Dead Betta

Question
QUESTION: I got my betta as a Xmas gift in December 2005. He seemed happy and healthy in a little plastic bowl with a heating pad on low setting, which kept the temperature between 70 and 80 degrees most nights. Yesterday it got very warm, and my apartment was hot enough so that I had the windows open all day and night to cool it off. But I forgot to turn off the heating pad. Today my fish is dead. Could I have accidentally cooked him? He looked fine yesterday AM when I fed him and he ate normally.

Also I worry about whether or not I over fed him and killed him that way. I never fed him more than he would eat, but he ate A LOT more than 3-6 pellets most days, so I wonder if he could have died of a stomach ache.
ANSWER: Good evening Anne,

This is Nicole Putnam here, a fellow expert taking over for Darryl today.

It sounds like your betta did overheat. The actual cause of death may not have been "cooking" - however, as with humans, being too cold or too warm does have a negative effect on immunity. A stable temperature is vital to longevity and health. Here's a web site that gives suggestions for cooling a tank in an emergency:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/nftt/index.php

The article is written from the saltwater perspective, but the methods would still be effective.

Bettas stomachs' are only about the size of their eye, so three pellets in the morning and a couple of pellets and a few dried bloodworms in the evening would be a moderate and reasonable amount to feed. I would also offer a half of a pea innard (either frozen, thawed or canned, unsalted would be my choice - fresh works too, of course!) for roughage a few times a week. Try to alternate the brands of pellets. You could also offer flakes specifically for bettas - Betta Buffet by Omega One is a popular brand with my betta, although it took a bit of getting used to at first. Read more about feeding and betta care in general here:
http://www.bettatalk.com

Just a side note - for the very best possible health and longevity, betta's ought to be kept in miniature aquariums instead of bowls. An ideal betta setup would be a 5 gallon filtered tank with a bio-wheel...a setup like this is available at Walmart for about $40. Add a heater and you have everything you need! This heater would do nicely:
http://www.bizrate.com/fishsupplies/oid491455793.html

I hope that helps. I truly am sorry about your loss. My favorite upside-down catfish died when my apartment overheated due to an A/C failure. Even after floating ice bags and increasing aeration, unfortunately he was my one casualty. For more on freshwater fishkeeping, check out:
http://freshaquarium.about.com

It's a terrific starting point for reference. Take care!

Nicole
(subbing for Darryl)

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

QUESTION: How hot can a fish tank/bowl's water get before it is too hot for a betta to live?

Answer
Hey Anne!

Sorry I had a sub for today, I had a very long, and stressful day at Petco... Massive tank break, flooded sump, and a pair of ball pythons got lose because a kid smashed their tank...

I wouldnt leave him at more then 80*F for more then a week. 74-76*F is ideal though. At about 90*F, an hour or so can be fatal, just as about 58*f can be fatal after an hour. So, be sure to keep it above 65 at the lowest, and below 78 at the highest just to be safe, and again, 76-78 is ideal.