reply.

Question
Sorry, i didn't know any other way to reply except to ask another question.
I keep him in a 1 quart bowl and chance his water once a week. I usually feed him 3-4 pellets, twice a day. I can't remember exactly what kind of food it is though because the packaging got damaged and it is now in a different container.

Just in case you do not remember what my original message/question was here it is:
I bought a male betta fish about 2-3 weeks ago. When I first got him he was fine, he ate regularly and seemed content in his new surroundings. However, over the past couple days I've noticed that he is much more easily scared and rather than floating around lazily in his bowl like he had been before, he now tends to swim around randomly and kind of crazily or he will just float in his tank in the same place for a long time. I make sure to keep the area around his bowl clean so that he won't feel threatened and he is feed at relatively the same times every day. I cannot think of anything else that could cause the change and have not been able to find anything specifically addressing my problem. I would greatly appreciate if you could help me. Thank you very much for your time. =]

Thank you again, for your time,
Christina

Answer
Hi Christine,
A betta should be kept in a 5 gallon tank.  Bettas kept in samll bowls, tanks, and vases, will get sick, and their lives will be cut short.  He should have a silk plant that he can rest on, and some little toy that he can go through.  A one quart bowl will not keep a betta happy, and healthy.  In his habitat, he may live in shallow waters, but he has lots of room to swim.  Vendors do not tell you this, and good information on bettas is hard to find.  All the gadgets they sell for bettas are money making machines, and this is heartbreaking.  We get so attached to our bettas, they do not deseve to live the miserable lives that most of them do.   A betta is a tropical fish, and needs 80-82 degree water.  He needs a thermostat that will keep his water stable.  When bringing up the temperature for a betta this must be done slowly.  One degree every 2 days, as bringing up the temperature too quickly will cause death.
The Betta should be fed one frozen cooked pea weekly.  Remove the outer layer, and cut it into tiny pieces.  Feed the pieces to the betta one at a time, making sure he eats it, and that it does not fall to the bottom of the tank.  This is to help him clean out his system, and avoid Swim Bladder Disease.   
Your Betta is showing is showing symptoms of this disease.  Try feeding him the pea, and if this does not work, buy Tetracycline, and follow the directions on the package.  Be careful not to overdose, and keep his water extremely clean.
When feeding him the pea, feed him nothing else for the rest of the day.
A betta should have space to swim, good food, and water changes frequently.  In a five gallon tank, all of his water should be changed every 6 days with a good water conditioner,  If his tank is smaller,   2 or 3 water changes should be made weekly.
He should have a varied diet to keep him healthy.  Betta Pellets, Betta Flakes, Daphnia, Plamkton flakes, Bloodworms, Mealworms, Glassworms, and Brine shrimp.  Be careful when feeding your Betta.  He should have 2-3 small meals a day.  Example: 2 pellets for one meal, or 2 flakes for one meal.  We must always remember that his tummy is the size of his eye.  One small meal is better than one big meal.
I hope this information will help, and if you have anymore questions on Bettas, please do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda