Tilted / now floating - new betta - help!

[LittleBlueFishlets]

New male HM was happily swimming yesterday. Looked fine this morning, and ate 2 Aqueon Betta Pellets for breakfast. Tonight, I got home, and he was lying on the bottom, tilted on his side.... The water felt slimy, which it hadn't been previously, so I did a 100% water change and added 2 teaspoons of Epsom salts per gallon to his new water.

Several minutes later, he started flashing back and forth, as if the salt was bothering him, so I diluted it. He is now floating at the surface.

He is in the tank where another new betta died last week, possible of the "blue betta mystery disease." I'd washed the tank, heater and plants with dilute bleach, rinsed with water and vinegar, rinsed again, and let everything air dry. He's been in this tank since Sunday (four days now).

Housing
What size is your tank? 3 gallon critter keeper
What temperature is your tank? 78 - 79 F (Did a water change, then added water to dilute the Epsom salt, so temp dropped a bit.)
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? 2-3 pellets / 2x per day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? He was just put in this tank on Sunday. (Got him Saturday. Did a 4.5 hour acclimation into a 1 gallon tank. Transferred him to this 3 gal. on Sunday.)
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? (None yet. He was going to get a partial tonight.)
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Top Fin Water Conditioner

Water Parameters:
Ammonia: I tested another tank, since I'd been in a rush to get a water change done. Using the API Ammonia Test, it looks like the other tank is just over 0.0, but less than the next category up which is 0.25. I also has a Seachem Ammonia Alert inside the other tank, and it's showing "safe" - but I'm not sure how accurate it is, as it's something new.

pH: 6.6

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Pale color, stress stripes.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Was lying on bottom, now staying at the surface. Only using pectoral fins. Is not moving rest of body.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Tonight.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? 2 teaspoons Epsom salt per gallon. BUT within a few minutes, he looked very agitated so I added new water to dilute the Epsom salt.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Has seemed VERY healthy since bringing him home ont Saturday. Was VERY active. Symptoms first seen tonight (but I wasn't home during the day.)
How old is your fish (approximately)? Young? He's smaller than my other 2 bettas.

[LittleBlueFishlets]

[LittleBlueFishlets]

I'm thinking that his stomach area looks a little bloated and light in color....?

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Help! He was floating on his side this morning --- I thought he was dead.... When I tried to put him in his cup, he swam away. He moved to another part of the tank, and is floating there.

Do I just keep in the Epsom salt solution? It's about 1-2 teaspoons Epsom salt per gallon. Is there anything else I can do?

[AyalaCookiejar]

My Betta has almost the same symptoms. He seems slightly better since I started the Epsom salt treatments. He is now swimming a little more upright and can almost reach the bottom.. He was floating on his side at the top and struggling to swim.

Fast him and watch his poo.

[LittleBlueFishlets]

I didn't feed him today. (I suspect he wouldn't eat right now, even if I tried to feed him.) No poop. I've been watching.

I was going to do another 100% water change today, but he was stressed out. I let him hide under the heater while doing a partial change. (I'd lowered the water level last night.) The temp is about 80F. I've covered the tank with a towel to keep it dark.

I'm glad your guy is doing better today!

[AyalaCookiejar]

He's still struggling a bit but it sounds very similar. His poo is actually floating... I'm not sure what that means.

Right now, I'm thinking its either SBD, internal parasites, or (god, please no) the beginnings of Dropsy. Epsom salt is used to treat all three.

[SacredSeaMonkey]

I am having this issue as well. Nommers still has his hearty appetite. Hope it works!

[AyalaCookiejar]

I finally figured out that my Betta has internal parasites which was causing this. I started treating him with Parasite cure yesterday and he's already improving!

[LittleBlueFishlets]

I'd created another thread asking about treatment for constipation and bloating. Shellieca and Callistra gave me good advice. He's fine now (except for taking up the habit of tail biting!)

@SacredSeaMonkey - here's a link to the newer thread, which shows the advice that Shellieca and Callistra gave me: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=122795

@Ayala - Glad to hear you figured out what was wrong! Yay!