Help!!! Sick Female Beta

Question
I've had my female Beta for six months.  Just recently she has become VERY bloated from the beginning of her fins back toward the tail. She is SO bloated that her scales are poking out.  She has NOT eaten in over a week.  Although she is moving around, she looks as though shes having A HARD TIME BREATHING.... She looks like she's pregnant or on steroids. I've added a small pinch of salt to her bowl along with water drops with supposedly soften the water and is good for her coat.  I change the water once per week.  Please Help Me.  I don't like seeing her in pain and uncomfortable.  I've called Pet Smart and they told me to just watch her.. I've been watching for days now and feel MY FISH IS SUFFERING.... PLEASE HELP!

Answer
Hi Heather,

Just thought I'd follow-up since you presented those new symptoms. Ulcerations are definitely due to ammonia exposure. I know it's tough to believe since you probably have been providing very clean water - visually. The truth is, water doesn't have to be smelly or look yellowed or off in any way to not be healthy in there. Any unused food or excrement will slowly pollute the water, and the less water there is to dilute the waste, the more trouble you're in.

While a weekly water change is a fine protocol for your average aquarium (I change water 2x weekly, but on occasion only do 1x weekly water change) it is different for a bowl. Without a filter, nothing is turning the water over so it is prone to becoming stagnant. If you use no substrate (that's just another word for gravel basically, although sand can be substrate too...) or if you use a slick substrate such as glass beads, then you aren't providing much useful surface area for the beneficial bacteria to colonize. If you had some natural river rock at the bottom of the bowl, there at least would be a little more surface area for the beneficial bacteria to host. It is a science - really! Nitrobacter and nitrosomonas bacteria are the generally accepted names of the two kinds of "good bacteria" that are responsible for breaking down ammonia (raw waste from excrement or uneaten food) into a less harmful substance, nitrite, and then finally nitrate - much less harmful than nitrite or ammonia. Nitrospira (another form of beneficial bacteria) is in the refrigerated instant cycling product Bio-Spira, for example.

So just remember - leave a little water in the bowl, about a quarter is fine. When things are back to normal, step up your weekly water change regimen to 3x a week, ideally. It isn't hard to change out just 3/4 of a gallon of water or so - just fill up a pitcher, add a few drops of dechlorinator and pour slowly. Voila! A water change in a minute or two.

I hope that helps, best of luck.
Nicole
(still not Darryl, hee!)

P.S. To promote healing of the ulcers, use a product such as Stress Coat or another product with slime enhancer. AquaSafe is dechlorinator with added slime enhancer, and Jungle's dechlorinator (Start Right) is slime enhancing also.