New To Bettas

[tabbycat89]

i have had a male betta fish for about 6 months and a female for around 3. i recently bought a 10 gallon tank and a clear plastic divider to seperate them. ever since dwight has been making bubble nests like crazy (seriously, its almost covering the whole top of the water on his side). sometimes they go in their seperate corners but mostly they swim back and forth flaring their fins at eachother through the dividers. should i put them in seperate tanks? is this too stressful for them? please help, i worry about them!
-tabby

 

[emeleeliggett]

As long as they have plenty of plants/caves/rocks to hide around and behind where they can get a break from each other they should be fine. If you are too worried, get a colored divider where they will have more privacy.

 

[tabbycat89]

another question do i need a filter and a heater? cycling really confuses me, and there are so many different brands of everything. i wouldnt even know how to set anything up.

 

[meguro]

You can get away with no filter provided you're up to the task of very frequent water changes, 50% every 2 days on average, but it depends on bio load. But you should invest in a small heater 25-50 watt and make sure the temperature is no lower than 24C (with 26C as preference), having it constant is generally more important.

A lid/hood for your tank is necessary too, not only because these fish like to jump, but it will also help to regulate the temperature of both water and air (which is important as they "breathe" it).