have betta hammocks and all kinds of floating logs and stuff for him to rest on. They do lay down on leaves and things it’s quite cute.
The other important thing you can do is protect his fins, long fins rip easy, make sure nothing is too sharp or pokey.
3 Comments
Yes, long fin bettas struggle to swim. Their “cute butt wriggles” is because they struggle to move due to the weight. Especially when it comes to skinny frail chain store bettas with huge fins.
There is no cure, it’s genetics and an ethics issue. Many of us do not buy long finned betta fish anymore. Ethics aside, they are also just a pain due to fin ripping/nipping. Short fin bettas are extremely active and rarely rip their fins.
my boy has the same issue, he has very heavy fins and struggles to swim. all you can do is offer tons of resting places and maybe lower the water level and watch to make sure he is able to get his food. 🙁 it’s unfortunate, i feel bad for my boy everytime i see him struggle to get around.
Yeah, this is the sad part of bettas. Breeders keep breeding long fins and the fish have trouble.
I just want to say before you see it somewhere and think it might be ok. Do not attempt to cut or trim his fins. You could do serious damage to him, he could get infected. Just do not do it.
I only bring it up because I don’t want you to google and see that and be like “oh this normal” cause it is not.
What you CAN do for him is give him nice plants and spots to rest, those long fins tire them out. They have betta hammocks and all kinds of floating logs and stuff for him to rest on. They do lay down on leaves and things it’s quite cute.
The other important thing you can do is protect his fins, long fins rip easy, make sure nothing is too sharp or pokey.