green growth on blue beauty

[doggurl]

My name is Vicki, I am new to this forum and to betta ownership. I have had my Blue female betta, Blueberry, since January. About a month ago she turned greenish and is now bearly able to swim. I had a bulb growing and gravel in the tank, but I wasn't sure if that was adding to the issue with her, so I took it all out. Thank you for all the help and for your time. My eleven year old daughter loves the betta better than our dog, LOL!!

Housing
What size is your tank? 1 gal
What temperature is your tank? no thermometer
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? no
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? had a catfish at first, but betta attacked it. (or it otherwise died.) ??

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Aqua Culture brand Betta Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2-4 pellets every other day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? none, I use distilled water

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? I have not tested the water

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Green mold looking fuzz
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? now sits at bottom of tank and swims to top every 5-10 min or so.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? about a month ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? unsure of what to treat for, mold?
Does your fish have any history of being ill? I haven't had her for very long
How old is your fish (approximately)? I bought her from Petco in January 2011.

[doggurl]

Oh I was using a Betta Fizz additive until she started turning green, then I asked the "experts" at Petco and they said to just use distilled water without any additives. So for the last month that is what I have been using. But Blueberry has gotten worse, not better.

[roypattonphoto]

NOOOOO! never use distilled water! it doesnt have the required nutrients... ive used BettaSafe Fiz tablets for over a month and have never had any probs.. my betta expert at my local petco suggested it and says its the only thing he uses...

also if u can pic of the fish and effected area would be best to help

[Silverfang]

well, I'm not sure about mold, but there are a few things I can suggest. Get a thermometer, and a heater if possible, they like warm water, my boy has his at 75, and even that is on the cooler side of things.
In a 1gal you want to be doing water changes daily, or at least every other day. It's not about dirt you can see, it's about ammonia building up in the water. Ammonia is deadly to bettas, and they secrete it from their body, like sweat and urine. So clean water = happier healthier betta.
Also you said you're using distilled water, I'm not entirely sure, but bettas need nutrients from water, that may not be present in distilled (please feel free to correct me). Regular tap water left to sit over night with a dechlorinator. Prime is highly recommended by board members.

As for the turning green, I'm not sure, bettas can develop fin and body rot, but I'm rather inexperienced when it comes to sick bettas. Clean water and regular water changes are going to be one of the best things for her.

[doggurl]

picture I just took of Blueberry- I don't think she is going to make it- she is barely moving now... I added a fizz tab to a cup of water then mixed it in to her tank.