Without quoting or debating, here are my personal opinions about the right tank and environment for a Betta and a person new to fishkeeping. :lol:
They need surface room, not up and down tanks, because they do breath air and are not strong swimmers. That hexagon tank above would not be good.
I don’t filter anything below 5 gallons for the reasons GotGait mentioned. When I do filter, I prefer a 10 G so the Betta has room to get away from the current. It also allows room for other fish. My favorite set up for beginners is an unfiltered 2.5 G that gets changed 2-3 times a week. It gives you time to focus on other things like how much to feed, remembering to add the dechlorinater and getting the water temperature right or just seeing how your fish behaves. It also gives you a “hospital” tank in case you ever need to medicate. Of course Bettas love more room but a properly managed 2.5 is worlds better than a poorly managed large one and it can be hard to get it right in the beginning. Maddening, in fact.
Cycling is NOT just putting the filter in, letting it run for a couple days and adding the fish. Ammonia (fish waste) is what starts the process and it can take weeks. If you don’t want to expose your fish to the spikes as it happens, you need to do a fishless cycle first (with pure ammonia, a cocktail shrimp or fish food) and test it every few days. When ammonia zeros out and nitrates go up, your tank is cycled and ready for fish.
A GOOD test kit is not optional for first timers. You have to know what’s going on with the water, filtered or not, so you know how often and in what amounts to change it. When ammonia shows up in your unfiltered, time to change the water. IF ammonia shows up in your filtered tank, something is wrong.
For the OP… I would get a 10 G, establish your plants, do a fishless cycle and get a feel for how to test and maintain it. There is no harm in having a Betta in a small tank (or even those cups if the water is clean) while you wait if the right one comes along sooner.
Bacardi1, I get what you are trying to say but there are many sites out there that say Bettas will be overwhelmed and DIE!!! in anything more than a gallon of water and that since they jump puddles in nature and breathe air, they thrive in murky water and survive on live plants. I say it’s better to ask for general info on a busy horse site than not know what fish sites are correct.
