Heat, AQ Salt, frequent water changes.
Do you have the capacity to have him in a small kritter keeper but maintain it at a 78-80 degree temperature?
How large is his current tank?
Even if you could float a kritter keeper in his current tank if its larger to maintain temps in a smaller container for him.

 

Thanks for the speedy reply! Currently, my betta is in a 5 G gallon tank and unfortunately, I do not have access to a smaller tank that can be heated. Right now, he is having extreme difficulty swimming and cannot easily reach the top for air so I am not sure how I am going to feed him. Additionally, since the filter was definitely not good for him, is is a good idea to not use a filter at all until he heals? How often should I do a water change. Is twice a week sufficient? Sorry for the barrage of questions! And here is a picture.

 

-Remove the lid from your tank.
-Does your tank have a heater? can you increase it to about 80 degrees?
-Keep the filter running to move water around the tank.
-I want you to either get a tupperwear or Ziploc plastic container or whatever..... Something small like .5 or .25 gallon sized. (dollar stores here sell small kritter keeper type things for kids to put bugs in they work great their just under half a gallon each) If you can get 2 containers this will be even easier. This will allow him to get to the surface easier.
-Float this container in your current tank, use a clothes peg or elastics to attach it to the rim of the tank so it doesn't tip or float around.
-Get a 1gallon bucket and mark it with sharpie at the half gallon and 1/4 gallon (mark at each 1 quart)
-run your tap to 80 degrees (or whatever you tank is heated too) and fill bucket to half gallon or full gallon depending on how large this container youre using it.
-add appropriate amount of AQ salt (1/4tsp per quart... 1tsp/gallon) and stir to dissolve, add dechlorinator.
-if you have 2 small containers fill the one your fish is not in with this new water then gently move your fish to this new container. Rinse out his old one and prepare for his next water change. Otherwise you may need to hold him in a small cup for 2 mins while you do all this.

I personally like to use 2 small containers and as soon as my fish is transferred to the new water, I rinse his old one out and add new water, so the new water actually sits for a day before he goes into it, then I know its the exact perfect temp, so in a sense I get his new water ready a day in advance. And if you make up 1gallon of salted water at a time, and you need to medicate with something else you're not wasting as much if his small temp container is only 1/4gallon. You can keep it all the in bucket for a day or so Plus then you don't have to worry about measuring appropriate amounts of salt or meds if both containers you have are totally different sizes.
It should all take less then 5 mins a day.

 

If he is having difficulties going to the surface, you should lower the water level. This way you can feed him easier or you can also cup him during feedings. Sometimes bettas can injure their swim bladder because of the strong water movement. If indeed it is his swim bladder, I personally don't think AQ is recommended, but I'm not an expert.

 

Thanks!! I'll find some containers to do that in. Does this mean that I will have no use for the 5 gallon tank since I will not be using it until my betta gets better? Sorry just wanted some clarification. :l

 

The containers your fish will be in will be floating in the 5gallon tank.
You need some way to keep the small container the fish is in heated, and that will mean having circulating warm tank water running around the containers.
So in a sense you could feed the tank to keep your BB happy so its still fully cycled when your fish is feeling better.
But your fish will be receiving daily (maybe twice daily) 100% water changes in the small Tupperware containers that will be floating in your current tank. So he will not be physically touching the tanks old water.

Looking at that photo I think his swimming issues are from being pulverized by the filter not necessarily swim bladder issues.

 

Alright got it thanks!

 

Okay so I just tried this and I am struggling. Haha. I decided to use the container my Betta came in and to use that to float in the tank. I am not sure how to attach it to the side of my tank. Would be possible to use a ziploc bag instead and float that? Or would it be okay to just use my 5 gallon unfiltered but heated tank for the aq salt? Thanks.

 

Haha you can use the 5gal if you want. But its just harder to do larger water changes in tht size of tank. You need to keep the water pristine in this case to promote healing thats why i suggested small containers so 100% changes take 2 seconds.

If you had clothes pegs like this.
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/.../-font-b-Big-b-font-racks-clothes-clip-clothes-peg-font-b-clothespin-b-font.jpg
They go over the tank lip much easier. I have a bunch from the dollarstore that go over the larger lip on my salt tank.

 

Alright thanks and one last thing I promise. :/ my fish still isn't eating and showing no interest in food at all. What should I do? He just spends most of his time lurking in the bottom of the tank staying still.

 

Perhaps when he feels a bit better he will eat.
They can go up to about 2 weeks with no food. You can try and offer but if he doesn't eat it don't let it sit and decay. Just remove it right away.
You can try crushing some fresh garlic up in a little warm water (just a little) and soak a pellet or 2 in there for a minuite and offer that. Sometimes garlic entices picky or sick eater.

 

So sorry to hear how bunged up your boy is. May I ask what kind of filter it was that did this to him?

 

Thank you for the advice!! And it was the Penguin filter. It is indeed a really good filter but it must have been too strong or something. I'm not quite sure but I wil be getting another one, which should be much better.

 

May I ask how he got in, if you know or have a guess? I've read this thread a couple times but haven't had anything to say. I've got one, but the only issue is the strong outtake, but how does a bett get stuck in there?!