(05-27-2014, 05:49 AM)millshre Wrote: We don't have room for an aquarium, though I'd like to have one eventually.
Could you please explain this part a little more clearly? 
It sounds like you aren't going to get a fish tank for your betta fish. I hope I am wrong. 
To keep a betta fish alive and healthy, you need a minimal 5 gallon fish tank. A 10 gallon is recommended. You will need a heater and a filter as they are mandatory equipments just to keep the fish alive.
5 gallon fish tank goes for only $11 here at local walmart. 10 gallon fish tank goes for only $14 here. Small investment for long term usage.
These fish tanks are very small too. They won't take much space in your home.
As for your question of reputable breeder, you can buy high quality fish from liveaquaria.com. The shipping cost is $35 the last time I checked. It might not be wise to just buy a single betta fish from them since the shipping cost is the same regardless how many fish you buy from them.
Or you can go to aquabid.com or ebay to find a breeder. Although the betta fish from these places are not cheap since they are for breeding.
If you want something cheap, might as well check with local pet shops. I know... the betta fish there are often not as good looking nor very healthy. But you can always pick the one you like yourself, and they are cheap. The typical price of a betta fish from local pet shops are $2~4 each. The fancy looking breeder betta from aquabid.com or ebay can cost $30~60 each not including the shipping.
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