Sorry - I know this area is probably for goldfish only but I think my betta is going to die and I haven't gotten any responses in the Tropical Disease problems area. The problem is that my betta has been bottomsitting for the past few days. He is getting EXTREMELY bloated (not pineconed) and he won't eat anything. If I put my hand in the tank he will swim quickly up to the top of the tank and then swim back down and sit on the bottom. He is also breathing very slowly. He rarely moves anymore and he hasn't eaten in almost 4 days I think.
Anyways, here is the tank info:
Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 20 pH 7.8(it is the same as always)
10 gallons, cycled, up and running for approx. 2 months
Filtration - whisper in tank filter, 90gph
Water change once a week about 40-50% I use temp/pH matched water and amquelplus water conditioner
Inhabitants - A single male betta and a black mystery snail
The only thing recently added was a plant. I don't know what kind it is but it was QTed and the betta was a bit sick before that.
The betta eats blood worms 3 days a week, betta bite pellet things 3 days a week, and nothing on one day. The snail gets sinking algae wafers.

I can't figure out what it is, I did a water change yesterday to see if that would help but it didn't. The snail is completely fine and unnafected. Even though the betta is not eating he keeps getting more and more bloated and it seems that swimming is a little bit more difficult for him than it used to be. Please help me - could it be something like SBD or constipation??? I have never dealt with those things before so I can't tell

Thanks in advance - sorry if I am being a bit dramatic I am just really worried and I don't want him to die.

could be constipated. i don't know what works on a betta, but smashed pea works on goldfish. i've also used a bit of epsom salts,(teaspoon) but again, i don't know about using it on a betta. i have always had issues with snails causing bacterial issues for my fish. i'd be careful with that one.

Uh oh! Could it really be the snail? I can remove him to a different tank if need be.

How do you feed peas? Should I cook them first in boiling water? Sorry, like I said I have never dealt with something like this before and have never tried feeding peas - how should I get him to eat them?

Betta is still hanging in there, Any advice is greatly appreciated - thank you!

don't worry about snails many members on this have told me many times that snails can not transfer anything to fish. so with the peas what you do is boil them and then take them out of the little husk that covers the peas you may have to squish it a bit. betta's can eat peas but i am unsure if it helps with constipation like with a goldfish.

f1shface if you are having problems with your fish and you think it is caused by the snails i am here to say don't blame the snails as they are not giving the fish anything it is most likely being passed on by other fish. i will repeat this again snails can not give fish a disease.

Well, he wouldn't eat the peas. My other betta and my goldfish loved the peas though! I wish I had a camera, my other betta attacked the pea and then swam around with a whole pea in his mouth shaking it - pretty cute. Anyways, I am getting sidetracked, my sick betta is getting worse. He won't move, won't eat and is extremely bloated. Any advice???

You know I think you're going to get much better feed back if you post in 'Tropicals' - there are many betta experts there.
Is the fish just bloated or actually pineconed?
Good luck with him.

Pixiefish - I posted in tropicals at first but I didn't get any responses for like 3 or 4 days and I was getting really worried about my fish - so in a last stitch effort I posted here even though I know it isn't really the right place. Anyways, when I came home today, I checked on him and I am fairly sure that he is pineconed now. Is there any way to treat dropsy? Could it spread to my other fish since I have to use the same siphon? Well, I think he may be too far gone to treat and he hasn't eaten in quite a while so I am having my mom bring home some anaesthetic tomorrow in case I have to euthanize him.

Thank you everyone for you help anyways.

Oh dear, I am so sorry.
I just can't advise as I know nothing about bettas.
It's so awful when you're desperate and no one answers.
I hope someone turns up today......

Luv4Pets, how is your betta doing today? I am sorry I can't be much of help, since I haven't had bettas in such a long time. If he is still with you, you really might wonna give the tropials section another holler.

Never mind - just found that your betta has passed away. I am sorry he didn't make it.

I just found this thread after I posted in the other one about your betta. I am sorry to hear that he passed.

As far as snails carrying disease, yes they can and yes they do. Most of the time you cannot treat a tank with the snails in it, so they have to be moved out while meds are used. Most meds will kill snails. When the snail is placed back in the main tank, the process starts all over again.

Lady_Dodecagon - what do you mean by "When the snail is placed back in the main tank, the process starts all over again."? Does that mean that my snail can never go in a tank with other fish otherwise they will get dropsy? I am just not sure what to do in this situation because I really want to nuke the ten gallon and put my guppies in it but I don't know what to do with the snail. Can dropsy be spread to other fish in this way?

Oh and thanks everyone for your replies! It does mean a lot to me that you guys care - and even if I had gotten responses sooner I don't think it could have saved him because I didn't realize that it was dropsy until a day or two before he passed away.