Hi. Kevabear, I'm a newbie owner of a betta and noticed that once summer was over and the house got cooler he stopped his activity and acted real weird. I hurriedly bought a heater to keep temp around 75 or so. He's totally happy and active again. I keep my house very cool in the winter 'cause I hate paying large heat bills so once I saw he wasn't thriving it was a no - brainer. The pet store says they don't need a heater but I don't want to keep my house like a sauna for one little fish. I don't know what your temperature is but thought I'd add my 2 cents worth.
Sue

Thank you Sue for your 2 cents! I do have a little heater in there. I can't read the little temp thing, but the water to the touch is luke warm, and he seems pretty happy these days. I took the filter out which seemed to be bugging him. He doesn't hide so much now. I change things in his tank occasionally so he has something new to investigate. Since the filter is out I will need to change the water a little more often, but that's ok. Someone said no they need it put it back in, so I did, and he was NOT a happy camper. So it's back out and he is doing well these days.

Glad he's doing better. Also my tank is loaded with live plants, he seems to love swimming through them.

bettas do breath air from the top of the water and do really well without a filter. mine has an air bubble one that was really small and only around ten dollars or so at walmart. in the ten gallon he is in it works well. it helps keep the tank cleaner and it has a very very gentle current which they need. they don't like fast moving water. the only reason to have a really gentle filter for a betta is to help keep it cleaner that is all. the person who said they have to have one or else is an idiot in my opinion and doesn't know what they are talking about. my filter has gone days at a time without being on because i forgot about it and my betta is fine.i am by no means an expert or anything but i have had fish tanks and betta tanks for a few years now and have also done alot of research as well so i do have some experience, what size tank do you have him in? because the bigger the better it will give him room to swim around good.

He is in a five gallon tank. For awhile I didn't have the filter in, but have ended up putting it back in because the water seems to get dirty so fast. I can tell he doesn't really care for it though. He tends to stay behind it where there is no current, or down at the bottom of the tank. Sometime he swims around int here, but mostly he seems to stay where he isn't in the water flow.

Beta is an "Anabantide" do a Google search and you will find the complete family. They are surface breathers and live in the silt rich waters of Far Eastern rice fields. If you want it less disgusted with life, then slide in a partition glass 3mm thick and divide aquarium in two. On the other side either put in a female or a male and you will never have a boring moment. Short life span so when receptive let breed. Eggs will be in air bubble nest. Separate female once function finished. Papa looks after nest, mama eats. Separate papa once babies big enough or he will make a meal of them. His function is vital, he fans oxygenated water over eggs and repairs nest.