help with betta fish

Question
Hi, I have a male betta fish almost a year old living in a 10 G tank, with filter and a heater, no ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and a bit of aquarium salts. He has  been always been normal, eating 3 pelletts in morning and 3 pellets and nights. Also, I alternate his food for blood worm, brine shrimp, and daphnia. I change his water every 3 to 5 days ( about 5 to 6 to  7) gallons depending how his water is.
about 3 weeks ago I got 4 ghost shrimps and I thought it is a good option to keep the tank clean and they are not visible. I baught them from pet smart and the associate told me that betta never had any problem with the shrimp. I realized later on that he ate one of the shrimps. immediately I isolated him and removed the ghost shrimps and change the water again. I thought it is a good idea to make him to poop out (sorry) the ghost shrimp because his stomach was distended. Which I believe after that his stomach was a little smaller. Then I did not feed him for one day. Since then I gave him daphnia( kind of laxative) and no pellets for 2 days. I even fast him for a day and a half. He has not lost any weight but his stomach is buldged still. whenever I give him one pellet I check his stomach to see how distended it is. He is active, and swimming the same way as he was before the episode. However, he doesn't get as much food as before maximum of 4 pellets....His distended stomach makes me cry everyday and I tried all the aquatic, petco, petsmart with no result. Please please help me...I love him alot...

Answer
Marj,

Sounds like he has swim bladder disease that is very easy to cure. Fast him for 3 days. On the fourth day feed him a frozen pea that has been thawed out and the skin removed. Cut the inside of the pea in small pieces and feed it to him. Then fast him again for 3 days. If that doesn't work, you can do the whole pea process again. Betta's can go for as much as a week even longer without eating. We want him to get out whats in his stomach before you add anymore food. If this doesn't work let me know.