Betta is very sick

[JD3P]

My betta has been acting strange for about a week and a half now. I'm very scared she's going to die soon. She has maybe managed to eat 5 pellets in the past week, that was only on one day. I had to take her out of the ten gallon and put her in a half gallon which I'm keeping at 80 degrees. She is beginning to bloat a little, so I put some aquarium salt in the water last night. She just kind of floats at the top now. In her old bowl she would lay in her cup all day on her side. When I poke her to make sure she's alive she starts spinning in circles and than goes right back to the top for air and stays there.

What can I do?

[Myates]

Immediately take her out of the AQ salt, as AQ salt will make bloating/SBD much worse.
(Not to harp, but AQ salt isn't a go-to unless it is truly needed, and then it's only for a few external things. Excess exposure of it will cause internal problems such as kidney failure. So it's always best to only use it when it's needed for the few illnesses it heals.)

The salt you are looking for is Epsom Salt, which you can buy for pretty cheap at any store with a pharmacy in it, such as Walmart. If she is bloating and swimming/falling on her side you will want to do 1-2 tsp of Espom (pre-dissolved) per gallon along with regular water conditioner, doing daily 100% water changes until a few days past her last bout with bloating, and can swim normally. Epsom is very safe and they can live in it continuously (even though there is no real point to having them in it when healthy).

What is your water change schedule in the 10 gal? How many times a week and the %, are you dosing the tank for the full 10 gallons of water conditioner, regardless of how much water you are replacing?

What is the temp of the 10 gal?

What tank mates does she have?

I'm unsure exactly what it could be other then possibly SBD problems and/or water chemistry issues...

[JD3P]

Originally Posted by Myates

Immediately take her out of the AQ salt, as AQ salt will make bloating/SBD much worse.
(Not to harp, but AQ salt isn't a go-to unless it is truly needed, and then it's only for a few external things. Excess exposure of it will cause internal problems such as kidney failure. So it's always best to only use it when it's needed for the few illnesses it heals.)

The salt you are looking for is Epsom Salt, which you can buy for pretty cheap at any store with a pharmacy in it, such as Walmart. If she is bloating and swimming/falling on her side you will want to do 1-2 tsp of Espom (pre-dissolved) per gallon along with regular water conditioner, doing daily 100% water changes until a few days past her last bout with bloating, and can swim normally. Epsom is very safe and they can live in it continuously (even though there is no real point to having them in it when healthy).

What is your water change schedule in the 10 gal? How many times a week and the %, are you dosing the tank for the full 10 gallons of water conditioner, regardless of how much water you are replacing?

What is the temp of the 10 gal?

What tank mates does she have?

I'm unsure exactly what it could be other then possibly SBD problems and/or water chemistry issues...

I have epsom salt that expired about ten years ago...and I won't have a chance to get to the store until tomorrow night. Is that okay until then?

She was in a split tank with another female betta. The tank was cleaned once a week about 50%, give or take. I dosed the tank with Prime every time I removed and added in new water. The temperature was at about 78-80 depending on the weather (shaky heater). The tank is cycled and the other fish seems to be doing fine. Although pretty much a week after I put them together she developed white fuzz on her. I believe the fish which is sick now transferred something to her.

For the past few months she's had part of her left side, near her mouth, slightly caved in, and has been having a hard time eating. But I always made sure she did. Now she just completely refuses anything. Her eyes also look kind of foggy, but that's been like that a while too. I can tell she has a hard time seeing. She used to be with a goldfish and I think the water from the tank at the time was too harsh and harmed her and now it's just taking it's toll. Although I'm sure there is always something else that it could be.

Thanks for trying to help.

[JD3P]

I just went to change the water, because I just got home. Her scales are lifted from her body! I am researching what to do right now...Please help

[dramaqueen]

I wouldn't use expired Epsom salt.

[tf1265]

1) You cannot keep bettas and goldfish together. Bettas are tropical fish and goldfish are cold water fish. Undoubtedly 1 of them was harmed by being in the tank with the other, more likely both. Please don't attempt this again.

That being said...

When the other fish developed the white fuzz, did you quarantine her? It can be a fungus, or it can be an infection from a small wound or sore.

Do you have a water test kit? If not, can you take your water to the closest pet store and have them test it for you for free? It sounds to me like something is WAY off here, but without knowing your water parameters it's hard to say. Since you say your tank is cycled, I assume you DO have a test kit because otherwise you couldn't know that. If you could test your water and post it, that will be the most helpful thing in determining if water conditions are contributing to the illness.