Betta sick -suspect ich

Question
Hi, my betta is sick! Symptoms include either racing around his bowl or lying
listlessly on his plant, rubbing against plant, not eating, not excited. I've
identified white specks mainly on his fins, but a few on his body and suspect
it's fin rot. I've ordered aquarisol and aquarium salt, but it's not going to get
here for a few days and I'm scared!  What's the best thing I can do for him
while I'm waiting for the medications to get here? Also, do you know if regular
pet stores usually carry fish medications?

Answer
Kate,                                                        This sounds like a parasite, The itching is almost a sure sign.  There is a perfect cure for you that will cover ich and parasites. It is called coppersafe by mardel ... very cheap carried by all pet shops. It is 1 teaspoon per 4 gallons. Adjust accordingly. I don't know how big your tank is. If it is a parasite and your tank is small treat it everytime you change water for a month. If you tank is large... don't worry about taking the carbon out if he is filtered. It can take about 20 days sometimes to get rid of them.Fish ususally don't itch with ich. Even though he is an air breather parasites gather around the gills and can suffocate them . So get medicine in there right away.......Good Luck, Tina