Betta Health

Question
I have been reading and I think that my Betta is constipated. I am going to try the Epsom salt method. Is there a better way? Also should I have a light on the tank to keep the water warm? It does not get too cold in my office but its certainly not tropical either. The tank is about a gallon maybe a little over in size.

Answer
Hello,
I have never had any success with Epsom Salts.  This method stresses the fish, and it is my opinion that it does not help.  Try giving him the pea treatment.  Cook a frozen pea until it is well cooked, and tender, remove the outer layer, and cut it into tiny pieces.  Feed the pieces to your betta one piece at a time making sure he eats it.  You may have to tease him a little for him to eat it.  Do not feed him anything else.  This helps clean out his system.  When this disease is caught in time, it is curable.  If your betta does not waste, you will have to treat him with an antibiotic such as "Kanamycin" and if you cannot find "Kanamycin" buy Tetracycline, or Furan 2.
It is not good to put a light over a one gallon tank.  Bettas do not like light, especially in small tanks, they prefer the light of day.  It is not a good way to keep the water warm.  This puts lots of stress on the Betta, leading to disease.

Here is some information on Bettas you may be interested in knowing:

A betta needs 5 gallons of water to be healthy, and happy.  
In his habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but he has lots of room to swim.  
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases etc, is cruel.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
He needs a heated tank,  Temperature should be 78-80 degrees.  He is a tropical fish, and is cold under this temperature.  Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember that when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast could kill your Betta.)  The temperature should always be stable.  Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.  
They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves  They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   You may add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt in his water which has been diluted before adding to his tank.  1 teaspoon to 5 gallons of water.
Aquarium salt helps them with stress.
He needs a varied diet. This is very important.  Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.  
Cook a frozen pea until it is well cooked and tender.  Remove the outer layer, and cut into tiny pieces.  
Feed your Betta one piece at a time making sure it doesn't fall to the bottom of the tank.  This helps to clean out his system.
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease.
He should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal.  We must remember that his tummy is the size of his eye.
Example:  2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important.  Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat.  There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas.   Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female.  The Betta male is a loner.  Females can be kept together in a big enough tank.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young.  (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die two or three years after we have bought them.
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck.  They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms!  The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.   
This turns my stomach over.  Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.  
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water.  They end up dying, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them.  They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated.  If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time.  I have bred them, love them, and know what is good for them.
I hope this helps, and if you have more questions, please write me again.
Lynda