is this the beginning of dropsy?

[stargunner]

that's a bit comforting although i have had this betta for 2 years and this is a relatively new thing. he does LOVE to eat , but i have always tried to keep him on a steady and balanced diet. but there continues to be no signs of dropsy and i highly doubt that he has parasites because of his dry food diet and he is alone in the tank.

[stargunner]

i am sad to inform you all that my betta has died today. i don't know if i did everything i could for him, which hurts me the most. but i did the best i could and i hope that he lived a good life and did not die painfully. the bloating never really got better no matter what i did, and i think that his life was simply coming to an end.

pineconing never really happened, but i know that it doesn't always happen when a fish has dropsy.. this is my first time really dealing with sickness in a fish and all i could do was go off of advice from online communities. thank you all for your help and if you have any advice for the future with success stories in treating the illness i'd love to hear them.

[Tiari]

I am sorry for your loss, and sorry I did not see this post sooner. Dang holiday stuff occupying brain.

If your Betta was bought at adult size, its hard to tell exactly how old he was. It looks like to me fatty liver disease. This is a common ailment in older Betta, and since there normal lifespan is around three years, I would suspect this is the case.

I will assure you, it has nothing to do with the care and maintenance of your Betta's tank, but can happen from overeating as they get older. In the future, with new Betta, to prevent this, make sure to have one day a week of fasting, so their entire digestive tract clears out. Some suggest giving a shelled cooked pea the day before the fasting day to help clear out their systems, but I am not 100 percent convinced that is necessary.

Also keep a close eye on the ingredients of Betta pellets you use. Some cheaper ones use oils in them (canola), which can lead to this problem over time.

I am very sorry for your loss, I know how attached one can get to these little welcome wagons.

P.S. If it is any consolation to you, some Betta simply develop this with age, regardless of feeding schedule or careful food choices. Once a Betta has this, there is nothing you can do. Sometimes its just the natural course. You did well by him, and it is not your fault.