I would get a 10 gallon at Petsmart during the dollar a gallon sale. Get a Marineland filter, and a Hydor Theo heater. You might be over 50, but not by too much

 

Petco is having the dollar a gallon sale right now!

You can get him a 10g and the filters are on sale I believe the tetra whisper is like 15 or 17 right now for the 10g tanks... As for heater, I have no clue what's best... just that adjustable is great. So I would say about$ 50 sounds about right... at most I would say less if you play your cards right.

 

Just wanted to ask... the nursing home is aware of your intentions, correct?

I'm just asking, because I've known of people saving animals without the owner's consent. It can be controversial.

 

Hi, it's great you are going to rescue him. This setup works perfectly. Around 3 gallons is great for a betta. This comes with a filter and everything. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11100218&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

 

Hello, and welcome to the forum! Kudos to you, for saving a betta in need.

For tanks, I always like the glass rectangle ones with the black rim. Original, easy to clean, and can fit on most stands. I always go with "The bigger, the better!". So, I'll get a 5G or a 10G. They all require the same care, but it's just more room for the betta to swim and more room for you to decorate.
Either that, or the Kritter Keepers. They're often used for small animal and reptile enclosures. Ugh... Too small for them. But the large size is very great for bettas! The plastic is thin, and isn't made for water. So the large size will be best.

And the filters... It all depends on the tank. For 9G and below, I like sponge filters. Soft flow, not noisy, and some fish like the bubbles. ^.^ I have this sponge filter, and it works really well in my 3G! I'd buy a T valve though, the bubbles will be a bit strong without it. And for 10G and up, I love to use AquaClears. Get the filter that's recommended for your tank plus 10G. Like.. If you have a 10G, I'd get the AC20. And if you have a 20G, I'd use the AC30. Etc. etc.

Anymore questions? And as Graceful said, you might want to talk and negotiate with the owner's before you 'rescue' their pet. (;

 

Actually I got my 10 gallon that came with a filter at petsmart for 30 dollars and its wonderful! It's a great tank and the filter intake or current doesn't have an adjust but it comes soft. So there's not too many waves and it can't suck in the fish. Petco should have some heaters.

 

The cheapest setup would be to go with a 3 gallon kritter keeper and a heater with no filter -just do the weekly water changes 2X a week

 

+1 to Tikibirds idea

Critter Keepers are inexpensive and work really well! I wouldn't use a filter on them either, though. My girls are all in Critter Keepers and they're pretty easy to maintain without a filter. Just make sure he has a heater. And a live plant will help keep the water extra clean for him if you can get one.

 

I would get at least a 3G tank with a heater and sponge filter. And if you want to, put a betta hammock in there (just in case he is having trouble swimming or is weak). That's what I'll be doing for my rescues.
Good Luck

 

Petco has a 5.5 gal starter kit for $30, you'd just need a heater and decor. I have one of my fish in this tank, once I baffled the filter it was perfect

 

Thank you all for your input! Maybe I'll head to PetSmart and look at what they have in stock... We don't have one in town, so I'll have to take a trip.

And yes, Graceful and LebronTheBetta, I'm keeping the nursing home in the loop. I'm not just going to steal their fish in the middle of the night. Thanks for your concern, though.