Freaked out betta

Question
I have recently bought my very first betta fish and when I first got him he seemed really happy and lively in his new jar. However, on the third day I noticed his water was getting cloudy and so I scooped him out to clean his jar. Every since then, he seemed to be really freaked out. I have tried not to clean his jar so often but his water gets dirty so quickly and I don't want him to get sick. He also seems very hesitant to eat the food I give him. I can tell he's hungry but he just stares at the food while floating slightly underneath it. If he takes it in his mouth, he'll chew it a few times and it somehow slips out of his mouth. Does he just not like the food or is there something wrong? Seriously, I don't even know why it's getting dirty so quickly since he hasn't been eating, which means no poop and I scoop out the uneaten food after 5 mins. Do you have any recommendations on how to reduce the frequency of water change? I considered putting in a live plant but the jar is too small but would a snail help? Also, is there anyway I can help calm him down?

Answer
Hello Donna-

The only way to reduce water changes is to increase the amount of water in your betta's environment.

He really would do better in at least a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater and some gravel. (Bettas can die if their water temperature drops below the mid 60's)

As for the eating troubles, your betta's probably just stressed out - It's normal for fish to refuse food under stressful conditions (like water changes, dirty water, loud noises, etc.) Or, he may not like the taste since he's spitting it out (some bettas are just picky.)

I wouldn't put a snail in the jar; my bettas have been known to rip snails apart and eat them, creating an even bigger mess than what I started with.

So, all in all, I think you'd have great results if you moved your little guy to a decent sized tank and added a heater to the setup - This will reduce his stress (which will hopefully solve the eating problem) and increase the amount of water (which will solve the water change problem.)

Hope this is useful,
Amber Worman