Male Betta is listing

Question
My daughter's Beta started listing 3 days ago and it just looks dead to me when I first look at the bowl, though a tap on the side of the bowl brings it life and it swims as to prove it is alive. It is not eating and just looks sick.
I have placed a lamp over the bowl to bring up the water temp as it was 60 degrees. I have cleaned the bowl and do about twice a month. I think I have been over feeding. Please advise me. I am sorry we do not know its age...over two years. Any suggestions to correct the listing? I also just noticed the main bottom fin curling at the very tip.
I just don't have any knowlege when it comes to these tropical fish, but am interested in learning all I can. Thank you for sharing your knowlege.
Max Stokes/Austin TX

Answer
Hello Max-

I am amazed that your betta is still alive! Bettas are tropical fish, and need their water as close to 80 F as you can get it. Anything below 65 F can kill bettas outright.

Also, you need to change your betta's water at the end of every week, especially since he's in a bowl which is (most likely) less than a gallon. When you clean the bowl, scoop the fish into a cup with some of his old water, and then empty the bowl into the sink. Scrub it with a paper towel and hot water, but don't use soap. Then, refill the bowl with fresh warm water (check the temperature) and treat it with a water conditioner (like Tetra brand, from WalMart or PetsMart.) Then float the cup for about 10 minutes to equalize the water temperatures, and add you betta into his clean home.

As for food, hopefully you've been using the pelleted kind rather than the flakes. Feed about 4 pellets in the morning, and 4 pellets for dinner. Or, you can feed 2 pellets 4 times a day, whichever you prefer. But their stomachs are only as big as their eyes, so 4 pellets should be the max at any one time.

Hope this is useful, if you have any other questions e-mail me at abworman@purdue.edu

-Amber Worman