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The Bowl or Tank
The appropriate size of your betta's home is always being debated according to what the fish's natural home is like and what is considered humane and inhumane. For example, a popular trend in the sixties and seventies included giving a peace lily in a vase with a betta fish in the vase's water. Now this is considered inhumane due to the very small amount of swimming room in the vase. Creating a cozy, interesting home will keep your betta happier and living longer.
I feel that it is important to note that you are, in essence, creating an ecosystem for your fish. Just like when you establish a plant to a new environment, you try to keep in mind what conditions will make it most successful or grow the most.
Some people say that bowls are fine for bettas, while others say that bowls are inhumane for any fish and that only tanks are healthy. It's hard to draw the line about
what is appropriate. Most employees at pet stores will tell you that bettas are currently the only type of fish that are considered appropriate to keep in a bowl instead of a tank. They even recommend that goldfish be kept in filtered tanks. I keep all three of my bettas in one gallon bowls and all are doing fantastically. The two males constantly have bubble nests going, so they must be pretty happy (you can read more about bubble nests in Boys and Girls)! I've gotten criticism for using bowls, and while I would love to have some tanks, I personally think that a bowl, minimum one gallon, is a fine home for a betta when it is properly cared for. A bowl that small absolutely must be cleaned at least once a week. The smaller the home, the more frequently water changes must be done.
The main argument for smaller bowls is that bettas live in the wild in shallow areas and really stay in a pretty small amount of space most of their lives. However, in the wild the water they live in is also running water (as opposed to still, like in a lake or pond), so their water is constantly clean water as their waste is carried away. This means that you will need to change your betta's water pretty frequently if you choose to use a bowl instead of a tank (see Cleaning), but this is not much of a hassle with betta fish. To you, I will suggest a minimum of half a gallon volume, with at least a gallon being preferable. Betta bowls (which, many times, aren't glass bowls so much as plastic containers) come in a variety of styles, but the nature of it is really based on size and what you put inside of it. It does not really matter whether you are using acrylic or glass bowls; both have their advantages and disadvantages and both house bettas perfectly well.
Some people insist on having bowls with lids or covering their bowl with a sheet of transparent paper because bettas are known to be jumpers. However, I think that lids aren't absolutely necessary. The only time that any of my bettas has jumped was when my female was in a strange, very stressful situation and jumped. It's really quite fast but they can be easily put back into their bowl. If you would feel more peace of mind knowing that your fish cannot get out, by all means find a bowl with a lid. I have read several times that bettas jump less if there is something touching the surface of the water, like if a plant is touching the surface or coming above it slightly. Keep in mind that bowls without lids will allow water evaporate, and so when my water levels go down, I just mix a cup of water with a tiny bit of conditioner (a drop or two) and pour it right in.
Water Temperature
Because you want your betta's fins (especially a male's) to stay intact and beautiful, the objects in the tank will need to be smooth enough so that he won't scrape himself. So what objects are safe to put in a bowl? For this, use the pantyhose test: if the object does not/would not tear pantyhose, than it will not tear a betta's fins. For this reason, plastic plants are strongly discouraged in betta bowls because of their rough nature. Many people recommend silk plants which are much gentler. I myself use live plants--they absorb ammonia (fish waste) and create even more of an ecosystem inside the bowl. A common live-plant pick is a java fern. Many people, though, use silk plants and find them great too, as they do not scratch unlike plastic plants and require no real care unlike having a live plant. Any ornament you place in the bowl will also have to pass the pantyhose test. I personally think that every betta should have a little tunnel or small place to hide, as this provides security for the fish, as well as giving him something to do during the day (why do you think kids play in jungle gyms?). For my half-gallon bowl, however, there just isn't room for a tunnel, so I just have a small ornament of what looks like a clown fish in an anemone, and my female loves to swim around it and investigate it periodically.
A lot of bettas like to hang out around the top of the bowl because they are by definition surface fish. I've discovered this leaf hammock, which I talk about on my BettaBlog, at Petsmart (and it's available in lots of places and online). It's a great way to add a little shelf for your betta to relax on near the top of the bowl.
If you're thinking about adding a large seashell from the beach to your betta's bowl, inspect it carefully first. Many seashells have rough edges, which of course should be avoided like the plague. Only add something like this if you're sure it's very smooth and if you've washed it (to take off any salt from the beach).
Pebbles and Gravel
haven't used that heater myself but it might be worth taking a look at if you wouldn't have to trouble yourself with the lamp timers. For a smaller bowl or tank you would want to use the 10 Watt.
Tank Ornaments and Plants
Bettas are tropical fish, and they are happiest in temperatures between 75 and 80 degrees F. The first year that I kept bettas I didn't have a heater, and the fish were fine in the summer, but in the winter the temperature was simply too cold to let them live in. I have been very happy with a Hydor 7.5 Watt Mini-Heater, which is only $8. The one in the picture from the link is a little misleading; they look a little more like this or the one at left. They fit with a suction cup to even a half-gallon bowl. They run on electricity, obviously, but they aren't harmed if left running dry, or so the manual says. I only have one major problem with the heater, and that is that it doesn't regulate its own temperature, meaning it doesn't stop heating when it reaches ideal temperature. This is one of the reasons why this heater is only $7 or $8. I've come to a very easy solution, however, which is not at all difficult or expensive. I've started using a simple lamp timer that I program for a few hours a day. Using a digital thermometer, I found how to keep the temperature hovering around 78 degrees all day. It usually takes several two-hour periods a day to do this, but it works really well and I'm always secure knowing that my fish will be warm all day and all night. I highly suggest this method: the lamp timer is only $4, and so you will spend about $12 to keep you fish warm all the time. I think that's a pretty good price.
Recently I also saw this heater from Marina which might be a better bet than the Hydor one because the Marina one claims that it regulates temperature to 78F. I
Each of my fish has a set of rounded glass stones at the bottom. Of course, I like rounded because there is no way for them to tear betta fins. You can find stones of all sizes and in practically every color to match your betta or the room. Some of them find colorful stones interesting. Also, waste does not get stuck on or between rounded stones, so they are easy to rinse. I find stones at Petsmart but also at craft and floral stores that carry stones to put in flower arrangements. I am especially careful to wash these since they aren't really meant to be used with fish.
Water Quality
Bettas can survive in water even if the water does not have perfect qualities, but of course if you can strive for perfect water your betta will be happier. Let's talk about some characteristics of "perfect" water, and if you don't find the information you need, try this blog post for more extensive information.
pH: this is a measure of the acidity or basicity of the water. It ranges from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic), and neutral is considered to be 7. Bettas prefer to be in water with a pH of 7. They can be pretty content in 6 or 8 pH, but 7 is definitely ideal. Petstores sell liquids called "pH Up" and "pH Down" which allow you to alter your water quality.
Chlorine and Fluorine: These chemicals are added to most tap water to make them safe for drinking but really should be completely removed with a water conditioner to house fish. A tiny bit of chlorine won't kill your betta, but without conditioned water you betta will die. Chlorine and fluorine are extremely strong chemicals and will burn your betta's skin if they exist in the water in excess.
Nitrate and Nitrite: these relate to the amount of ammonia in the water and contribute to some other properties. Ammonia is the substance created by fish waste but can also result from left-over food that rots at the bottom of bowls. Avoid food waste by feeding a pellett food (see Food). The ideal amount is 0-40 ppm of nitrate and 0-.5 ppm nitrite.
Alkalinity: this is the water's ability to neutralize acids in the water, almost like a buffer. Ideal is 120 to 180 ppm.
Extensive water testing is not really necessary with bettas, though I do suggest testing for a pH periodically, as this can vary based on where you live and who provides your water. I bought a set of test strips which test for six things at once (including chloring, pH, nitrates, nitrites, hardness, and alkalinity) so that I could understand my home's water quality. If you are regularly cleaning your fish's bowl enough (see Cleaning), then it is probably unnecessary to test for nitrate and nitrites.
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