Betta not eating, lazy and lying at bottom. What is wrong?

[jdn2000ca]

Hi Folks,
Wondering if any one can help. My 5 year old daughter got a small Betta for Xmas from grandma. All has been going well for all this time. Noticed 2 weeks ago that her Betta was not active or eating. Her Betta is know laying at the bottom of the aquarium with gills activity. Not sure if she or he is suffering from something. Once and a while the betta will swim up to the top as if needing to breathe from the surface and then goes back down to lay there at the bottom. Also noticed that around the edge of the gills on the inside there seems to be something black that moves with the activity of the gills both sides. I am new at this but not sure if this is normal for the Betta. The aquarium is a half gallon, but the betta is small, so i think that there is sufficient space compared to some of the pictures i have seen on the site. Yes i understand that the aquarium should be bigger but right now till he or she goes better i do not want to change what this little betta is used to. As for PH it is at 7.4. Water is betta conditioner treated. There are no filters just a light on top to keep some heat Tempuarture is at 22degrees celcius or about 70 to 72 f. Yes i do also understand that the temperature is to low. But i will in canada and all winter i did not have a problems. This little betta was active even in this temperature. Food we feed flake betta food. There is only one small plastic plant in the aquarium and a rock bottom. I also change the half the water every week.
Other than this behavour i have not notice anything else. Is there something that i should look for. I have gone through the diseases list and have found nothing that resembles type of behavior or any visual symptoms.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Joe

[mollies]

my betta do this when water is to cold or when water change is needed. thats All i know.

[dramaqueen]

It may be a water quality issue.

[jdn2000ca]

Ok i can do a quarter to half water change. I did this last week and there was no change. Should i filter the water that i prepare before the water change. I may think that since the spring is here and the snow and ice is melting the city may have changes the water filtration process due to high water flows in rivers. Maybe they are adding more clorine.
As to try and warm up the water...all water heaters that i have seem at walmart are to big for my aquarium. Not sure what i can do. Should i wrap the aquarium with a heat bad...normally used for body ache and pain?
Thanks
Joe

[Cody]

You need a heater. There are many heaters that are sold for small tanks. Get out of wal mart and go to a LFS. Even a Petsmart of Petco is better, because they would have a heater.

You also need to get him on pellets and off of flakes. Flakes are terrible as a staple diet for a betta.

What size tank is he in? And your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings please?

[mollies]

i would say try a pet store like cody said.

[jdn2000ca]

All details are in my initial post. This little betta is in a half gal aquarium. How can i test for ammonia, nitrate, readings? What do i need to do this. Really new territory for me. As my daughter got this betta form grandma at xmas.
Thanks
Joe

[Cody]

First off, you need at least a 2.5G tank. A 1/2G tank is cruel for a betta.

You will need to buy a liquid test kit for those readings. You can either buy an entire kit, or get the seperate kits. Make sure it is a liquid kit, and not strips.

[jdn2000ca]

Ok will go shop for these items tomorrow. When i get a bigger aquarium...i guess i should get a filter too.
Anything else i should check for?
Thanks

[dramaqueen]

You can also feed him freeze dried or frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia. The frozen food needs to be thawed before feeding and the freeze dried food needs to be rehydrated before feeding. These foods are to be fed as a once or twice a week treat.The lfs should have these foods.