Many people want to get a pet that is quiet, doesn't require much attention and is easy to take care of, so they think "Hey! I'll go to my local pet store and pick up a Betta fish! They don't require much care at all! They can live in a bowl and be just fine!"

Wrong!

Betta fish actually require a lot more than a bowl. They are animals, too! They have hearts, too! They have personalities, too! Tiny hearts matter, too! Betta fish can be a lot of fun if properly taken care of, just like any pet! I love my Betta, Taft. I rescued him (in a way) from a family that had him in a little "betta keeper," and hadn't been feeding him properly. They even left him in a house for an entire week while they were moving during the winter. He almost froze! So I said I would take the fish. He wasn't quite fully grown yet when I took him in, and he was, and is still, so cute.

The proper care of a betta fish is as follows.

Betta fish have big personalities for such tiny bodies, and they need space to let that personality out! When you buy a betta, don't fall into the trap that they can live in a gallon bowl and be happy, or even worse, the bottom of your vase that you have your plants in.

Think about it like this: How would you feel if you went from living in a huge rice paddy that's acres and acres and super deep (I don't know exactly how deep a rice paddy is) to being put in a tiny cup for who knows how long? Then FINALLY, someone decides they want you and then you get put in another container not much bigger than a cup for the rest of your life? That's like someone taking you from your home and then putting you in a box for the rest of your life. Not fun. So basically, when you decide to take on the responsibility of owning a betta fish, do it right. Betta fish should be in, at the absolute least, a three-gallon tank. But if you really want to see your fish's personality shine, put them in something bigger, like a 10 gallon.

Another thing is give your fish plenty of plants, logs and other décor to hide in and play on. Especially plants with big leaves and logs that have holes they can dart in and out of! Bettas love to lay on the leaves to sleep, and love to explore new places. Every few weeks or so, add a new piece to your tank and watch as they explore every inch of the foreign object! Its fascinating! Also, while I'm on the subject of décor, use sand rather than rocks or those pesky pebbles! The sand is much softer and will resemble the rice paddies more. It's also a lot more attractive than rocks and pebbles. Of course, you can add those really large pebbles in a few spots in the tank if you'd like, but I personally recommend sand. It isn't as hard to keep clean as people say.

Moving on from décor and comfort for the betta is the necessities, and by necessities I don't mean the "bare necessities." I mean the necessities to have a proper and safely functioning tank for your fish. You're going to need a heater, because betta are freshwater fish. They have to keep a certain body temperature, and the temperature of the tank will affect how active they are. If the tank is too cold, they will be lethargic and could get sick, and the same goes if the tank is too hot. If the tank does get too hot, it can also burn their fins, especially if they like to hang out by the heater. This is usually a tell-tale sign that the tank is too cold and that the heater isn't doing a sufficient enough job keeping the right temperature.

The temperature of the tank should range between 78 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. My tank is a 20-gallon long tank, and stays at about 80 to 82 degrees. To ensure that your heater is heating the tank properly, make sure to get the right size heater for your tank. The pet stores have a ton of sizes for every size tank, and if you get confused, just ask for help. Don't listen to any associate that tells you you don't need a heater and that your fish can live in a bowl. That is animal cruelty.

Besides a heater, you will need a filter, also the proper size for your tank. So if you have a three-gallon tank, you will need a filter that fits, because too much water flow can stress your betta out. The rice paddies have slow moving water, and it's your job to replicate a rice paddy as best as you can, because betta fish ARE wild animals. They're harvested from these rice paddies and sent across the globe to be sold as pets.

And you can also have too much filtration. Make sure to get the proper cartridges for your filter and replace them every month to ensure a healthy environment in the tank, and that the proper bacteria is inside.

For the last of the equipment, you'll need a hood with a lamp. You can't just put your fish under a window and expect that to work. That will cause more trouble for you, because the sunlight heats the water up way too much for your fish, and also fungus and other parasites and bacteria can begin to grow as a result of the constant sunlight. The lamp is essential for the fish. They use it as a sign of when it's daylight and when it's night time. The lamp should stay on for no longer than 12 hours a day. Get your fish on a schedule! Turn the lamp on before you leave for work or school, and feed your fish then. At the same time you leave for work, turn the lamp off and feed your fish then if you feel your fish needs to eat twice a day. If you notice the lamp is too hot, look into changing the bulb.

On the subject of feeding your fish, it's up to you, but they shouldn't eat more than twice a day or they will become overweight, especially if they don't have a ton of room to swim around in. If you notice there's always extra food on the bottom of your tank when your fish is done eating, feed them less. Their stomachs are only the size of their eyeball. Also, feeding your fish too much can mess up the environment of your tank, and can make it cloudy and gross. My fish doesn't like the pebbles, but if that's what you decided to feed yours, make sure you soak them in water for about 10 minutes before you give them to the fish, or they will be too hard for the fish to eat.

As an occasional treat, you can feed them bloodworms. They love them. I feed my fish Omega One Super Color Flakes because they don't cloud the water and they make Taft's colors really shine. He also loves the taste. I know this because I switched foods for a little while and then switched back, and when I dropped a crushed flake in the water he went crazy! He recognized the food instantly!

That's another thing, fish are smarter than we give them credit for. I actually taught Taft how to swim through a hoop. It takes time and patience to train a fish, just like it does any other animal, but it's so worth it! Fish also love the attention! When I ignore Taft for a few days, he will fake being sick! It's really strange! The minute I start paying him some attention or come back from being gone all weekend, he starts showing off to me. He also recognizes when people are new, because he will start showing off his colors to them and swimming as fast as he can, back and forth, across his huge tank. He is such a character! You can get to know your fish, just like you can a cat or dog.

Lastly, contrary to popular belief, Bettas can live with other fish. They have to be fish that live in similar water conditions, and of course, the fish can't be brightly colored or aggressive at all. I have four other fish in my tank with him. There are five really good tank mates to look at if you want him to have some companions:

1. White cloud minnows

2. Clown Pleco (I don't recommend this bottom feeder unless you plan on having a 50-gallon tank. I have two bottom feeders that are tiny and stay tiny.)

3. Pygmy Corydoras

4. Ember Tetras

5. Harlequin Rasboras (I have two of these.)

Most of these fish are schooling fish. My harlequins got bullied by Taft at first until he got used to them. Now he ignores them and they stay out of his way. I've only had one incident where Taft actually ate my third harlequin, one weekend while I was gone for about four days. He didn't get fed that whole time, and I guess he got hungry! After that, he hasn't bothered them and when I know I'm going to be gone that long, I have someone feed him!

There you have it, the proper care of a betta fish, and how to properly enjoy your new and not-so-easy-to-care-for-and-forget-about-it pet! Just remember that tiny hearts matter, too, any time you think that any fish can live in a bowl and be happy!