My betta has white gills and is breathing fast

[ghostlilly]

OK I now see that his gills are white around the edges! He also doesn't seem to eat! I started treating him with life guard all in one treatment since that's all they had other than ick guard I live in very small town.Has anyone used this before and if so does it work or can you recommend something better! I am new to fish and have no idea what is wrong and I don't have a camera to post a pic. Also can I check the PH and Ammonia levels if I am treating the fish and tank? Here is the info from the sticky.
Housing
What size is your tank? 3 gallon
What temperature is your tank? 77 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?yes but not currently running
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Tetra Betta floating mini pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 pellets 2 times a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? only had him 6 days already did 1 50% change
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50% for the first going to do 100% after treating
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Aqua safe water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? no started to treat fish before the store got test strips in

Ammonia:
Nitrite:n/a
Nitrate:n/a
pH:n/a
Hardness:n/a
Alkalinity: n/a

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?has white edging his gills and does'nt swim around alot and breaths fast and hard
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? doesn't seem to want to eat just floats near the bottom unless going up 4 air
When did you start noticing the symptoms? 6 days ago when I bought him and put him in tank
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? yes with Life guard all-in-one it's all they had other than ick medicine
Does your fish have any history of being ill? I do not know just bought him from wal-mart
How old is your fish (approximately)? n/a

[PewPewPew]

Is it white, like the scales are white? Almost looking like theyre grey/silvery?

Is the whiteness fuzzy at all? Stringy?

Does it look at all like this?


Even if darker, more white/silver, this isnt anything to worry about. This is natural coloration.

If fuzzy, stringy, then please let us know.


Your tank isnt in too rough of shape. The temp is alright, you use conditioner, you feed it well, and the water changes arent too bad.

Sometimes, bettas need a little while to settle in. They may not eat for a bit, which is sometimes common. Has it ever* eaten while youve had it?

Keep offering the food. If it doesnt eat in 5 minutes, remove the food. Consider another type of pellet, maybe smaller ones that fit in its mouth better. Avoid "freeze-dried" anything.

The breathing heavy may or may not be a bad sign. I have had two healthy, happy bettas that constantly breathe heavily. I dont know why, but it doesnt seem to be indicating issues. There is an issue when it is breathing heavy and also gasping at the surface for air or coming up very, very frequently.

Are you acclimating the fish properly? This may be why he is stressed out.

Do this for us:

Right now, or when you can, do that 100% water change, complete with a rinse of everything (no soap! soap will kill the fish), and water conditioner. Make sure, using the thermometer, your temp range is from 77-82'.

Keep the betta in his cup with the old water from the tank. Once youre done with the water change, allow the cup to "bob" in the water for about 5 minutes. Doing this will allow the fish to get used to the new temperature of the water. After 5 minutes of bobbing, add in a little bit (like a few spoonfuls/tbs) of new tank water every 5 minutes for about 10-15minutes.

You should acclimate this way each time you do a water change, even in a 50% change. The acclimation will get the fish used to the new temp and water parameters, which will help it relax and avoid shock. This is important.

Can you attach pictures, btw? It will be very helpful.

[PewPewPew]

Also, please stop the medication for now. I have a feeling you do not need it, and using medicines when not necessary may prove harmful in that it builds up immunity and tolerance to the medicine and could harm the fish when the perceived illness is not present.

Btw, dont buy the strip kinds of testing kits. Theyre much more expensive in the long run (trust me!) and they dont work. Ive had it tell me my ammonia level was at 0, when it actually was much, much much higher :) Try to get a liquid testing kit (like API). Unless youre going to cycle the tank, you probably dont need a "master kit". You should, regardless, get an ammonia testing kit.