sick beta! Help!

Question
hi, my beta nappy just stopped eating for no apparent reason. I'm really
worried about him. I changed his water last Wednesday like I always do, put
him in it and had my parents take care of him while I went out of town for a
few days. My dad said he didnt eat dinner (I feed him 3 pellets 2 times a
day) on Sunday which is when I got home. I immediately knew something
was wrong because he is normally a friendly and wiggly fish and always
comes to see me at the glass but he seemed lethargic. He ate one pellet the
next morning, but he hasn't eaten since. That was Monday! He hasn't eaten
anything in almost a week! I changed his water again on Monday just in case
it was contaminated with something, but it didnt seem to help much. He is still
swimming around, but not as energetically as before. Now it seems like he is
losing all of his energy becuase he hasn't eaten in a week. Today I put him
in a smaller container of fresh water so he wouldn't waste energy swimming
around and it would be easier for him to take a breath. I'm so worried
because it doesnt seem to be caused from anything( that I know of at least).
I looked up common beta diseases and none of them seem applicable. If you
could help me I would be so happy. I love this little fish. Thanks

Answer
Hi Eva,
I'm sorry to hear about your betta. There are many things that can trigger a betta to not eat. Some of these are-

*Poor water quality
*Change of environment
*Low water temperature
*Stress
*Disease
*Old age

First make sure his water temperature is at least 78-80F which is really essential to keep a betta's immune system and metabolism up.
I would also try doing daily water changes on him. Making sure to always dechlorinate the new water and make sure its the same temperature as the original water. Try at least 100% water changes for a while just to be sure everything's good and clean.

Keep in mind he may be getting old too.

But keeping the temp warm and the water clean is the two best things you can do when you aren't 100% sure what's wrong. Keep in mind he may also be slowing down from old age.

Best wishes and I really hope this helps!
Karen~