Acclimatizing

Now that you have your Betta, what you do next will determine whether or not Mr. Betta lives or dies, so pay attention! You can't just fill up a jar with tap water and plop him in...........Nooooooo! not good. He won't like that and you will tell by the way he'll be floating belly up really soon afterwards.
I recommend anywhere between a 2.5 gallon to 5 gallon tank. Filters are nice but not necessary. Just be sure to turn the filter to the lowest setting as Bettas don't like to ride the rapids. Be sure you have something to treat the water because tap water contains chlorine and ammonia excesses that can kill them. There are many different water treatments available but I use Prime.
Be sure whatever container you do decide on has a wide enough space to allow the Betta to come up for air (yes they do breathe oxygen also). Not to mention you will need to be able to get Mr. Betta out for future water changes. By the way, Bettas do JUMP, so make sure whatever container you have has a cover. Preferably something that allows oxygen in as well but doesn't allow Mr. Betta out.

Best case scenario is that you have already planned ahead and prepared Mr. Betta's tank ahead of time (way ahead of time). Check out this article on New Tank Syndrome. It has some very useful information. But if you're like most of us and are impulsive, read on.
After filling his tank/container with treated tap water (do NOT use Distilled water), let it “age”. It should be the same temperature as the water he is in now. Bettas don’t take well to temperature changes; they can go into shock and die. Make sure the Bettas quarters are in a warm room if you do not have a heater and not near vents or drafts. Bettas prefer a warm water temperature of around 76-80 degrees so a thermometer to monitor water temp is a good idea.

Check the status of your arrivals, immediately reporting any DOA's. DOA replacement will be given to those that have purchased Express Shipping and require a photo of the fish in the unopened bag within a half hour of delivery. Replacement will be for the cost of fish only.
You've invested valuable time and money researching the habitat requirements of the fish you wish to house. Naturally, you want to protect this investment by executing a proper acclimation process once the fish arrive at your door. The purpose of acclimation is simple: the water that the fish are packaged in has different temperature, pH, and salinity parameters than your aquarium. Fish are very sensitive to even minor changes in these parameters, so proper acclimation is the key to ensuring their successful relocation.

We recommend the acclimation method explained below, and wish to remind you the acclimation process should never be rushed. Also, remember to keep your aquarium lights off for at least four hours after the betta/s are introduced into the aquarium to help them further adjust.

Though not a requirement of our acclimation procedure, we highly recommend that all aquatic life be quarantined in a separate aquarium for a period of two weeks to reduce the possibility of introducing diseases and parasites into your aquarium and to ensure they are accepting food, eating properly, and are in optimum health before their final transition to your main display.

Floating Method

1.    Turn off aquarium lights.

2.    Dim the lights in the room where the shipping box will be opened. Never open the box in bright light - severe stress or trauma may result from sudden exposure to bright light.

3. After carefully removing your fish from the shipping box, remove the outside bag (there are two bags) as the outside bag is labeled with ink and may contaminate your water.

4.    Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15 minutes (Fig. A). Never open the shipping bag at this time. This step allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature in the aquarium, while maintaining a high level of dissolved oxygen.

5.    After floating the sealed shipping bag for 15 minutes, cut open the bag just under the knot (Fig. B) and roll the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water (Fig. C).



6.    Add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag (Fig. D).

7.    Repeat step 5 every four minutes until the shipping bag is full.

8.    Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag (Fig. E).

9.    Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again and proceed to add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag every four minutes until the bag is full.

10. Net aquatic life from the shipping bag and release into the aquarium (Fig. F).

11. Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium.

It is NORMAL for bettas to lack color upon arrival, don't worry, given time to become situated they will color up nicely. They may also take some time to begin eating.