I'm not sure what to do in this situation. I'm new to the hobby.
I have had my betta, Fred, since January. I recently added some buddies for him to the tank (blue dream dwarf shrimp). I have had the shrimp for about 2 months. I noticed some had white dots and their heads recently. After researching, I discovered this is a parasite and dosed my tank this morning with API General Cure.
A few hours after that, I'm watching my Fred chase the shrimpee crew and he gets sucked up the HOB filter intake and just shreds the heck out him. I had quickly unplug the dad gum filter because he couldn't get free. He is really torn up and looks like he has a gash on his side. He swam to bottom and stayed there for a long time. He didn't even come to the top to breath. I turned off the lights in the tank and the room and he is hiding in the top corner where all the dwarf sag grows.
I cleaned the tank this morning before dosing Api. I'm not sure if I should do another water change to get rid of the parasite med , or just add some ichx and some maracyn to keep him from getting an infection. Everything I've read online so far says clean water and aquarium salt, but I'm having a hard time believing salt in open wound is good thing. I'm at a loss as to what to do. ????
After the accident, I read about pantyhose over the intake and did that, but a little to late. (I'm totally kicking my own butt) Just ordered the ACoOp sponge filter so this doesn't happen again.
Please any advice is appreciated. He looks so hurt. I wish there was an equivalent to tylenol for fish.