1. A tank. 1 gallon minimum, your new friend will definitely be needing a tank, with a cover at that, since bettas tend to be a little on the kamikaze side, and will jump out of an uncovered bowl. NOTE: If you want to cheap out and get something smaller than a gallon, you'll need to be doing daily water changes to control ammonia (see below).

2. Food. Betta food is available in two forms: flakes and pellets/betta bites. It is generally agreed that bettas will prefer pellets/bites over flakes.

3. Water conditioner. Even if you plan to use spring water, adding water conditioner to the tank with each change is a good idea to remove any lingering chlorine left from washing. NOTE: Chlorine, chloramines, and metals in tap water will KILL a betta if left untreated. It has been said that leaving tap water out over night will remove chlorine, which it does, but it will do nothing toward removing chloramine and metals. Also, if you choose to put a live plant in with your betta, make sure the conditioner is safe for use with live plants.

4. A small net. For catching your buddy when it's cleaning time.

5. A small container with a lid. This is just to keep your fish in while you clean his tank, and need not be anything more than a small lunch container. If your betta came in a cup with a lid, this can be used as well.

Recommended Purchases:

1. Substrate. A fancy way of saying "gravel" (or glass beads, or river stones). While not necessary, it does make for a prettier tank.

2. Silk/live plant(s). Bettas prefer somewhere to hide, and will often be found resting on plants as well. Again, it also makes for a prettier aquarium (and a happier fish). NOTE: Plastic plants will likely harm your fish's fins. Also, try to avoid any that have metal in them, as it will eventually rust and pollute the water.

3. A small aquarium thermometer. To ensure that your fish isn't freezing to death/being boiled alive.

4. Treats. Betta keepers are encouraged to add variety to their friend's diet. A favorite treat are freeze-dried bloodworms (which aren't as gross as they sound). NOTE: If you decide to use freeze-dried bloodworms, feed sparingly, as they are known to cause constipation.

5. A decently sized plastic strainer. This just makes cleaning time easier. You can dump the tank out through it and catch whatever substrate is in it, and run it under boiling hot water to remove waste and kill bacteria.

6. A turkey baster. Useful for removing any food that is uneaten (and thus would make the tank dirtier faster).

7. Measuring spoons. For measuring out aquarium salt (see below), water conditioner, and medication, should you need it.

8. Aquarium salt. Helps to prevent disease, and can be used when a fish is sick to promote healing of any bodily damage. Make sure it is “aquarium salt”, and NOT table salt.

9. A pH test kit. Suggested pH perimeters for a betta's water are between 6.5 to 7.4, however they can do well outside of this range as well. Most importantly, pH must not fluctuate (eg. switching water sources, which will likely have different pH levels), as this is harmful to your fish.

10. An ammonia test kit. Ammonia is introduced into the tank by fish waste and decomposing food. It should be kept at zero, or your fish will rapidly get ill. Proper water changes control ammonia levels.

11. Medications. If you're worried about being caught off guard when your fish gets sick, pick up some remedies for the more common illnesses (see below) to have on hand always.

Things Not to Worry About:

1. A heater, if your tank is less than 5 gallons. Putting a heater into a tank smaller than 5 gallons could prove fatal if it heats up the water too quickly. Addition: "For tanks more than 1.5 gal and less than 5, it's still a good idea to use a heater, especially during the winter. You can get a small non-adjustable jr heater from Wal-Mart for cheap that works in 1.5 to 2.5 gal. I've heard of 25W heaters used successfully in 2.5, although I'd be more comfortable using that in a larger vol." - courtesy of shakbait of PetFish.net

2. A filter, if your tank is less than 5 gallons. It is generally agreed that the current generated by filters is too strong for bettas to deal with if the tank is smaller than 5 gallons. Since you're doing 100% water changes anyway with these tanks, a filter is a little unnecessary anyhow.

3. Anything pet store personnel tell you about tank sizes/how often to change water. Typically, they're just there for the paycheck, and know all of squat about proper betta care.

4. Any products that you buy which tell you they need to be used in conjunction with other products by that company. It doesn't matter if you use different products from different companies. They're just trying to get you to buy more from their company. NOTE: For some medications, this does not apply. As far as I know, all Mardel products (maracyn, tetracycline, etc.) can be used together. For the rest, check the label or the manufacturer's website.

General Care 101:

---> Feeding.
Follow the directions on the back of whatever food you get. Typically, you will be encouraged to feed them twice a day however much they can eat in 5 minutes. However, I try to avoid causing constipation/overfeeding with mine, and feed him 3-5 bites per serving. Treats, such as freeze-dried bloodworms, should be fed a maximum of twice a week, as they can also cause constipation.

Further Reading: http://www.bettatalk.com/food.htm

---> Cleaning.
The larger the tank, the longer you can go between cleanings. With my one gallon tank, I give it a 100% water change every 3-4 days. When cleaning, I generally follow this schedule:
1. Poor water that has sat out over night into small container. Add a drop of water conditioner to deal with any potential chlorine in it.
2. Remove plants and place in strainer on floor to make for easier fish capture.
3. Catch fish in net (this takes some getting used to before you become good at it) and put in small container. Cover container and set on desk or some other area that isn't the floor.
4. Take tank and strainer with plants to the bathroom. Dump out tank in the tub/shower and catch substrate in the strainer.
5. Run extremely hot water over everything in the strainer. Also rinse out tank, then fill and let soak with hot water for a few minutes.
6. Rinse out plants under running hot water and set on paper towel.
7. Give tank one final rinse, then dry out with another paper towel.
8. Put plants and substrate back in.
9. Take back to room, fill with water, add conditioner (and salt, etc, if you have it).
10. Let sit for an hour to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed and settled before putting fish back in.

UPDATE: Since upgrading to a 2.65 gallon tank, my cleaning schedule has altered. This tank can go five to six days before ammonia becomes present, and is a bit more difficult to handle during changes, due to the amount of water. Other than that, everything is the same; just takes a bit longer, since he has more stuff to wash. ^.~ I also do a good scrub using vinegar and a sponge every month/any time he gets sick.

Further Reading: http://www.bettatalk.com/housing.htm, http://www.bettatalk.com/jarred_bettas.htm, http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_in_a_vase.htm (I don't agree with how often she says to change water, FYI.)

---> Water.
For the first while, I was using bottled water for my fish (must be SPRING water and not distilled, as distilled does not contain the minerals fish need; one 4 L jug was about one water change for me), but that got to be a pain so I switched him over to conditioned tap water. I fill a water jug with tap water the night before he gets changed and let it sit out to get to room temperature, and then simply poor it in and treat it at the time of cleaning. Again, if you use spring water, I still suggest adding water conditioner to take care of whatever chlorine may have been left in the tank from washing it.

http://www.bettatalk.com/water.htm

---> Vacations.
This is where it gets tricky. While bettas can go up to two weeks without food (and a month before they starve to death), they cannot go that long without having their water changed. Otherwise, ammonia will build up and very quickly cause illness and eventual death. If you're going to be away for longer than three or four days, your fishie will either need to come with you, or be left in the care of an educated betta sitter.

---> Illness.
Rather than harp on about this myself, I'll direct you to a few good resource sites:
http://www.petfish.net/kb/31/
http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

Note that decent medications for the more common diseases (ick/ich, fin and tail rot, velvet) can be found at Wal-Mart. They supply many products by Jungle Laboratories which are inexpensive and effective.

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