New Owner

[mandakins]

I feel a little awkward for posting here, but I figure if other fish owners can't help me then no one can.

My love has been trying to get me into betta fish (because he HATES my dog), I don't mind fish, I honestly happen to love looking at betta fish, but how do you know if you're right for a fish? I mean some people just have the ability and knowledge to handle fish and their needs, and some people just don't have a clue.

I've personally never owned a fish, but I'm seriously considering getting a betta. My lover filled me in on the basic history of bettas, as he's insane about them. I don't want people to get the wrong idea, like I'm going to own one to please him, I've always actually wanted a fish, but again.. I don't know much about them. I know just about the basics, but that's not too much. I've been reading through some of the posts on the forum, and I'm a little bit more interested in owning one, but I'm just curious if there's any specifics I need to worry about, any type of reading I need to do before owning one, is there possibly a book to pick up on betta fish, or a website (other then this forum) to read about how to care for them?

[leifthebunny]

There are a number of different philosophies on how to care for bettas. As bettas are labyrinth fish (can breath air), they are fairly versitile and can be kept in a bowl with no filtration. Most people feel that bettas should be in at least a 5g tank so they can move around. Bettas have a lot of personality and like cichlids, recognize their keepers and 'say' hello.

Care of the fish generally relies on weekly water changes to maintain a clean environment for the fish and remove the waste and excess food.

You can refer to the following website for a long list of links: http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5516.asp