my betta fish is not eating and it only reaches up for oxygen

Question
i have my fish in a 1 gallon size bowl under room temp water, he recently started with these symptoms not wanting to eat and he spends most of the time at the bottom without moving when i feed him  (once a day) he will not eat and instead he will swim back he seems pale without a change of color i don't see other changes can you please help me.

norma

Answer
Hello Norma,
I have actually answered many questions like this, and each time it takes me about 20 minutes to write. Though you are able to search through already answered questions, I will just go ahead and copy and paste an answer from one of my previous Questioner's that pertains to you.
First of all, don't use distilled water. It lacks the natural vitamins your fish needs to stay healthy and alive. Use tap water with conditioner (you can buy tap water conditioner at almost any pet store, and buy the one that has slime coat replacers to help him recover faster). You should also start using aquarium salt (half dosage of what it says on carton) which will also be very good to aid his recovery, and help to prevent parasites in the future.
He should have no smaller than a 2 gallon tank, and I never use anything smaller than a 5 gallon. The bigger, the better ALWAYS. And trust me, it will be easier to keep your tank clean, and your fish alive when it's bigger. It takes much longer for a large tank to fill with ammonia since you have more water to dilute it.
Also, his tank should be steady somewhere between 78-85 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's not, then you'll need a small tank heater. They sell very small ones at Petco, 7.5 watts and up.
As far as feeding him, you should ONLY be feeding him betta pellets, 2-3 every day, no more. Some people also like to fast their betta one day a week, to prevent Swim Bladder Disease. It's best to feed him these through out the day, instead of all at once. Fish are grazers by nature.
Last two things - make sure you are changing out his water no less than once a week. If you have a 2 gallon, then change about 45-60% of the water. If you have a 5 gallon, then change about 35-45% of the water. (around one and a half gallons is good)And consider buying a water test kit; it is the best way to keep an eye on your water quality and parameters. The ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are particularly what you'll want to watch out for. Ammonia and nitrites need to be at 0, and nitrates should never exceed 20. If any of these are high, you need to do a water change. Particularly, if you continue to have issues with ammonia, you may need to consider a better filter - such as a biowheel.
The last thing I will add for you is this - room temperature water is almost NEVER warm enough for a betta, as most people don't keep their houses in the low 80's 24/7. While they may live for quite some time in low quality conditions, such as small bowls, too cool water, dirty water, it does not mean they will be happy and healthy - only that they are such strong hearty fish that they survive so long in these conditions. So there are a lot of misconceptions about bettas simply because they are such survivors! However, if you want to keep fish, than your main GOAL should be to keep all your fish as happy and healthy as can be, otherwise why do you bother? So please keep this in mind and remember to get a heater and a larger tank for your betta.
I hope this has helped you in better understanding your betta's needs. Please feel free to write back at any time with more questions.