betta lethargic despite medication

Question
QUESTION: Dear Linda,

hi!(I hope I'm not getting too annoying) I'm writing back as per your request, to update after three days of treatment for my sick betta.
I was never able to find any coppersafe, and my parents won't let me order anything online, but I did find some cupramine. It's a copper based medication like coppersafe, the only difference as far as I understand is that it's not chelated so the dose isn't as high as in coppersafe.
I know you gave me a very specific medicine regimen and I hope you don't think I'm ignoring your advice. It's just that unfortunately there's a very limited selection of medication where I live and coppersafe is one of the medications that I can't find here.  
He's been on the cupramine for three days and much like the other medications he's been on, he seemed to do a little better at the beginning and then revert back to being very inactive. On top of that, he now seems to be having trouble breathing. What he does is that he puffs his gill plates out and opens and closes his mouth. He doesn't do it all the time and he's not flaring. In fact, he hasn't flared since I've gotten him. He's still twitching and plus, the grey patches are starting to spread again. There's a small one on his caudal, anal fin and around his gill plates. Plus, the two large bumps are still on his gill plate and the two under his chin are also there. I'm wondering whether copper reduces oxygen which might be causing his gasping. Would you recommend I continue with the cupramine?

I think this is going to be one of the last messages I send, since I don't want to keep bombarding you with messages, so I'll just keep trying to figure out what he has and hope for the best!
Thanks so much for all your advice and prompt responses I've really appreciated it!

gratefully, emilie

ANSWER: Hi Emilie,
First I would like to tell you that you are not annoying me.  I want to know what is happening to your Betta, and hope we will save him.  Write me as many times as you like.
Poor Betta, he may have so many things wrong with him by now, and it could also be internal.  I would change all the water in his tank, and since Bettas do better in non filtered tanks, I would remove the filter.  Clean water is the best you can do for him right now.  You have tried everything you could find, and he shows no sign of improvement.  It isn't good either to keep medicating a fish.   If he is still eating you could try anti-bacterial food, if you can find it, if not, feed him good quality food.  Change all of the water once a week, add 2 teaspoons of diluted aquarium salt, and we will see what happens.   There is an old remedy called "Aquarisol"  I still use it sometimes with my bettas when I do water changes.  It helps them with stress, and parasites.  Maybe this one would help.  It's worth a try.  It can't hurt him.  I was also thinking of Jungle fungus eliminator, this too is another medication which has helped some fish get rid of fungus.  You may be able to find these, and they may help.  I hope through some miracle he does pull through, I know how sad it is to see a sick fish not improving. If you cannot find any of these medication, then let him be.  Change his water, add the salt, and maybe in clean water, he might perk up.  We never know what will happen next.  Sometimes it is suprising what clean water, and diluted aquarium salt can do for a fish.
Keep me posted, poor little fellow, and take care.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: dear Linda,

hi, Thanks so much for that! I often get really nervous about asking too many questions! I'm going to complete the cupramine because today the bumps looked a little smaller, and I bought a copper test kit which shows the copper's not too high either, so I'm thinking that the medication is stressing him not causing him any physical harm. As long as I keep his water clean, he should get through just fine. He still eats ravenously and greets me when I feed him.
Plus your reccomendation of 10 days of copper might as well be completed. I did find jungle internal parasite fish food as well as their bacterial and fungal treatments. But before I get to those I'm going to finish your treatment regimen and get some maracyn II after I get the cupramine out of the tank. I'm also going to be adding some blackwater extract to his tank soon because his activity levels seem to increase when his water is tinted. (he swam around a lot more during his furanase and clout treatments which tinted his water a deep orange and blue respectively) I would love to get some bettaspa, but I can`t find it here either.
I haven`t seen any aquarisol either, but I`ll substitute with the blackwater.
Thanks so much for the medication ideas and I`ll keep trying!

emilie

Answer
Hi Emilie,
The fact that your little friend is eating, and eating well is a very good sign.  I am happy to hear this.  A sick fish will not eat, so he may be on his way to recovery.  I pray that he does.
Keep doing what you are doing, there is hope.  Keep in mind that he may have moved around more in clout, as clout is a very strong medication, which might have caused your betta to be uncomfortable, and make him move alot more.  This medication can burn fish skin.  Bettas should have soft water with a PH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Keep me posted on how he is doing.  You are doing very well.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for him.
Lynda