Betta Problems

So the gills of my Betta B.B. are red. But he is blue (and I have no idea what ammonia levels are just putting that out there.) He is recovering from dropsy and I'm worried about him. Background info: BB is a Walmart fish. He was a centerpiece at a banquet I took home (was not in good shape) so I got him a cute little tank and food. He has been doing great since then! I change his water frequently, feed him, and have a lamp during the day. He recently got a minor case of dropsy which he is recovering from. So I scrubbed his tank, changed gravel and water and cleaned his ornaments. I noticed for a few days his gills have been red. What does this mean? And how should I take care of dropsy better?

 

How big of a tank is he in? Does he have a filter and heater? Have you tested the water to see if maybe there's a chemical inbalance?

 

Did you rinse everything in tap water? Cause I'm thinking ammonia burns just by the red color.

 

Yeah I rinsed in tap is that the problem?

And his tank is like .75 gallon I think sorry I am new. And no he has none if the above.

 

Yes, because whatever little bacteria you had in the tank is now gone. I would suggest getting at least a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter. These little guys can live in some pretty bad conditions, but we should be giving them the bare minimum.
The reason for the heater is because these guys are tropical fish, they need warmer waters to stay healthy and active.
The filter is to keep a good colony of bacteria so you can avoid a lot of harmful stuff like ammonia in a tank.
The bigger tank is so that way the nitrate, aka waste and leftover food, won't build as fast and it will be a bit easier to cycle than a .75 gallon.
We are happy to help if you have any questions, it may also be easier to do a lot of research on bettas to give you a better idea of what they need.

 

Thank you so much for all your imput!!

 

I really appreciate all of you help I will get a bigger tank as soon as I can!