General Discussion

Let me just say- that's one handsome betta! I have one as well named Opal, because his colors are similar to that of an opal. (Think of white iridescent)

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR BETTA FUN FACTS

Bettas also have a labyrinth organ, so they can breathe air for a short amount of time.
(DISCLAIMER This doesn't mean you should take them out of their tanks or anything, it's just useful for them in the wild.)

Also, miakemi is right. They tend to think of smaller fish and sea creatures as food. And if another fish has large fins or resemble a rival betta's colors (such as guppies), they will see it as a threat.

They will instinctively create bubble nests at the top of their tank even without a female present (No doubt you have seen a bubble nest already, though.) It's usually a sign of a happy and healthy betta.

Bettas are quite intelligent, and can even recognize individual faces, and with enough effort can be trained to do simple tricks, such as follow your finger around the bowl, etc

I used to breed them and we never kept them with other animals because they would pick fights. They also don't really need filters, they come from pretty murky gross water natively and all that. You don't even really need a tank for one. You know how stores usually sell them in those tiny plastic cubes? Yeah. You can keep one in a cup if you really wanted. They don't need a world of space.

yep, invest in a sponge filter or do i what i did and rubber band a sponge (one designed for aquarium use is best) onto the filter's end and make a nice baffle. also helps cultivate some of that nice filter bacteria, mmm

and yeah, some betta go after shrimp, so keep an eye out for them. that is a charming one you've got there, though!

@skub
nope nope nope, bettas need AT LEAST 5-10 gallons. keeping them in anything less is cruelty. they need filtered tanks with heating and light as well, with good hiding spots. also, wild bettas are far and away a different species than captive-bred betta splendens; and even then, wild-caught betta need adequate space, heating, and filtering. please don't go round spreading misinformation like that.

@Chugway
Heating and light if you live in a cold, dark place or keep them in your basement maybe. Like I said, I was breeding them for a while. They're not fragile little things that die at the drop of a dime nor are they tropical fish that require specific temperatures and quality to survive. They come from rice paddies and ditches, they're fish designed to survive. This is why they'll eat practically anything. The only time they need a lot of space is if you're breeding them because if the offspring don't have somewhere to run and hide they'll be eaten by their own parents.

@skub
i'm not entirely sure where you're getting the idea that native, wild-caught betta = captive-bred, commercially sold betta splendens

like all other hobbyist fish, they do need specific temperatures and lighting to live will. just because they can eat anything doesn't mean that it's healthy for them or recommended.

just like i warn potential leopard gecko owners off using sand, i warn potential betta owners off keeping them in unsafe conditions, because they are unsafe. this isn't really a matter of debate; bettas need lighting and heat and space. i don't keep animals in conditions i know are unsafe or inadequate because that is abuse, and i do plenty of research before i even think about getting a pet so i know how and what is the best for them.

the fact that bettas are sold in jars in pet stores is frustrating, but pet stores only look to make a profit and, unfortunately, rarely actually care about the well-being of their animals. i see the same thing with the reptiles being housed on sand and with others of their species. it's not something that should be done and they exploit lack of knowledge and misinformation to drive sales, often leading to animal injury, illness, or death. betta splendens can have a life of up to 4-5 years in captivity if raised in good conditions, but misinformation - like keeping them in unheated, unlit, unfiltered pots - can kill them very quickly.

@LaughingZuru
sorry about the rant, but i can't stand it when people spout of dangerous misinformation like this ;;

@Chugway
And yet my healthy breeding fish said otherwise to what you're ranting about. They were fine once we split them up, in fact the worst part of it all was putting them into larger tanks to breed because we had to be on alert in case the male decided to go after the female because he was in a bad mood. I wouldn't have said what I said if it led to my fish dying or getting ill. I've seen these fish live in plant pots full of rain water, where business owners would dump them in to make the thing look place attractive to customers, and thrive just fine. Calling it abuse and misinformation is just absurd because you can't live without google telling you how to take care of an animal.