Bettas are one of the most popular fish in the pet industry today. Millions of bettas are purchased as pets every year and yet most people still don't know the proper methods of caring for these beautiful creatures. Step one as with any pet is to do your home work. Find out as much as you can about bettas and their particular requirements and decide if they are the right pet for you.
Betta's are anabantoids or in layman's terms "Labyrinth" fish. What this means is that they have a very special organ that allows them to breath air from the surface of the water and get enough oxygen from it to live for "short" amounts of time, even if the oxygen in their water is depleted. This does not mean however, that it is alright to cram your betta into a tiny bowl and never do water changes. That my friends is a recipe for disaster.
An adult betta requires at a minimum a 2 gallon tank for regular or extended living quarters. A smaller container will work for short periods of time but you MUST do frequent water changes on them and this can be more work than the average pet owner is prepared for. Betta tanks do not require filtration but their health and color will improve if filtration is provided. Even a simple air-stone driven under-gravel filter will improve your bettas quality of life.
Requirement number two is consistent and constant water temperature. 68 to 78 degrees is an acceptable range. When trying to breed bettas water temp. should be maintained at a constant 80 degrees. The key point is to not have wide swings in temp. as this can be stressful for the fish and stress leads to disease.
Water changes are a bettas best friend, but if not done properly can be your worst nightmare. No matter what your bettas tank size or configuration regular water changes are mandatory. Always be sure to treat the water with a water conditioner to remove the chlorine and heavy metals that can be lethal to your fish. The water most also be the same temp as what is in the tank to begin with. I find it helpful to keep containers of treated water on hand to use in water changes. Water left sitting open to the air for 24 hours will have had the largest amount of the chlorine it contains neutralized even without water conditioners. Many sources will tell you that this water is then safe for your fish, but I still recommend using a water conditioner as the heavy metals could still be present in this "aged" water.
For most tanks(5 gallons or more)once a week, 25% water changes will be sufficient to maintain good water quality. Tanks smaller than that should receive a 25% water change every 2 to 3 days. Tanks that are smaller than 2 gallons should only be used as temporary housing and should get 100% changes at least every other day.
As with any pet good high quality food is essential to keeping your betta in good health. Tropical fish flake food can be used for bettas, but they seem to thrive better on foods that are formulated just for them. Bettas are carnivores so a diet high in protein is ideal. Live foods such as brine shrimp and blood worms make a good supplement but should only be used as a treat once or twice a week.
Bettas contrary to popular belief can be kept in a community tank with other fish. small to medium community fish will usually get along will with bettas. Fish that tend towards fin nipping like the various barbs should not be considered as tank mates. They find the male bettas long flowing fins to tempting and will slowly pick them to death. Never keep more than one male in a tank, nor should a male and a female be kept together. Males kept together will fight until one or both fish succumb to disease or is killed outright. A female kept with a male will be slowly picked to death as the male tries to fulfill his need to breed. More than one female maybe kept per tank provided that there is enough space(about 5 gallons)per fish. Some females are more aggressive than others and may not tolerate other bettas and should be kept by themselves or with community fish.
One last word off advice is to avoid at all cost keeping your betta in the plant/vase combos that seem to pop up in every pet and gift store in the country. Not only are these not of adequate size to house a betta comfortably or safely, they often come with instructions that guarantee the death of the resident betta. They are a cruel and inhumane death trap and should be removed from all existence.
Good luck and happy betta keeping!