Siamese Fighter Fish

Question
Hi,
I have 2 siamese fighter fish, both set up in individual medium sized bowls.  I change the water every 1 to 2 weeks, and have had the fish for about a year.  It is winter here in Australia and the temperature has dropped quite rapidly over the past 3-4 weeks.

The blue fighter is fine and seems to be eating as normal, however the red one has lost a lot of colour.  He now has red fins, and tail, however his body is now only tinged red.  I moved the tanks to the warmest part of the house, however his colour has not returned.  I recently found out I have been overfeeding them, and have cut down the pellets to 3-4 a day.  What could be wrong with the red fighter?  Will his colour return?

Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated!
Thanking you
Leanne

Answer
Hi Leanne;

If you can shine a desk lamp or something at the betta tanks it will help warm them up. Hopefully his color will return once it gets high enough. If not, he may have another issue. Look for spots, dots, swellings, bloating, etc. If you see anything let me know and we can go from there. You might even give them both a little chunk of cooked green pea to help the digestion. It's possible he is constipated from being overfed and cooler water. Feed no other foods that day to help induce a laxative effect. I hope he feels better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins