Betta Fish May be sick?

Question
I am a college student and last week I got a betta fish for in my room. He seemed fine the fist day; he was swimming around and very active. Now he just lays on the bottom of his bowl. I try to feed him but he will just spit it out. Is this normal betta behavior or is my fish sick? I don't know the exact size of his bowl but it is about 1 or 1.5 gallons. Is this too small for a heater? I also plan to clean his bowl once a week, but how can I change his water and make sure it is clean enough for him? Right now I just use a Brita that sits out at room temp. Please help me. I love my fish.

Answer
Hi Hannah,
Bettas are tropical fish, and should have 80-82 degree water.  Under this temperature they are cold, and miserable. Their lives are cut short, and they are very hard to cure in cooler water.  They need a thermostat to keep their water stable at all times.  Fluctuating water temperature is deadly to all fish, and the Betta is no exception.  He should have a 5 gallon tank with a silk plant in it so he can rest on the leaves. He should also have some little toy that he can go through.  The Betta may live in shallow water in his habitat, but, he has lots of room to swim.  The myth that a betta does well in small bowls, tanks, and vases is only a myth.  Vendors use bettas to sell their gadgets, not caring about this fish at all.  They are there to make a buck, and that is all that counts for them.  Little information on the betta is found in Pet Stores.  
Yes, the betta will live in one gallon tanks, but he will be very unhappy, his life will be cut short, and he eventually will get sick.  I must tell you the  truth on caring for this fish.  I know how attached we are to our bettas, it is almost love at first sight, and it is very sad when we lose them.
He should have one teaspoon of diluted aquarium salt in his water.  (One teaspoon to 5 gallons of water)
Complete water changes must be made every week for a 5 gallon tank, always using a good conditioner such as "Stress Coat" even if you have a Brita.
If you keep him in a 1.5 gallon tank, you will have to do water changes twice a week.  Do not put him in the sun, and do not use a light to warm his water.  This would not be good for him.  
If you do find a thermostat that can keep the temperature steady in a 1.5 gallon tank, make sure you bring the temperature up very slowly.  One degree every 2 days, as bringing up the temperature too fast would be deadly.  
Betta should have varied diets.  Daphnia, Betta Pellets, Betta Flakes, Plankton Flakes, bloodworms, mealworms, glassworms, and brine shrimp are all good food for a Betta.  He needs variation to get all the vitamins he needs to stay healthy, and strong.
When feeding Bettas we must be careful not to overfeed them.  He must have 2-3 small meals each day.  Example: 2 pellets, or 2 flakes for one meal.  His tummy is the size of his eye, and we must always remember this when feeding them.
He should have one cooked frozen pea a week.  Remove the outer layer, and cut the pea into tiny pieces.  Feed the pieces to your betta, one at a time, making sure he eats it, and that it does not fall to the bottom of the tank.  This is so he can clean out his system.  On the day you feed him the pea, feed him nothing else.  Bettas are prone to constipation which sometimes goes unnoticed, and leads to Swim Bladder Disease.  It is better to prevent this from happening, by giving him a pea once a week.

A betta that does not eat is a sick betta.  He may be cold, it may be that your temperature is fluctuating, it could be your water conditions, and even overfeeding.  For now, do a complete water change, fill the bowl with clean water, and use a good conditioner (Stress Coat) ...add a pinch of salt.  Make sure that the water you change is the same temperature water he was in.  If his condition worsens, or you see split, or ragged fins, white spots, or white or greyish patches, write back to me, and I will try to help you.  
Lynda