sick new betta

Question
Hi, Chris
I bought a new betta just a few days ago.  He is in a small bowl (it holds 1/2 to 1 liter).  My other betta has lived fine in a bowl of the same size for over a year now, and a third similar bowl houses two tiny goldfish.  The new betta, however, does not seem to agree with something I am doing.  He is very inactive, just floating around the top of the bowl, and hasn't eaten hardly anything.  I know that bettas can go two weeks without eating, but he doesn't seem interested in the least.  Occasionally he will swim a bit but then sort of floats back up to the surface.  Also, there is a bit of a white film on his face and "upper" body.  Researching, I found that this could be a fungal infection and cleaned his bowl again, this time adding 1/2 tsp of sea salt per 1/2 liter.  However, I also always put "Tetra Aqua: Aqua Safe" in all of the bowls.  Tonight when I put a few drops in the bowls, I noticed it smelled kind of funny...does this stuff go bad?  Could that be causing the film on Freud (the fish)?  There is no expiration date on the bottle...so I'm just wondering if there is anything else I can do for now.
Thank you very much for any help you can give,
Lindsey

Answer
Hi Lindsey;

It might be a good idea to buy new water conditioner. It isn't directly going to make your fish sick, but if it isn't working properly from being old, your fish can get sick from lack of protection from chlorine and other chemicals in the water. Your bettas really need larger bowls. I know your other one seems to be just fine but he simply has a stronger constitution and you have been very lucky so far. Most bettas just can't survive in such a small space. Each betta needs at least 2 liters of water to thrive long-term. The sick one may need an antifungal or antibiotic now too. He definately has a swim bladder issue though. That's what causing him to float. Here is more info on a few different possible condtions to help you know what to look for so you can decide on which treatment to use;

http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/31/338/
http://www.mushi.petfish.net/swimbladder.html
http://www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm
http://www.mushi.petfish.net/columnaris.html

Here is a good page on bettas and their needs;

http://groups.msn.com/TheBettaObsession/newtobettasthisisforyou.msnw

Your goldfish will need a much bigger container too. Those little fellas are going to grow to be over 6 inches long and will require at least a 10 gallon (about 40 liters) tank just for one. They are tremendously messy guys who need good filtration too. Here is a page on what they need and why;

http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

I hope your sick one feels better soon......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins