Betta fish and new tank

Question
Hi Ron!
Recently I obtained a betta fish from the LPS. I had him in a small fish bowl but bought a 2.5 gallon aquarium with undergravel filter almost 2 weeks ago. Ever since I transferred him to his new home there has been nothing but problems. His fins were clamped and he would hide for many hours of the day. I have been doing water changes 2 x per week with no improvement. I switched food from pellets to freezed dried bloodworms because he was not eating the pellets and now he eats ravenously!! I noticed strings of white cottony stuff on his body and have been medicating with Maracyn for 4 days now. His fins are not clamped and he is very active but the water in his tank is very cloudy and has foam and large bubbles at the entire surface. I am concerned about all of the bubbles and have to move them so he can find his food. Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Jessica,
   The foam and white bubbles are a good thing... he is making that. That is his bubble nest.  He blows the bubbles with his mouth in the hopes that a female will come by and lay eggs which he will then keep afloat in his nest.  Don't remove
his nest or he will be quite sad and will have to make another one....  

 Stop putting medicine in his tank... the white stuff on his body is mucous which he is exuding to try to protect him from all the stuff in his water.  When you change his water, change about 30% and do that once a week.  That should be just fine.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>