Betta fish slow and sick

Question
Hi, my son's betta is a senior fish...he's been with us two years this month. He's definitely slowed down over the last months, as to be expected I'm sure. But recently, he's been very lethargic and mostly hanging out on the bottom of the tank. His gills don't look good..they look infected or something with some reddish color to them (he's blue otherwise) and they don't look like they're opening all the way. It's really hard to describe. He's definitely faded in color. This morning he was lying on his side but then swam around a bit and then settled on the bottom. He breathes very slowly. I just wonder if he's old and is living out his last days or if he's sick and there's something we can do for him. :(

thanks

Answer
Hi Kelli,

First of all, congrats to you and your son for taking great care of your betta.

It sounds as though he may be suffering from ammonia poisoning. Ammonia is the byproduct of fish waste in the aquarium and builds up over time. As a younger fish he may have been fine with it but in his mature years he will need extra care.

Do a water change as you normally do, except add some aquarium salt- not human salt, the iodine is toxic to fish. Aquarium salt is available from most pet stores.

Change his water weekly, keep it warm (78-82 degrees) with a 25w heater if you need to.

Hope this helps!

Prue