To flush or not to flush?

If you've had your betta for only 6 months, then your betta can have a happy, long life ahead of him if taken care of properly. Bettas purchased in pet stores are only a few months old and bettas can live much longer than a few months. If your betta is swimming on his side and has spots on his head, it can be a number of things. Pet stores have plenty of medications to treat fish problems. Aquarium salt may be helpful in your situation as well but I cannot diagnose the problem because I do not know what your fish may have so aquarium salt can be useful or a hindurance. Your fish should not be flushed as that is in humane in my opinion. I'd try to take care of him, change his water, make sure it's at a comfortable 74 degrees and treat him with a medication if possible.

O.k so you can try this. Go to your LFS (local fish store) and ask for some medicine to treat ICK. It really sounds like this is your problem. A water change can't get rid of the ick from the fish because it is an actually infection. Next go and get some good water. Don't use tap water ever. Tap water is evil. Britta water doesn't count either. Go and invest in a jug of R.O. water from the grocery store. When you get home try to get the R.O. water to match the temp of your Betta's water. It's a Betta so I am assuming it's just room temp. Do a different type of water change, this is how it goes. Fill up a new quarantine container that your fish will live in while being treated. Remove a cup or two of the water in your Betta's tank and put it in the quarantine container. This will help adjust the PH and maintain that healthy slime coat. Then place the fish in the new container. Make sure that it is in there for a while and can have time to acclimate (this is very important since it's already stressed from being sick) Then after a few hours of the fish getting used to the new water, begin using the ick medicine per instructions. If your fish improves then you can clean the old tank "very very thoroughly" including any rocks that are in it. Do not, I repeat do not use soap to clean anything the fish will be in. Try just using a bunch of salt and some warm water. It will kill any bacteria and will rinse perfectly clean. Then just fill the tank back up with the water from the quarantine tank and put your fish back in. Hopefully it will start eating again. I will agree with everyone on here that the fish should be able to live at least 3 years. Good luck and if you ever have any fish questions again, just let me know. I'm a reefer nut and used to do tank care for lots of people. I've been working with fish for oh 24 years. Yes, since I was 5. My dad even helped out with Inland Aquatics when they setup their giant mega venturi system back in the eighties. He's the real fish freak. I really like bugs.

I had a little gold fish that started swimming on his side and than all together stoped swimming I found out his swim bladder stopped working but he lived for another year after that I just couldnt flush him He was fine other than the fact he could not swim I had a fish that couldnt swim mmmmm but yeah I am not sure about bettas but my his swim bladder is going out!