Buying Betta For The First Time

[Cherry-Tea]

I'm going to be buying my first Betta this weekend and was wondering as in width and length should the bowl be? The bowl I have is 8 1/2" H x 6" W x 15" L, is that good? Also, I heard Wal-Mart and Petco sell them and I preferably want a pink betta will those places have them? I haven't been to wal-mart and petco in ages so I don't remember the fishes they have x-x! Also, what kind of betta's do they carry, or is it just random what they'd have? Sorry, for the so many questions I'm new to this ^^;;.

 

[ReMz]

I'm going to be buying my first Betta this weekend and was wondering as in width and length should the bowl be? The bowl I have is 8 1/2" H x 6" W x 15" L, is that good? Also, I heard Wal-Mart and Petco sell them and I preferably want a pink betta will those places have them? I haven't been to wal-mart and petco in ages so I don't remember the fishes they have x-x! Also, what kind of betta's do they carry, or is it just random what they'd have? Sorry, for the so many questions I'm new to this ^^;;.

Ideally you would want to set up a minimum of a 2 1/2 gallon tank (larger is better) with a filter and heater. If you cannot filter the tank (or bowl), a heater is a must, as a betta is a tropical fish and should be kept between 74-82 degrees.

That is a fairly decent sized "bowl"... and would be an "ok" betta home as long as you were changing the water every other day without using a filter. I would urge you to setup a tank, as you would for any other tropical freshwater fish, and filter it properly.

Also keep in mind that bettas do not cope well with currents, and filtering small tanks usually requires blocking the current so the betta can swim around without too much stress.

Wal-mart and Petco usually sell pretty standard bettas.... so it may be hard to find what you are looking for. Although, i've noticed petsmart and petco carrying some much nicer bettas within the last year or so. It is completely up to chance that you will find a 'pink' betta (and very unlikely). Keep in mind that top-end bettas come from breeders, and not chain stores.

Don't dive into this too fast. Take your time to research all you can about bettas and get a proper home setup. It will save you a lot of hassle, and more importantly, your betta will thrive once you have taken the time to research and setup a proper tank.