Betta Fish Dying

[FCWonderer]

New tank is just a couple months in, fish have only been in for about 2-3 weeks since my tank fully cycled and then my betta fish comes up looking very ill. I only have the one tank and so I'm using my 3 gallon bucket that I use to take out old water as a hospital tank for now while I go get supplies. He has his 10G tank filter in the bucket right now (I also have an underground filter powered by a powerhead so the other fish should be fine until I get my hospital tank together) that is dripping water at a steady pace that isn't too powerful for the bucket.
 
Tank size: 10G
pH: 6.4-6.8
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10-20
kH: unknown
gH: unknown
tank temp: 82* F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): A couple of days ago he began hiding in a stump in the tank because I took away his fake plants and so I just thought he was just getting used to the new enviroment. Then today he comes out of hiding after not being seen for a day or two and is discolored, unable to stay afloat or fight the current in the tank, sitting at the bottom and just breathing.
 
Volume and Frequency of water changes: A few recently as I have been battling bacteria blooms and keeping the nitrate below 20 or atleast 40. So 50% water changes 2-3 times a week. Like I said, it's a relatively new tank.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: None

Tank inhabitants: 3 peppered cory, 3 bronze cory, 1 nerite snail

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): The betta was added when the other fish were. They were all looking fine for the first couple weeks. Like I said, I removed his fake plants because I wanted to plant real ones for him because they love real plants. He lost his hiding/resting place and retreated to the stump.

Exposure to chemicals: None

Digital photo (include if possible): I would provide one but since I moved him to the bucket I'm not sure a photo would really help..
 
Anything that might help save him would be greatly appreciated. This all happened so fast, I'm scrambling to get everything together.

 

[Mylesmom08]

Is he eating or bloated? My betta was either constipated or bloated from eating to many blood worms, and he wouldnt move or swim up for air. I ended up treating him some peas with vita-chem and garlic guard and within about 5 hours he seems to purk up and is healthy and kickin now! Im fairly new to this too, but Im sure someone with more experience will come along oh, and I also treated him with a tiny tiny TINY pinch of salt in his temporary tank, but it was so small I don't know if it helped or not 

 

[FCWonderer]

He won't eat and is pretty lethargic at the bottom of the tank right now. Moves around slightly.

 

[Mylesmom08]

Any other symptoms other than color loss and lethargic? Clamped fins, any abnormal bowels (stringy, white, clumped), bloating, loss of fins, heavy breathing, scales sticking out?

 

[FCWonderer]

Any other symptoms other than color loss and lethargic? Clamped fins, any abnormal bowels (stringy, white, clumped), bloating, loss of fins, heavy breathing, scales sticking out?

 
Fins are clamped I'd say, haven't noticed his bowels, and his breathing seems to be labored a bit. He is just sitting in one spot. Barely moving.

 

[Mylesmom08]

I'm sorry, the only other thing I would do is do a water change on the bucket hes in with a good conditioner, try an ease any stress from the bacteria blooms you've been having (if there was ammonia, nitrIte, etc.. during it). 

 

[FCWonderer]

I want to add some salt to see if it makes anything better but this filter I use for the main tank and don't want to contaminate it. The salt says it does not supply iodide so will it be safe to use with the main tank filter when I put it back into my 10G?

 

[Mylesmom08]

Im not to sure about that, I would think some would get in the filter media, especially if you have a foam type, however you could do a salt 'dip' instead without the filter. Use the recommended dosage on the package and allow the betta to sit in it in a seperate container for no long than an hour. Afterwards, you can remove the salt water or transfer him with a cup (not a net, as this might stress him out more in his weakened state) back to the bucket you are using. If some of the salt water from the dip gets mixed in with the bucket water, dont worry. Small amounts wont harm in the long run as it will be heavily diluted. Just make sure to dissolve the salt in a cup with tank water before adding it. It is not good to just dump salt in its solid form into the tank.

Another note: Many people keep Bettas in small bowls, and though it is highly recommended against that as they need more swimming room, for the salt dip you could use a small bowl or tupperware seeing as it is an emergency and he is not swimming to well as it is. Just make sure to not overdose with the salt, as to much can have adverse effects, and not longer than an hour if you are using the salt dip at full recommended strength per instructions. 

 

[BerryAttack]

when you start taking this fish out, or trying to catch it, it'll stress it out and the chance of saving it will lessen. 
 
if you have another tank, or large container laying around use that, and add already cycled filter material to it.. creating a hospital tank.
is you use salts in your tank with the cories/snails it'll burn them. not good
 
when you look down onto the fish does he look like a pine cone? scales poking out.. if so could be dropsy. 
at the edge of the fins does it have white on it.. then start of fin rot.
is he bloated, but look skinny? then possible internal parasite.
 
*you say recently new tank.. probably means you didn't cycle it... ammonia poisoning.. start doing daily water changes of at least 25% and treat the water before adding it to tank. 
 
i'm betting it is because the tank isn't cycled and the fish got poisoned.. do daily water changes.
 
 
****also remove carbon from filter if using medication on fish.. with carbon in filter it'll stop the meds from working.. 

 

[FCWonderer]

when you start taking this fish out, or trying to catch it, it'll stress it out and the chance of saving it will lessen. 
 
if you have another tank, or large container laying around use that, and add already cycled filter material to it.. creating a hospital tank.
is you use salts in your tank with the cories/snails it'll burn them. not good
 
when you look down onto the fish does he look like a pine cone? scales poking out.. if so could be dropsy. 
at the edge of the fins does it have white on it.. then start of fin rot.
is he bloated, but look skinny? then possible internal parasite.
 
*you say recently new tank.. probably means you didn't cycle it... ammonia poisoning.. start doing daily water changes of at least 25% and treat the water before adding it to tank. 
 
i'm Don't ing it is because the tank isn't cycled the fish got poisoned.. do daily water changes.
 
 
****also remove carbon from filter if using medication on fish.. with carbon in filter it'll stop the meds from working..

It was completely cycled and still is. Everything seemed fine he just got sick very quickly. Too late in the night to get him intestinal parasite meds. Don't think hell make it through the night. :[

 

[Mylesmom08]

Did you try the salt bath? And Im sorry to hear about him Let us know tomorrow how it goes..

 

[ncguppy830]

oh my sorry 

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I don't think a  salt dip will help, it will only stress him out.
 
If you still have the fake plants (assuming they're silk) add them to the bucket and he'll hopefully rest on them, they will help him be able to breath.
 
Try feeding him, does he feed like he normally does?
 
When did this start? Like, around what time? What time is it now?

 

[FCWonderer]

Sadly he has passed. It was so hard to search the city for open places that sell fish supplies and come back to find him stuck to the filter. I changed him into the hospital tank I made in a couple hours before I left to search forintestinal parasite medicine, but by then I think it was too late. Never got to attempt the salt bath either. He wasn't eating at all. At one point he swam up and just had his mouth right next to the betta food but just wouldn't eat it. It started 3 days ago when I removed the fake plants and he started hiding in the stump. I checked on him twice a day to make sure he was ok, but when I woke up yesterday and turned over the log he was deathly ill already. He will be missed..

 

[Mylesmom08]

I'm sorry