Tippy Toes not eating

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jaymie, me again with Tippy Toes...
she's also not eating well the last couple of days since i wrote to you...she's only 2 yrs old I wanna keep her at least 7! I'm so worried! she's usually a strong appetite...shes hanging out in back of tank blowing bubbles, but usually when it's feeding time she comes swimming fast!.. She's showing little to no interest...i say little because i managed to feed her 1/2 a soaked pellet this morning, whereas she usually eats 3 soaked pellets but she's having a hard time eating them whole so i cut it in half and had to put it right in her face to get her to eat it, this is nothing like her usual self.

ANSWER: Liane,
Make sure her heater is set at 80 degrees. It cannot be any lower. As for not eating, they can go 2 weeks without food so no need to worry about that yet. Most Betta's live to be about 3 to 4 years old. You will be very lucky to get her to five. If the water is right all the time, meaning no ammonia or nitrites, and her water is heated to the right temperature, and she is fed right, she should live to be 5 years old. If any of the above mentioned is not done, her life span is cut shorter. Keep her quiet for a couple of days. Do not turn her light on and see how she does in a couple of days. Contact me sooner if things change.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi,
me again...sometimes i see her breathing rapidly I know this is not good, last night she went to the bottom a lot when i was doing water change, she even assumed the face down in the gravel position a few times last night scared the crud out of me I really love her so MUCH!  do you think she might have a bacterial infection internally or something? I see nothing outwardly different besides the way she is acting, the non eating thing is really really weird for her...

Answer
Liane, I cant remember if you feed her a cooked pea. If not, try feeding one to her. Make sure it is cooked and that you remove the outer shell before feeding. DO NOT give her the shelled part because she cannot digest it. Take a look at her from above. What I mean by this is to look at her from the opening of the tank. Are any of her scales popping out like a pine cone? How are her fins and tail? Nose down and tail up is not a good thing. It is very important that her water is at the right temperature. I know I have said that a lot but she definitely needs one right now. What are the water perimeters? The ammonia and nitrite levels.