My Betta is Pale and sits at the bottom!

Question
QUESTION: I have had my Beta fish since early April and he has always been very active and happy... He is usually a pretty royal blue blue color with a little bit of green iridescence...

I keep him in a 2 gallon hexagon tank where I change the water every 2 weeks, and I put in a water conditioner about an hour before I replace the fish.  I have what looks like an undergravel filter which always runs (but I don't know if it is or not), white gravel, plastic "rock", a plastic glow-in-the-dark plant, an NH3 reader suctioned to the side of the tank, and an overhead light which is always on unless I am sleeping.  I keep my bedroom (where he also resides) some where around 75 to 80 degrees (because I don't like to be cold either!)

Last Monday evening (Today is Thursday) I purchases a ghost ship to give him something he can play with.  At first my Beta just hung out at the top of the tank, swimming around for a few days... I don't think he was used to the shrimp yet... But he was eating fine (and he didn't have gas, so nothing was preventing him from swimming down from the top)

This morning, he was VERY pale.  His stomach is white, and his usual blue color is non-existent.  He has a greenish-grey color from half way down his body through his fins. I put a few flakes in the top of his tank, but he had no appetite to eat.

He was sitting in the bottom of his tank, not swimming or anything (even when I provoked him).  So I took him out and put him in a glass cup/bowl that is 3 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter, with fresh water.  But he is still pale (about an hour later) and he is still sitting in the bottom. I tried another 2 flakes in this smaller container, but he was still unresponsive.

He is still alive.  I see him open and close his mouth every few minutes, and his gills are still moving at a regular pace.

I wondering what is wrong?  Is there a way I can fix what's wrong?

ANSWER: Hi Charlene,
I don't think much of undergravel filters for the betta, or any other fish.  Have you checked your ammonia level?  This is the number one killer of fish.  If you have ammonia in your tank, this could kill your betta.  If you do have ammonia, do a big water change immediately.  Stress is usually the cause.  Leaving the light on all that time is not good for your betta.  2-3 hours a day is plenty.  I think that seeing as he was alone, he might not accept the ghost shrimp for some reason.  Betta turning pale is either due to the water chemistry, a change, stress.  Never put him in another container, this is adding to his stress.  I would take out the Ghost, make a major water change,with a good conditioner, add a little salt, about 1/2 teaspoon of aquarium salt.  See if this helps, if not write back, and I will try to help you more, but for now, this is what you should do.
Hope this helps
Lynda

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

QUESTION: Isn't the NH3 meter supposed to measure ammonia levels? It's always read "safe"...

I'm going to boil all the contents that were in the tank to clean them and take away the shrimp later today... Once I'm off work...

I emptied the tank this morning to do a water change once I get home...

Answer
Hi Again,
Yes it should be safe.  Also I would like to mention, that you could in the future check your nitrate level too.  I would put in two drops of "Aquarisol"  This helps stressed fish, and also prevents some disease.  I hope he will feel better soon, and this will help him.  Don't be shy to write me if things don't turn out okay.
Lynda