betta living space and behavior

Question
I tend to buy a lot of bettas but im not sure what is the healthiest way to keep them. I had one betta in a gallon fish bowl with a plant but the fish seemed as if he was becoming slow and was starting to look lifeless and dull. I keep him in a smaller bowl now with a lamp, and he seems to be doing better. What is the best way to keep them? Do they need alot of light? Also, is it healthy for bettas to live in a divided tank where they constantly see one another?  

Answer
Hi Kay,
Bettas should never be kept in bowls, and heated with lamps.  They should be in a 5 gallon heated tank with a little toy they can go through, and a silk plant.  In their habitat, the betta's water may be shallow, but they have lots of room to swim.  They are tropical fish, and they should be in 80-82 degree water which is always stable.  You would need a heater (Thermostat) to keep the bettas water at this temperature.  When bringing up the water for a Betta, this must be done very very slowly.  The water temperature must be brought up one degree every two days.  Bringing up the temperature too quickly would cause death.  Under 80 degree water, the betta is cold, and will get sick.  Their lives are cut short.  Bettas do not like light, the prefer the light of day, and darkness at night.  If you light a tank for a betta, the light should be soft, and not bright.
Bettas should never see each other.  They are Siamese Fighting Fish, and when they see each other, it causes them stress, and they get sick.  
Bettas should also have varied diets.
Here is a list of food that the betta should have:
Betta Pellets
Betta Flakes
Plankton Flakes
Daphnia ( This food is very important as it helps with the betta's digestive system.)
Bloodworms ( This food should be given as a treat, and never become their main meal.)
Glassworms
Mealworms
Frozen Brine Shrimp
Wingless Fruit Flies ( Some pet stores have them)
Peas ( one frozen pea a week with the outer layer removed, and cut into tiny pieces.  Feed the pea to your betta, one piece at a time making sure he eats it, and that it does not fall to the bottom of the tank.  On the day you feed him the pea, feed him nothing else for the rest of the day.  This is so he can clean out his system, and avoid Swim Bladder Disease to which the betta is prone.  One pea for each betta.
Bettas must be fed in small amounts 2-3 times a day.  Two pellets, or two flakes for one meal.  We must always remember that their tummies are the size of their eye when feeding them.  Small meals, and never one big meal.
You must change his water completely every 6 days in a five gallon tank, and more often in smaller tanks, always using a good water conditioner such as "Stress Coat" or "AquaPlus"  Bettas should have 5 gallon tanks, as keeping them in bowls, vases, and gadgets that they sell for the betta, is cruel.  This is not your fault, but fault on the vendor who hardly ever gives the right information on bettas.  They are there to sell, and this is all that matters to them.  It really turns my stomach over.  We take them out of their home to put them in ours, the least we can do is treat them well, and try to give them the best home we can.
Diluted aquarium should be added to the water.  ( 1 teaspoon to 5 gallons of water)  
You could also cycle a 5 gallon tank.  This means that you buy a filter, and a used sponge.  You put the used sponge directly into your filter squeezing out the access water.  Never clean a sponge under the tap.  A used sponge is full of good bacteria that your fish need to survive.  You let your tank filter for about two weeks or until you have no ammonia, or nitrites in your water.  When your water chemistry is perfect, you can put a betta in the tank.  Remember to bring his temperature up slowly.  After this, you change 25% of his water weekly, always making sure that he has no ammonia, or nitrites in his water.  When cleaning your filter, always rinse the sponge in water that you have removed from the tank to keep the good bacteria.  A sponge is good for a very long time, until it is old, ragged, and falling apart.  Ammonia, and Nitrites are the number one killer of fish.  With a betta, the choice is yours...cycled, or not cycled.
I hope this information helps, if you have more questions, please do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda