My betta fish suddenly seems afraid of me :(

Question
QUESTION: Hi and thank you for taking the time to help me!  I am a "new" betta fish owner and have had him for just about 3 weeks.  He lives in a 2 1/2 gal tank with filter, bio wheel and substrate as well as 1 cloth plant.  He eats a variety of flakes, pellets, dried blood worms and dried shrimp.  He has never fasted.  He was very friendly and would come to me at the tank walls and at the top of the water when the tank was open and seemed to "dance" for me.  Suddenly for seemingly no reason he runs from me and hides.  I am very sad and hope this is not something to do with some kind of illness.  I condition the water, partial change weekly and full change biweekly.  Please help if you have any idea what I can do to get my "friendly fish" back.  Thanks again!

ANSWER: Hi Wendy,
Something must have happened that stressed him.  It could be too many water changes.  You should do water changes once a week.  It would be a good idea to buy an ammonia test kit.  You can find this test at your pet store.  Usually 25% water change is enough seeing has his water is filtered.  If you buy this test, it would tell you if the water is safe or if it needs changing.  Right now you are changing too much water in one week.  This could be the reason why he is stressed, and runs from you when he sees you.  If you do less water changes, he will come back to his old self again.  Just make sure that you have no ammonia in your water, and he will be fine.  Do not overfeed him.  This is the worse thing you can do.  Give him 2-3 small meals a day.  Example:  2 pellets for one meal is plenty.  We should always remember that his tummy is the size of his eye.  Ammonia, and overfeeding are the main causes of death in fish.
He should fast one day a week.  On the day that he fasts give him a well cooked frozen pea.  Remove the outer layer, and cut it into small pieces.  Feed your betta one piece at a time, making sure it doesn't fall to the bottom of the tank.  You might have to tease him a little for him to eat it at first.  This is to clean out his system so he won't get constipated.  Constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease, so it is better to prevent it.
Hope this helps, and that your little friend will start trusting you again.
Lynda


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much!  I will get some peas tomorrow!  How often for 25% water change?  Full change how often?  I have been overfeeding him then :(  Will start 3 small meals...do I use the shrimp and worms in place of a pellet or flake meal then?  Thank you so much!  I have grown to love him so much already!!

Answer
Hi Wendy,
You should do water changes weekly, once a week would be just fine.  If you buy the ammonia test kit, it will tell you if you need to change your water.  It is easy to use.  Depending on how much ammonia is in your water, you will have to change the water weekly 50% or 25%.  The ammonia should always be zero or safe.  If your betta had no filter, then I would say change all the water once a week, but seeing has he does have a filter, and you feed him well, not overfeeding then you will see by the test how much you have to change.  Write me if you are not sure.
Also if you heat his water, make sure that you heat his water one degree every 2 days until you reach 78-80 degrees, as heating his water too fast could kill him.  Always use the same temperature water when doing water changes.
Here is some information on the betta that may help you:
A betta needs 5 gallons of water to be healthy, and happy.  (He will be fine in your 2 1/2 gallon because you will take good care of him, but if you ever change, get him a bigger tank.)
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.)  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, 1/2 teaspoon to your 2 1/2 gallon.
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, and be a very good friend.  (Unfortunately we do not know his age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die young.
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