Help! He is doing barrel rolls at the surface!

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Help! He is doing barrel rolls at the surface!

New male HM. He was VERY active and healthy when I got him last Saturday.... Thursday evening, he was lethargic and looked slightly bloated. Treated with Epsom salt (1 teaspoon per gallon), and raised water temp to 80F. Did another 100% water change yesterday, again with 1 tsp Epsom salt per gallon.

(Note: He is in the same tank that I'd used for my previous HM, who based on his symptoms, may have died of the "blue betta mystery disease." I'd washed the tank out with bleach, rinsed well, etc.... There's no way to know, but if my previous HM had Mycobacteria, bleach may not have been sufficient. However, I don't know for sure that the previous fish had Mycobacteria. Also, this current sick fish is not blue.)

Housing
What size is your tank? 3 gallon
What temperature is your tank? 80 F
Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes, but it's nonadjustable
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Aqueon Betta Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? He has not eaten in 2 days. (Prior to that, 2-3 pellets / 2x per day )

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 100% yesterday
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? Has been getting 100% due to symptoms. (Have only had him a week.)
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Top Fin Water Conditioner

Water Parameters:
Not tested.

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Pale color, clamped fins, stress stripes. Perhaps a slight twist to the spine - but it's not always evident to maybe it was just the way he was holding himself?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? TWISTING at the surface. It's like he's doing barrel rolls. Mostly using pectoral fins to move, if he moves at all.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Thursday night.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? 1 teaspoon Epsom salt per gallon. 100% water changes daily.
Does your fish have any history of being ill?He was VERY healthy and active on Saturday when I got him.
How old is your fish (approximately)? Young - He's smaller than my other 2 bettas.

[LittleBlueFishlets]

OK, he's managing to stay right side up now. His back end drifts up occasionally, but he's more straight in the water. And he doesn't look at bloated as he did yesterday. He still hasn't pooped since Wednesday or Thursday though. (Then again, I haven't fed him since Thursday morning, either.)

So maybe he's just constipated and bloated?

Continuing with the 1 1/4 teaspoons of Epsom salt per gallon of conditioned water. Doing another 100% water change now.

Anything else I can do for him?

[dramaqueen]

Sorry this is late. How is he now? If he's constipated you might try feeding him some daphnia.

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Thanks DQ!

He's OK now. Shellieca and Callistra gave me good advice.

He's back in regular (nontreated) water. But he appears prone to constipation.... I switched him to Omega One pellets, and give him a daily morning flare exercise with a mirror. (It makes him poop! LOL)

If the daily flaring stops being effective, I'll pick up some daphnia.

He's also started tail biting. (I think he has a secret desire to be a CT.) Nothing like a high maintenance fish!