A very handsome betta you have.. he's not bloated, just thick in body.
Thank you. I thought he was a pretty boy when I saw him! And new immediately that his name would be Redmond. And glad to know he's just 'thick' and not bloated.
For a half gallon 2 50% and 1 100% per week is needed, with just one type of water conditioner (I would dose it for a full gallon though) is all you need. It's hard to over dose on water conditioner, but it is possible.. so I would recommend using Prime as your main water conditioner, dosed for a full gallon, and one or two drops of Stress Coat for the calming affect it has.
Good to know. I will use the gallon jugs to help measure my conditioner and I have an eye dropper for the Stress Coat+.
I would have to say when it comes to him acting sluggish- it's because of the size of the tank, and the fluctuations in the temp. Half a gallon doesn't give you much room to be able to put in a fair amount of plants and a cave (which they LOVE).. so he's most likely "bored" with no stimulation and no where to actually swim.
You cannot see the full picture in the shots I have but the tank is long, low, and narrowish. I got them at walmart for $5 and they have a nice black top with very small slits that helps keep some humidity and warmth in. I would guess the measurements are something like 10" L x 3" D x 5" H but I'm at work and can't say for sure. A one gallon with some plants and a small cave would do wonders even. PetCo has kritter keepers for cheap- 1.75 gal for $8, 2.75 gal for $10.. I would look into them, as it will cut down the water change schedule some, as well as give your guy more room to move and explore and you can safely heat them.
I know that is small but at least I do have a plant in there, towards one end, and towards the other end I put in PVC pipe that is large enough for them to swim through (all 6 have the same set up) and is a T-shape. So at least it's not a bare tank. They all get inside the pipe from time to time.
You say the temp is that temp- how are you heating it?
I purchased small, flat, pre-set heaters for each tank and they are safe enough to put under the substrate so that each tank is toasty warm at 78-80 degress constant. Don't remember the brand, but the customer reviews for them were great, so I took a chance. They've worked beautifully. Or is it based off the room temp? You have to be careful of the night time temps as they can easily drop the temp of the water.