Why did my Betta Die?

Question
Hey Lynda, my betta just died. And i Was wondering what might have killed him. The morning he died he was sluggish and didn't eat the night before. We noticed he had a wierd flesh wound that was on both sides of his body. Could that have killed him? Iwas doing some resaerch on the dieases that bettas get, and I came across fin rot. it sounds like he could have possibly been that? I've had my betta for 1yr. Around January I started letting my grandma feed him. She feed him 5-6 pellets of Wardley Betta Food. Could she have been over-feeding him? E-mail me back. =)

Answer
Hi Daniel,
He was certainly overfed, if your grandma fed him 5-6 pellets at the same time.
Here is information on Bettas, and how they should be kept:  
Bettas should be kept in 5 gallon tanks, and there water should be around 80=82 degrees.  When bringing home a betta, we all know that the little sadistic cups they are kept in, are not heated, so we put the betta in unheated water, around the temperature he came in.  Then we heat his water slowly, very very slowly, ONE degree every two days as bringing up their temperature too fast could cause death.  Adding a teaspoon of undiluted aquarium salt to his water helps with stress, and parasites.  (One teaspoon to five gallons of water)  In his habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but he has lots of room to swim.  Small tanks, bowls, vases, and mirrored tanks are all money making machines, and not suited for the betta.  Vendors do not care, as long as they sell.  They are there to make a buck, and this is all that matters to them.  Bettas kept in small containers will get sick, and their lives are cut short.  They are intelligent little beings, and should not be treated this way.  Unfortunately, their are no laws to protect fish, and not much good information on how the betta should be kept.
Bettas should have varied diets.  Betta Pellets, Betta Flakes, Bloodworms, Glassworms, Plankton Flakes, brine shrimp, and one frozen pea a week.  One day you feed him pellets the next flakes, and so on.  He must be fed in small quantities 2-3 times a day.  Example:  2 pellets for one meal, or 2 flakes for one meal.  Their tummy is the size of his eye, and we must always remember this when feeding them.  One cooked frozen pea a week is a must.  Cook the pea, remove the outer layer, and cut it into tiny pieces.  Feed the pieces one at a time to your betta making sure he eats it, and that it doesn't fall to the bottom of the tank.  On the day you feed him the pea, feed him nothing else.  This is so he cleans out his system, and avoids Swim Bladder Disease.  The Betta is prone to this disease which begins with constipation, so it is better to avoid it.
I hope this information helps, and if you have any other questions regarding your little friend please do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda