Betta Fish bloated

Question
Hi,
I have a betta fish named Blub Blub who has kept me company for the last year and a couple of months.  He stays in a 2 gallon size goldfish bowl and is the only fish I have.  I recently moved back home after graduating from college, so his environment has changed.  He used to be kept on my desk with a desk lamp near him for light and warmth.  Now he sits on top of one of my dressers without the desk lamp.  I have noticed that his temperature is colder than it usually was in college, never dropping below 70 but staying in the low to mid 70s.  
My question is this: though he still seems pretty active and eats reqularly, his stomach has gotten really large.  I had increased his food from 4 pellets to 8 over time, but with his recent weight gain I've cut it back down to 4.  However, his stomach has remained large and protruding.  Is he sick or just fat?  I change his water every couple of weeks adding a drop or two of auari-sol, amquel+, and 1/2 tsp of aquarium salt for each gallon.  Plus, I add one drop of ph down because the water is a little acidic here.  Should I move him closer to a window?  Change his diet?  Change his water more frequently?  Any suggestions would be very helpful.  Thanks!  

Answer
Hi Laura;

The first best thing to do is not to add so many chemicals to the water. It may be stressing his body and causing organ trouble. Organ trouble can cause bloating and eventually death. You really only need to use the AmQuell, or even better, just Stress Coat, NovAqua or any other regular stress reducing and chlorine removing water conditioner. The salt can cause bloating and should only be used temporarily if the fish is sick, the Aquari-Sol (copper) can be toxic to bettas, and pH adjusters simply don't work very well and cause fluctuations that are worse than leaving the pH alone.

Put his tank in a warmer area, cut back to only 2 pellets of food a day and make water changes weekly. Don't let his tank get direct sunlight or it will grow lots of algae and may get too hot. Just a real warm place will do. Also try feeding him green peas. Break one into little chunks and feed a tiny chunk twice a day. Feed no other foods for a couple of days and see if that helps him. Peas helps the intestines "flow better" (if you know what I mean).

I know it's tempting and probably even recommended by your fish store to use all these products, but they really truly aren't necessary and could actually cause harm on a long term basis. In my personal experience, frequent water changes (adding a regular water conditioner), proper water temperature, good filtration and a good diet (not overfed) are the basic needs for keeping fish healthy. All the other "stuff" is just a way for manufacturers to make more money. There is sometimes a genuine need for some of these products, but those occasions should be rare.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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