Clamped, Lethargic, Darting, and Spazzing

[twolovers101]

Okay I'm freaking out here because this is all very sudden

Housing
What size is your tank? 5.5 gal
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
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 2 ghost shrimps

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Omega one pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? twice a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? twice a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Stress coat, prime

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.6
Hardness: unknown
Alkalinity: unknown

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Has a strange green iridescence I havent seen before, clamped, slightly clouded eyes
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Clamped, lethargic, he was very energetic yesterday and this morning he was just floating clamped at the top of the tank, he also seems to be having little mini-seziures, just kind of having random muscle spasms
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Last night I saw the green iridescence and he was clamping only his left pectoral fin, I thought it might just be a tick or a habit of his... but apparently not
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? He's floating in his tank in a cup of conditioned tap water with 1 tsp of aq salt (added to a gallon bucket before hand)
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Unknown
How old is your fish (approximately)? Unknown

Here's a video I took of him last night

[twolovers101]

Anyone? Sorry to be impatient, but I'm really worried... I have both maracyns and coppersafe on hand if needed

[twolovers101]

Please?

[sainthogan]

Have you looked at him with a flashlight? If not please do and look for a gold or rust colored "dust" or coating anywhere on his body, especially around his gills. This could be causing his strange color change. If you do see any, he has velvet and will need medication. From the video it looks like he has a gold sheen on him, so it's very possible he does have it. Velvet will make him dart and spaz because it ail cause discomfort and itching.

[Perseusmom]

He is a beautiful guy sorry he is having some issues. I think the AQ salt will help but if he keeps having problems keep us updated for more help.

[twolovers101]

I've used the flash light method, and it's really hard for me to tell... his natural color is that coppery-golden color... I've tried looking at the darker parts of his body, but I don't see anything... does velvet move that quickly? I have no idea how it could have gotten into my tank either... I thought it was something that was spread from fish to fish and did not naturally live in the water. He went through QT just fine :/

Also, with my NPT how do I treat the tank? I thought you had to treat the whole tank with velvet... and if so, how do I treat my inverts? (the shrimp) I know they're sensitive to just about every medication... *sigh*

I'm going to try out the AQ salt and if need be I may add the coppersafe to that if it's okay... not sure about combining the two... (of course I'll keep the copper away from the shrimps.. but there's still the whole issue of how to deal with the tank...)

[sainthogan]

Velvet is usually always present. It can live in the water, but a few usually always live on the fish. My girl had it when I got her, but it didn't become a problem until, due to my naivety at the time, I didn't clean her unheated 1/2 gallon tank often enough. I've fixed that since then.
How long have you had him? Perhaps the coppery-golden color isn't really his natural color.
And yes, Velvet can spread extremely quickly given the right circumstances. If he had it already, all it would take is something small to compromise his immune system and it will spread out of control.
You can try the aquarium salt, but I'm not sure about combining the two. I used quick cure for my girl and it did clear it up very quickly, of course putting her in a bigger, warmer tank helped as well, but you've already got that part covered. Velvet is photosensitive and thrives in bright lighting, so if it is that, you will need to keep the tank dark while you are treating it.

[twolovers101]

That's good to know! I'll go turn off his light then. How long should I keep it dark? I'm just worried about the plants, as the only thing I can do is float him in a cup in his tank... (I don't have the means to heat a QT right now :() I've had him for about a week though I'm fairly sure he is a copper...

That quick cure stuff, it works for velvet? 'cause I have a bottle... You think I could combine it with the AQ salt, or should I treat him with that alone?

[sainthogan]

It does work for velvet, that's what I used. I'm not sure about combining it though. I've never used aquarium salt for treating anything.
When I bought my girl, we thought she was red with a gold sheen. Turns out she's red with a purple sheen which didn't show up until the velvet was gone.

[twolovers101]

Ahh okay, I'll try that :) Thank you!!!! <3

I'll post updates so you guys know how it goes, I really love Shosta, and would hate to see him... under the bridge... so young :(