Betta may have swallowed a piece of gravel?

Question

I just got him yesterday, and I'm afraid he swallowed a small piece of gravel that had stuck on the wall of the tank and not dropped to the bottom. I saw him strike at it, but I can't tell if he managed to get a hold of it or if it fell down. He wouldn't eat this morning, but that may be because he's still getting used to his new home.

What should I look for in case he did swallow it? Can he spit it out? Can I do anything to help?

Also, he has no coloring except in his eyes, which are blue; the rest of him is translucent. Is this normal for a betta? Is he albino?

Answer 1

I doubt he ate the gravel. The chances of that are slim. He would just spit it out if he got it in his mouth. I wouldn't worry to much about it.

Betta's come in so many different color combinations... he could be partially albino, or it could just be a different hue. What color are his eyes? That's usually a dead give away. If they are red, he's albino :)

Answer 2

i've never seen or heard of an albino betta, but that doesn't mean they don't exist!  males are usually blue, red, or green, or a combination of the 3.  as far as the gravel...i'm sure he's fine.  don't worry about it at all.  if the rock was lodged in his throat since last night, you'd probably have a belly up betta.  so the fact that he's still swimming around alive says he's fine.  bettas do tend to take about a week or so to get used to new surroundings.  he'll be fine!  i know this may sound weird and i thought it was mean when i saw it, but it's really cool, and actually good for the fish.  get a small mirror and put it next to your betta's bowl or tank.  when he swims past it, he'll think it's another fish and he'll puff out like he's ready to fight.  this IS NOT mean.  i spoke to a vet about it and he siad that it's actually very healthy.  when bettas are alone, their hearts don't get pumping like they do when they see other bettas.  but the mirror reflects another fish, and his heart gets racing...it's like he's excercising.  it's realy cool to watch!  best of luck with your betta!

Answer 3

The reason why he's not eating is more than likely because he's acclimating to his new environment. It is almost impossible that your fish swallowed this piece of gravel. If he did he would either be dead or very very inactive.  Just feed him a few peices of food a day until he gets his appetite back.