What is wrong with my Betta....Please help!

Question
I have had a red male Beta for a little over a year. He has always been very active in his bowl. I have him in a 1 gallon bowl, With rocks and a little plant. Late he seems so miserable. He pooped the other day and it was huge and took him for ever to finish. Since then he hasn't been the same. He will not eat and he barely swims unless I go close to his bowl. And even then it is a non energetic swim that doesn't last very long. He doesn't have any ulcers or fin rot. And his color is good. I am just very worried that he is dying. I try to get him to eat twice a day but he just doesn't eat anything. I don't think his water is too cold...I keep it under a lamp. What should I do

Answer
Hello Jennifer,
Here is my advice to you - take him out from under the lamp, and buy him a mini tank heater. They are made by a brand called Hydor, and you can usually find them in Petco. You might want to call in ahead before going to the store so you don't waste trip. The heater costs about 12 dollars, and is around 7.5 watts. It is made specifically for small tanks and bowls. (Though I recommend never putting your fish an anything smaller than five gallon). You should pick up a cheapo stick on tank thermometer while you're there - so you can keep an eye on his tank temperature.
Secondly - how often are you cleaning his tank? Should be no less than once a week, and make sure you are always using the correct dosage of tap water conditioner, and always add water that is as close to the temperature of his tank water as you can get it when changing out his water.
You might also want to start adding a couple grains of aquarium salt to his tank every time you do a change. Where bettas come from, there is more salt in their natural water than what we have in our tap water. Aquarium salt is not like marine salt - you certainly can use it for freshwater fish, and many people claim it prevents diseases and parasites such as ich. Whether it actually does or not, it does seem to improve the overall health of MY fish, and it does add more natural slime coat to the fish.
Once you have accomplished these things, continue to supervise him and see if he is recovering, or developing more symptoms. If he develops any more symptoms, please come back to me with a detailed explanation - and while you're at it - take a little container of your tank water with you to the pet store- they can test it for you for free.