Sick Lethargic Betta

Hi everyone,

I have a blue betta for over a year now and he has fallen sick.
I diagnosed him a week and a half ago concluding that he had Ich. I have been using sea water salt and an anti-parasite ever since but I am afraid that maybe he has something else because he hasn't gotten much better since I started the treatment.
(I am also doing +-80% water changes every other day, and today I could do a full water change)
(By the way, he has improved a little bit, but just a little. In the beginning of last week, I could hardly make him eat and now he responds in a little better way, I explain it below)

So, I would like your help to confirm if maybe he has something else or if it is indeed normal for it to take this long.

His behavior:
1- He lays the whole day on the bottom of the tank as if he is sleeping and occasionally he wakes up to go take some air.
2- He doesn't come when I call him to play or eat.
3- I am having a hard time feeding him because he is only willing to eat when he comes from the bottom to take some air, I have to be quick and incite him to eat while he is near the surface.. I can notice that he wants to eat but I can also see that he has a hard time seeing the food and getting it.
4- He has a hard time swimming, when he comes to the surface, it looks as though he is falling and he has to constantly make an effort to stay there.

His appearance:
1- I think that he has lost some vibrance and he looks a bit pale.
2- He has a couple of white spots near his fins

I am really hoping that he will get better and I would appreciate a lot any help.

I am attaching a couple of photos to show you how he looks.
Also, I managed to upload a video on Youtube that shows a little bit of his behavior.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nantxn75-Q

Thanks in advance.

PS: In one of the photos he is in a very small tank, but I normally keep him in a 6g tank, he was there only because I was making a full water change and I thought that it would be easier to take a photo when he was there.

 

When you say that you've added "sea water salt," do you mean aquarium salt or actual marine salt? Marine salt is NOT good for bettas, as they are freshwater fish and cannot tolerate any degree of salinity to their water. Aquarium salt (like API) can help with infection and help them regain electrolytes that they have lost.

He looks like he's had a bit of fin rot in addition to the ich. Is his tank filtered? Do you know the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

Honestly, if you're in the States, there is a good chance he was older when you got him, so he may just be ready to pass on. I know a lot of suppliers send their old retired breeders to the pet stores to be sold after they've outlived their "usefulness".

 

I used aquarium salt from "Red Sea Salt"
Is it ok?

The tank is filtered but not cycled. Ammonia levels must be at their lowest, since I did a full water change just now, as for nitrite and nitrate, I don't have the equipment to measure them.