betta fish leaning :(

Question
well i've been reading these forums about the betta fishes leaning and i should put it in warm water. well recently, when it turned winter my double tail betta died i'm guessing because of the cold water. now my half moon is leaning and he's breathing really hard. he hasn't been eating or anything. i have been trying to add warm water to his bowl every now and then because i have no heater. i just have bowls for them. but nothing is helping it. everyday he seems to lean more and more. and right now it seems pretty bad. is there any way to help it? i have one more betta and he hasn't been eating either.

Answer
Hi David,
I'm guessing that your bettas are in small bowls.  Bettas should be kept in no less than 2 gallons of water, and 5 is best.  They need a heater, as they are tropical fish, and need water temperature to be at least 76 to 80 degrees constantly.  Adding warm water to your bowls is killing your betta.  When you heat a tank you must do this slowly with a heater, one degree each day until you reach the desired heat...You cannot bring up the water temperature quickly as you will lose your betta.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.  This is not your fault, but the fault of the sellers that try to sell you anything like small containers saying that the betta can live this way.  Sure they can live, but not for long, and back to the store you go to buy more....they are nothing but money making machines, and I wish that someday there will be a law to stop these people from doing what they are doing to bettas, and that is "Cruelty"  Here's how you should care for bettas:

It is a lie that a Betta will live happily in a small container.  They are miserable and their life is cut short.  A Betta needs room to swim.  In their habitat, the water may be shallow, but they have lots of room to swim.   A 2 1/2 gallon is the smallest where he would be a little comfortable, but 5 gallons are best.  He needs warmth, he is a tropical fish.  His temperature should be between 76-80 degrees.  A cold betta gets sick, and dies.  His tank should always be free of ammonia, and nitrates, and water changes every week or twice a week with a good conditioner is very important.
A betta must have a good diet.  He should have Betta Pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and Bloodworms once a week as a treat.  He should be fed 2-3 small meals a day - example:  2 pellets for one meal.  His eye is the size of his tummy, so it is better to give him three small meals a day instead of one big meal. He should fast one day a week, and on that day he should be given a cooked frozen pea.  This is to prevent constipation which leads to Swim Bladder disease often found in bettas.  You cook a frozen pea until it is well cooked, and tender, remove the outer layer, and cut in tiny pieces.  You feed this to your betta one piece at a time, making sure he eats it.  Sometimes you have to tease him a little for him to eat it...but usually they do eat the pea.  
Bettas are intelligent little fish, and if kept well, will be your friend for a long time.  Some have lived up to 8 years, but they were bought from a breeder, knew their age, and were well kept.
It is next to impossible to cure bettas in small containers due to the fact that medication is usually set for 5 gallon tanks.  We can cut the dose in half for 21/2 gallons, but small containers, we cannot treat as overdosing is very harmful to fish.
Hope this helps you understand Bettas more, and if you have more questions do not hesitate to contact me.
Lynda