Need betta fish advice....please help!?

my sister moved out and left me her 2 yr old betta fish. i feed him those tiny betta pellets twice a day and he is in a 5 gallon tank all by himself. he is not very active and his fins hang down all droopy. he just looks sad or unhappy. what can i do to help him out? btw the tank has no filtration. just rocks, 5 gal water, and a light. should i give him some plants or something? any help?Need betta fish advice....please help!?
He will benefit from environmental enrichment, such as plants. Bettas do love to explore an interesting environment.





He should also have an aquarium heater. A light will not be able to provide the steady tank temperatures he needs. A 25 watt sized heater is perfect for five gallons. A betta kept in water cooler than 76*F (their optimal range is 76-82*F) will be listless, sulky, slow, and unhealthy.





A water change in a five gallon tank should be done much more often than once every few months! In five gallons, half of the water should be changed out once a week. Keeping him in clean, pristine water will also keep him healthier. Or, you could do a 100% change every two weeks. But that is the rate that an uncycled five gallon tank with a betta should be changed at. Anything less may expose him to toxic ammonia from his waste and any excess fish food.Need betta fish advice....please help!?
All bettas are smart fish, they need some entertainment, even puting him by a window will keep hem entertained, also try giving him some varity in his food, give him some flakes, biogold, live mosquito larva if possible.
you're probably over-feeding him. they only need to eat once a day.


I can say that he would probably appreciate some plants or tank ornaments. Silk or plastic plants are fine, as buying real ones comes with the risk of snails. Be sure that with all ornaments that they cannot get their head stuck. No seriously, bettas are naturally curious and will poke their head into anything.


As for anything you put in the tank, rinse it off before putting it in the tank.


He will need a heater. When betta fish get cold they can become lethargic.
a heater, despite popular belief bettas are actually tropical fish. so get him a 25watt heater and keep the temp between 78*F and 82*F (of course you'll need a thermometer for this too, the total should be about $11 give or take a few).





a filter would certainly help too, many people have them in large tanks with filters, they quickly learn to avoid the filter if it's too strong, however my betta's favorite spot is right next to the filter in his tank. however, filters aren't needed, just do a full water change every few months (rinse the gravel in colander for a minute to shake loose the poop, this will not kill the bacteria and the cycle of the tank) and do full water changes once a week, about 25%. filters just make things easier. I would recommend a 3i or 10i from whisper filters.





plants are a great option, but any decoration and hiding spots will make him happier. he could have at least 3 more yrs in him :)