Betta Fish Help?

Question
QUESTION: Hey! =3
I don't really know where to start, but I'll just... ramble for a bit about what I've been doing hah.
Ok so, I'm 15 years old and I LOVE betta fish, I don't know, they're just betta than the other fish that I can afford, with, me not having a job yet and all. You know? Haha.

But I love them so much and I want them to be happy so I do my best to keep them healthy, but all the websites that I do research on are telling me different things, and really confusing me.

One says, 'Bettas can live in little cups and be perfectly happy' another says 'At LEAST 2 gallons of water'
Ok so, I can't have two gallons of water in my room, I'm a teenager, my parents don't even LIKE the idea of living things in my room.

So, I have a 3.5 liter plastic fish bowl where my one current betta hangs out. =P
I feel so bad though, because I just moved, and all my little tank... decorations and stuff are missing! =/

So he's just... there. He looks so bored... I feel so mean.

I'm planning on getting another male and putting him the same tank with him (there's a divider, DON'T worry.) because I've heard they like to see eachother. BUT I've also heard, seeing too much of eachother stresses them out and makes them tired.

Confusing much?! 0.o

So, I want to know, do you need all of that stuff? Tank warmer, water filter, live food, dechlorinat..ion... thing?

It's so complicated, what would YOU say to a 15 year old girl who wants to keep betta's, but can't afford all of the fancy stuff?

Thanks =]

Candace

ANSWER: The little cups that they are sold in from Petco are not good for them to stay in forever. Those are just temporary homes. They can live in that 3.5 bowl you just need to make sure you change the water once a week.
Having the divider in, I would make it so they can't see eachother. It does infact stress them out and if you want happy fish I would recommend that :). Betta's don't need a heater for their water or a filter. The do need Dechlorinator or you can you spring water. They don't need live food. Freeze dried blood worms that come in tubes usually or any sort of Betta food..give them no more than they can eat within a few minutes. I feed mine every other day. It keeps the water clean and it's not bad for them at all.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok so this is retarded.
I decided to get a few tank mates for my betta, I got two mollies. One silver and one black.
The black one looked a bit lumpy, but I just assumed it was fat...
Anyways. JUST then, like 5 minutes ago, it gave BIRTH.
They're both girls (Yeah, I know how to sex them..) umm and What I did as soon as it happened was removed the betta and the silver molly from it and put them in seperate bowls and then i did my best to CAREFULLY remove them, there are 9 molly fry. 1 of them is a lighter color witha reddish stomach and a bit chubbier, is he unhealthy or diseased? or just a different color/type?
I only have dixie cups, so I put two in each cup, i haven't gotten them all out of the bowl yet... but i have 5. I needed a break, its stressful, not trying to hurt them.

OK.
What do I feed them?!
How do I care for them?! Should they stay with their mother?! Will they die??

Thanks =]

Answer
The mollies need a heater and a filter. The best thing you can do is make sure they have heat and filtered water but in order to prevent them from being sucked into the filter you will need to either put filter foam over the intake of the filter it is a blue foam almost cloth that is used to cover the intakes of filters. Then get a "Breeder" it's called and put the babies together. They will eat crushed up tropical fish flakes. The mother does not have to be with them she might eat them.  You may need to pick up a fish tank at least 10 gallons or 15 if you have 9 if you intend on keeping them.