i cant figure out whats wrong with my betta

Question
Hi, I've had my betta, Buddy, for about 4 months now and just the other morning he started acting funny. I noticed he wasn't eating his food pellets and that he would just stay at the bottom of his bowl and near the filter. at one point he was swimming sideways but he's been very lazy. Today he did the opposite and was swimming frantically, crashing into all the walls of the bowl over and over and then returned to being lazy. The morning I noticed he wasn't moving or eating as much was also the first morning it was very cold in my bedroom so I moved his bowl downstairs where it was warmer. I'm going to purchase a heater for his bowl because it's going to begin to get very cold in my house. But also I noticed he is losing color around his face. Hes been scaring me the past couple days and I'm sure he doesn't like the cold weather so I hope he will be happier once I install the heater, but I don't know if he has an infection or swim bladder disease or no disease at all, just shock from the cold weather. I've done everything the people at the pet store recommended: I bought the bowl they recommended with a filter, I've changed 25% of his water every week and added the recommended amount of water conditioner before changing the water. everyone I talked to recommended different amounts of food so I don't know how much to feed him, but I've been feeding him 2-3 pellets once daily except on Sundays because 2-3 pellets once daily was the most common recommendation I heard, and because I read that it is good to skip a day of feeding to let their digestive system work itself out. I'm afraid I'm not feeding him right, though. Any suggestions would be appreciated! I just wanna give him whatever he will be happiest and healthiest with. Thanks!

Answer
Kristin,

If you want him happy, get him out of the bowl. NO Betta should be in any kind of bowl. Betta's do not like filters so he doesn't need one. He should be in a tank no less then 2.5 gallons where a 5 gallon is best. HE NEEDS A HEATER NOW. They are tropical fish and need the water to be 82 degrees. The conditioner needs to be added to the new water, not the bowl. I would keep watching his swimming, and if he continues to swim upside down or sideways, then he is suffering from swim bladder disease. If that happens, get a frozen pea and drop it in hat water, that cooks the pea. Take the shell off the pea and toss it in the garbage. DO NOT feed the shell to your Betta because he cannot digest it. Two days before feeding him the pea, fast him. On the third day feed him the pea and then fast him for 2 days again. ONLY do this if he is showing signs of swim bladder. You can, however, feed him a pea once a month to help in the digesting. You are feeding him the right amount of pellets daily.The sooner you get him the right size tank and a heater the sooner he will start being a healthy Betta again. Since he is in a bowl, the water changes need to be daily not weekly. The less amount of water means the more water changes needed.