Help my Beta

Question
Hello

I have a two year old male beta fish. This passed time I was cleaning his tank I forgot to treat the tap water with the water conditioning drops I have. The next day, my fish was at the bottom of the tank on his side breathing (even thought he was dead at first). This was on Thursday (it is now the following Monday). As soon as I saw him at the bottom of the tank and realized I had forgotten the drops, I pulled him out of that tank and put him in new, treated water.  I'm not sure what's wrong with him or what I should do. Once in awhile he works up enough energy to get to the top and seems as though he's trying to jump out of the tank. I thought he was going to die for sure that same day, but days later he is still in the same condition. He hasn't eaten since then since he can't get to the top to get the food. I'm thinking of putting a dissolvable food (the kind that lasts a few days for when you go on vacation, etc.) in the tank so he will get nutrients from the water. Do you think this is a good idea? Any ideas about what is wrong with my fish and what I could do for him? Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer
Hi Jessica,
  Do NOT put the dissolvable food in the tank, that would be disastrous. Those do not put nutrients into the water. They only work by the fish eating the stuff. Any "nutrients" dissolved into the water are harmful and can kill the fish.  

  Your fish is suffering from chlorine exposure (that is what the drops remove).  By the way, you should put the new water in a bucket and add the drops to that, not put the water in the tank and add the drops after. Doing the later will expose your fish to chlorine.  Chlorine kills gill tissue and a bunch of other stuff and that is why your fish is very sick.  He may pull through but he may not.  DO NOT treat the tank with anything else because at this stage that will pretty much finish him off.  

  Give him time; it is up to him now.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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