Water Shock

Question
Dear Jaymie,
I've written you a few times about numerous fish emergencies and was hoping you could help me again. My little Betta fish, Benny, lives in a five gallon tank which has a heater and filter. I add water conditioner and aquarium salt everytime I clean his tank and he's never had any problems with water shock before. I did a full water change this afternoon and let him sit in a bag of old water submerged in the new tank water for about three or four hours.  I let him out and went to dinner and when I came back three hours later, he was staying near the top of his tank and wasn't moving too much. Normally, he's a very active little guy. Please, is there anything I can do to help him? He's been my doormate for almost a year now. Thank you so much for your help and all the advice you've given me in the past!
Peace,
Megan  

Answer
Megan,

 It is never a good idea to put your fish in a bag. Since he is in a filtered 5 gallon tank, you do not need to do full water changes. The most you should do is 25% unless there is a water problem. When you cycle a tank, it makes sure the water is ok to put your fish in. I would get a gravel vacuum to do the water changes. DO NOT vacuum the bottom one in of the gravel. It hold all the beneficial bacteria the tank needs. When you do a full water change, it makes your tank go through the cycle again. When you add the new water to the tank, make sure it is the same temperature as the water he is in. If it is too cold or too warm, the fish goes into shock. I think he will be ok once the tank recycles. If he doesn't get better in a week or he gets worse let me know.