Betta died suddenly

Question
I bought a beautiful electric blue betta less than a couple weeks ago.  The bowl was about 6x6" circular. I used distilled water and changed it 1/3 every other day since the container was so small. He was very active and had a healthy appetite.  Within a couple days, his fins started freying and he started losing his color and he stopped eating.  Also, within 1 day, the water that I just cleaned, became really cloudy so I had to change it again.  He moved around a bit but didn't make it through the night.  I've had several bettas before and had them in little octagon betta bowls and they lived for at least the normal life span so the only thing I can think is the water was too cold.  He went from thriving to nearly dead within 2 days!!  I'd like to get another but now I'm afraid to try.

Answer
Hi Bobbi;

Oh, that's a shame. I'm sorry you lost your new betta. He really needed a bigger container though. Some bettas seem to live a long time in spite of the odds, but they really are not living a happy life. They are just surviving. Your newest one was simply the least tolerant of those conditions. Invest in a gallon sized tank and you should be more successful. Here is a good page about bettas and their needs;

http://groups.msn.com/TheBettaObsession/newtobettasthisisforyou.msnw

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins