First, I want to thank those who have been so kind to respond to my posts and offer advice about Sushi. Thanks to your wonderful tips he seems to be doing much better. I still have him in a hospital bowl and I'm doing 50% water changes and adding aquarium salt every other day. The spot on his head seems to be gone, he is much perkier and his appetite has returned. He is much more active and is opening his fins the way he used to. 
And the best news of all -- he has built his very first bubble nest! I had an aerator in his regular tank so he was never able to build a bubble nest before but upon the advice I received here I stopped using the aerator and I came in to work this morning to see him hard at work on his nest. 
So I think we have turned the corner and he is on his way back to health.
Now someone please tell me about bubble nests! I have no plan to breed him, so what will happen? Will he just keep building it, or will he stop eventually? Will it end up taking over the bowl? I really have no clue about these things.
His fins have not gotten any worse and there is no discoloration of the fins so I really do not think I am dealing with fin rot. Is it safe to assume that the aquarium salt and Rid Ich that I was using were enough to stop the progression and that antibiotics won't be necessary? Or should I go ahead with antibiotics once the Rid Ich is completely clear from his bowl? (I have not added new Rid Ich since Sunday.) And if antibiotics aren't necessary, what about Bettafix? I already bought it last week on the advice of the people at PetSmart but haven't even opened the package yet.
And lastly (sorry for all the questions!), what is the best way to clean his old tank, glass stones, plant and tunnel to ensure that he doesn't get sick when I move him back to his tank? I have rinsed everything with hot water and scrubbed the algae off his tunnel, but is that enough? I know soap and bleach are absolutely no-nos, but is there something else I can use that will get everything really clean that will be safe for Sushi?
Many, many thanks for all your help. Sushi and I are very grateful!
And the best news of all -- he has built his very first bubble nest! I had an aerator in his regular tank so he was never able to build a bubble nest before but upon the advice I received here I stopped using the aerator and I came in to work this morning to see him hard at work on his nest. So I think we have turned the corner and he is on his way back to health. Now someone please tell me about bubble nests! I have no plan to breed him, so what will happen? Will he just keep building it, or will he stop eventually? Will it end up taking over the bowl? I really have no clue about these things.
His fins have not gotten any worse and there is no discoloration of the fins so I really do not think I am dealing with fin rot. Is it safe to assume that the aquarium salt and Rid Ich that I was using were enough to stop the progression and that antibiotics won't be necessary? Or should I go ahead with antibiotics once the Rid Ich is completely clear from his bowl? (I have not added new Rid Ich since Sunday.) And if antibiotics aren't necessary, what about Bettafix? I already bought it last week on the advice of the people at PetSmart but haven't even opened the package yet.
And lastly (sorry for all the questions!), what is the best way to clean his old tank, glass stones, plant and tunnel to ensure that he doesn't get sick when I move him back to his tank? I have rinsed everything with hot water and scrubbed the algae off his tunnel, but is that enough? I know soap and bleach are absolutely no-nos, but is there something else I can use that will get everything really clean that will be safe for Sushi?
Many, many thanks for all your help. Sushi and I are very grateful!
