More on sinking bettas

Question
Hello,
I recently moved to a new area and noticed within a week that my betta was stuck at the bottom of the tank.  He had a hard time coming up for food and went very quickly from being a super active/nosy fish to one that couldn't hold himself up, lays sideways at bottom of the tank, started to lose color, and looked like he was 'breathing' harder than normal.  The ends of his fins started to look raggedy too.

After reading every article on the internet, I decided to a)check his water (had too much ammonia but fixed it with prime) and b) fasted him for 3 days and tried the pea trick.  After two days of peas, he was pooing green and decided he wouldn't eat them anymore.  I went back to feeding him regular food, but eats less than he used to.

After about two weeks, he seemed a lot perkier, regained all of his color, and tried really hard to be the regular nosy fish I love, but still had swim problems.  His fins even looked better.  Now today, he's sick again.  Apparently the water had a PH drop along with an ammonia spike and he's not moving much.

So, my fish has been sinking for 2 1/2 weeks, and we're having problems with the water.  I don't know what to do and would prefer to not have a dead fish.

Oh, he's in a 1.5 gallon tank with filter and heater (at 78 degrees).

Thanks for any suggestions,
Amber

Answer
Hi Amber,
I'm sorry this couldn't have gotten to you sooner.

Maybe your betta's regular diet is the underlying cause to his frequent swim bladder problems. Is he on a pelleted diet? If so, then you might try switching to flakes which seem to be easier on the fishes digestive system. Also, try feeding him smaller more frequent meals just enough so he can get a bite each time. Two or three times a day. Offer a couple of frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp (from the end of a toothpick) as that will further help vary his diet and keep his system working in good order.
Is there some way you could try the peas again to get him set back to normal and then do a diet change? That what's I'd do.

The ragged fins you mentioned might be finrot, natural wear and tear, or the betta could be biting his own fins. The best way to differentiate it from an actual illness is to check the very edge of the fin, if they are discolored, such as whitish, brownish, or red.. he may certainly have fin-rot. This can be caused by stress and/or poor water quality. Waste left in the bottom of the aquarium is often responsible. The best thing to do is to address the cause first but medications may be necessary. Salt can help as a treatment as well.

Ammonia can be a major problem with small tanks such as yours. Probably the best thing you can do is a use a water conditioner that neutralizes ammonia such as  Amquel+ or Prime.

Getting his water cleaner and in better condition should definitely be your goal now. As well as getting him past his swim bladder condition, the ammonia problems could be making his condition even more severe.

I hope all goes well and have a good weekend!
Karen~