Help! It's Merp! :'(

[FishHelper101]

Hey everyone, I have been gone for 6 days for a little mini vacation. I had my mom look after the fish while I was away. I came home today to find Merp looking awful! He's lost a lot of his color, he's pine-coning, and he's bulging as if he has been over fed. I asked my mom how much she was feeding him, she said at the most 3 pellets. I use the New life spectrum made specifically for bettas. I quickly changed him into a holding tank and did a 100% water change in his main tank. I rinsed out his main tank, filled it with new water and tested the water. Everything's normal. He's now having labored breathing and he's swimming funny. Is there anything I can do?! ANYTHING AT ALL?! :'(
UPDATE:
I just switched him back to the main tank, it seems that his color is very slowly returning but everything else is the same. I forgot to mention that my mom did skip a day in feeding and she said that she noticed him swimming funny so she skipped another day, so he's definitely not been over fed. I just don't know how this happened! The other bettas are fine and they got the exact same schedule! Help anyone?

 

[KasumiBetta]

It sounds like dropsy. / Here's a couple of links I read:
 
http/www.bettafishguru.com/dir/betta-fish-dropsy.php
 
http/www.bettafishcenter.com/Dropsy.shtml

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

Hm. im thinking dropsy, but the swimming thing made me think swim bladder, but he wasnt over fed. Have you tested the ammonia recentually?

 

[FishHelper101]

Yep it was high! SO much as 1ppm! But with the 100% wc that got rid of it so now it's fine

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

Thats probably why. I had a turtle, and he got ammonia in his lungs and started to swim oddly. This may have happened to merp

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

It does sound like ammonia poisoning.  Dropsy isn't a disease, but a symptom of it, and swim bladder issues are a common co-symptom.  The trick is knowing the cause, which in your case is high ammonia.  Is your tank cycled?  I had a betta that showed exactly the same symptoms as you have described and it was also ammonia poisoning.  The reason for my tank cycle crash is still unknown to me.
 
Best thing to do if your ammonia isn't going down/tank is not cycled it to keep up with testing and water changes.  Dose with Seachem's Prime to keep low concentrations under control.  My betta that was present during the cycle-crash died in two days after the dropsy symptoms showed up.  Most people think at the stage of the sickness where dropsy can be seen, it may already be too late.  The absolute best of luck, regardless!  Keep us posted.

 

[Wildbetta]

With him pineconing, the outcome is not good.  There are options to try and treat though.  Get some epsom salt (not any other kind of salt) and put about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons to help draw out fluid.  That is the only way I have heard of anyone curing a fish with dropsy and it is not one that works all the time but it is worth a try.  I am sorry to hear about Merp having this issue.  

 

[FishHelper101]

Thank you all for your help. He's eating fine. I dunno if it's weird but is it weird that his pine coning disturbs me? Like it scares me it looks really weird to me.