Betta sick???

Question
QUESTION: Hi Christy,  

Here is an excerpt from a message you sne tot another person:

Are there/were there any other symptoms, like rubbing on the sides of the tank or objects in the tank, gasping at the surface-more then what they usually do, gills moving fast/rapid respiration, flashing/darting around the tank

Although he is eating, my betta is displaying these symptoms.

What can I do?

ANSWER: Hi Benny
When a fish rubs on objects in the tank, that's usually a sign of a parasite infection.  They'll try to "rub them off" so to say.  Same thing with the flashing/darting around the tank.  Gasping at the surface is also a sign, but can also be a sign of poor water quality.

Without knowing your tank set up and size, assuming it's a tank and not a bowl, I would first check the water quality.  Ammonia and nitrites should be at 0 ppm, and nitrates under 20 ppm.  If these levels are ok, then I'd treat for parasites.  

How long has this been going on?  It could be the start of ich.  Ich looks like the fish was sprinkled with salt.  If it just started, it may not be showing up yet.  Or, it could be skin/gill flukes.  These are microscopic, and you can't see them.  I would use Coppersafe by Mardel.  It treats both ich and flukes, and a few other parasites.  Live plants and invertebrates(snails, shrimp) need to be removed before using it.  

Hope that helps and let me know if you have more questions!

Christy


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the into Christy.

To answer some of your questions:

Tank size - 1/2 gallon or so jar;
Just changed water on the weekend (and now again);
Behavior was just noticed July 24;
No apparent Ick;

thanks again
ANSWER: Hi Benny
You're welcome :)

Now I have a few more questions...
When you change his water, are you changing out 100% of it?  
And it sounds like you're doing it about every 3-4 days?
Are you slowly adjusting him to the new water?  
If it's city water you're using, are you using a dechlorinator/water conditioner?
How long have you had him?

Let me know on those before using any meds to treat.  One of those may be the problem.  If the ph alters when you change the water, and he's not adjusted to it, he may show some of those symptoms.  Same thing if there's chlorine present, but the chlorine poisoning would show up sooner after the water change.

Christy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: And he just got worse.  Now just laying on the bottom - but still breathing.  Is there no hope at this stage?

Answer
Oh my, so quickly too from your last response!  

Honestly, it doesn't sound good, especially seeing as it's happening quickly.  Do you have any aquarium salt handy?  If not, how about some sea salt?  Or, last resort regular table salt?  I would go ahead and add a little bit, I would say 1/8 of a teaspoon.  There's debate on whether table salt is safe because of the iodine or not.  An article I read said the iodine content was too minute to matter, and it was safe to use.  And, if that's all you have currently, at this point I'd say it's better then nothing.  

At this point, it's hard to say whether it's the gill flukes I originally mentioned or if it's possibly something with the water.  You mentioned you're not adjusting him to the new water when you change it-correct?  Your water company may have added something(they seem to do that), and it could be adjusting your ph-which could show a lot of those symptoms, which would mean he's going through ph shock.  I just had a lady, and all of a sudden her tap water ph is shooting up in the 8.0 range, after about a 12 hour period.  That's a quick adjustment in ph, which will shock the fish.  If the salt seems to help any, then go ahead with that Coppersafe medicine for treatment.  

Good luck and hope he pulls through.  Let me know how it goes!

Christy