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Betta care is broken down into 5 main categories:
1. Tank/Container Size-There are many people with a variety of containers for their bettas. They range from Dollar shop jars to the famous Beanie Baby Boxes. As long as they are 1/2 gallon or bigger, then they are ok (1/2 gallon containers should only be used if you have them in a system like my Gen II, a betta barrack system; otherwise they have to be in 1 gallon or bigger; typical Beanie babie boxes are 1/2 gallon). For breeding, you must have at LEAST a 2.5 gallon tank. I would actually suggest a 10 gallon since they're just about the same price as a 2.5 gallon, but have more space.
2. Water Quality/Maintenance-Any container that is less than a gallon must be changed every 1-2 days. If you have a gallon or more you can change it every 2-3 days. If you have a barrack system or some kind of system, it's best to siphon the bottom of each container and the sump every week (don't forget to do a mass cleaning every 6 months; UVs, Sump, Containers, etc.). The containers are best to do a full water change with the container being rinsed out well before putting new water and the betta back in.
In addition, if you have filters, sumps, UV sterilizers, pumps, etc. for your bettas, it's best to check them every time you feed so that there is no odd coloration in the water or any debris that looks questionable or if the equipment are functioning properly. Water quality is a very important thing for a betta. Many people think that the bettas are ok in small containers b/c they don't need filters. It's wrong. Bettas survive in bad water longer than filter fish b/c they can alternate their breathing to air breathing instead of using the oxygen in the water. Either way, if the water is bad, the betta is at the same risk as any filter fish in bad water. If you love your bettas, then you'll be happy to clean/change their water for them. I siphon 110 barracks every week!
To maintain water of fry tanks: It's best to start to siphon the bottom of the tank after the 2nd week of free swimming. Then do this every week. I would actually add a snail or two to the tank. The snails will help clean the bottom and sides of the tank, but remember they eat and they have wastes as well so don't forget to siphon when they're in too. If you get a mass accumulation of algae, just put in a small plecostamus for a night.
3. Disease Prevention-Always think prevention b/c it's harder to treat disease. In my case, I use salt when adding new fish or something is just not right, 1 tbsp/5 gal and Melafix-Pimafix solution, tsp/10gal. When you feel that there is something going on, you can boost the salt to 1 tsp/gallon/day for 3 days until it becomes 1 tbsp/gallon total (3 tsp=1tbsp). Then the 4th day, I would just add new water little by little and do a half container water change. If you have a betta that is sick in it's container, get him out or at least stop the flow of water to and from his container. Then cure with the proper meds, which you can find here.
4. Feeding-This depends on what you plan to do with your betta. If you are just maintaining your bettas, I would suggest feeding 2 times a day with Hikari Betta Bio-Gold (3-4 pellets) or Hikari Frozen Blood Worms. If you are planning to breed and are in the conditioning phase, I would suggest to feed 2-3 times a day with LIVE food. They can be live black worms, live mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, Grindal worms, etc. The reason for this high protein diet is b/c that's how much energy they will use in this 1-4 day breeding session. Some people feed during the breeding and during the daddy duties, but I don't. I believe it sparks their appetite and get more hungry, resulting in having an appetite for their fry. Once a male eats his fry, he'll most likely do it over and over again...then we just consider him to be TSTB (too stupid to breed).
5. Breeding-This is a very complex procedure. I have had many bad seasons of betta breeding in earlier years. I think it's b/c I live in OH, where the water is very hard. Some people have well water that is semi-soft, but I think it's crap water either way. In any case, you must feed just like I mentioned above for 2 weeks. Usually after the breeding, each betta (male and female) must be carefully looked at after spawning for injuries that could lead to infection or death. Many people really take care of the male since he's the more "fancy" one, but we must not forget the female. She plays a major role in the breeding process-carrying the DNA for finnage. The male will carry genes for coloration in the offspring, so I would consider these things when buying and breeding bettas.
A breeder should always breed to improve the quality of a betta. They can look for different colors, tail types, and finnage quality. I do not agree with people that keep on breeding weird bettas just for the hell of it, but that's just me. I'm working on a way to increase the size of bettas (bigger than giant bettas), allow bettas (including males) to be able to live in a community tank without killing each other (outcross to another Anibantidae family; Pin-tailed paradise fish=works, but the fry die the day after they're born), etc.