I saw an ad for a petstore that I thought was so true. It said "What do you need to know about taking care of your new pet? Everything." If you get a betta fish, he will need a water filter, but many betta parents start with a betta marina. It has a lid that snaps on. They don't always start with a filter, but you will need to do water changes often. This will keep the water clean until you get a little larger tank for your betta fish and with a small water filter - the kind that doesn't create too much of a water flow. This is because betta fish have long, flowing fins that they need for swimming well and the water current can hinder this and even cause damage to the fins. Betta fish are actually one of the easiest fish to keep. Very beautiful and fun and personable. You can only have one normally because they are territorial with other male bettas and cannot be in the same tank together because they will fight to the death for their territory. You can see these little fish in cups at Pet stores and aquairium stores. The lid on the betta marina is because betta fish (also known as Siamese fighting fish - please do not let them fight - this is inhumane of course.)are also jumpers. They can jump right out of a fish bowl. This has to do with the history of their origins and how their ancestors survived by jumping from mud puddle to puddle of water in rice fields in Thailand to survive. This instinct is still hard-wired into their brains. They are fascinating wonderful fish to have as a pet. I highly recommend them.
