Various questions about betta fish?

-Get EACH of them a 5 gallon.

-possibly get a filter, as long as it's light on the betta's fins

-Don't wait to clean the bowl/tank until it's VISIBLY dirty, because it's probably WAY dirtier before then

-get a heater. The optimum temperature in the tank should be a steady 78-82

Like FuzzyMuffin, Amber, and others have said, "There is a difference between surviving and thriving." Ways to tell if they're THRIVING (and even then, get a TANK) :

-bright colors

-active and swimming every which way

-they flare up if you put a mirror in front of them for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You don't want to STRESS them out, and they may be stressed seeing each other 24/7 already, although there are SOME male betta's that are exceptions and accept others.

Although your fish have survived this long in those little bowls, I would still buy 3 separate 5 gallon tanks for your 3 bettas. This is the room that they deserve, and they will enjoy their relatively short lives even more. (2 1.2-3 gallons is the ABSOLUTE minimum.

And if you want to leave the betta's in there, fine. They ARE yours, not mine, so I can't tell you what's right or wrong. To you, it's your opinion that matters, so these puny words I'm typing may or may not help you choose whether to upgrade or not. Even if you don't put you're current betta's in the new tanks, you can get them for your future betta's. Just remember to let it cycle- and not for just a week, like some people/petstores will say. I've heard it can take up to a month/s.

I suggest NOT getting a split 10 gallon (netted divider). They may NOT work. Betta's CAN kill each other, and themselves. This occurred with my friend's betta's. They killed each other through the netting. If yours don't show signs of aggression with each-other through their current divider, they will most likely be okay, but I'm not a psychic, so I can't tell you for sure.

Also make sure that you have a LID/Top, because betta fish are excellent jumpers, and if they make a grand leap, they will die if you don't miraculously find it in time. After all, no water = certain, eminent death. :O

I may 'edit' later if I feel the need to give you more input on this topic.

I sincerely hope this helps!! :D

EDIT: Also, the upgrade could help you with this:

When you add drops of water conditioner, etc. you have more room to mess up. (i.e. the label says 2 drops for every 5 gallons. You accidentally put in 5 drops for 10 gallons.) There is a more likely chance of the fish being okay if you added an extra drop in a 10 gallon than if you did an extra drop in a BOWL.

Sometimes you luck out. Just because your Bettas have SURVIVED in a small bowl, doesn't mean they are happy or healthy.

I would strongly suggest you get a 10 gallon tank and set it up to be divided (non see thru divider with holes to have water flow) and put your Bettas in there with a filter AND heater and temps at 80 degrees.

They will be a lot more healthy and happy with a larger area with plants too. You will see a major difference in your fish if you do this.

Betta fish are too hardy for there own good. There labrnth organ helps them breath oxygen from air instead of the water, so toxic ammonia dose not effect them quick as much, even then they are still the most hardy labrynth fish species, and possibly the hardiest fish period.

Bet they are still fish, and deserve to have room to swim, explore, exist, enjoy. Just because bettas are aggressive to othe bettas, and other fish, doesnt mean it doesnt need to move its fins around.

A dog can servive in a kennel for years. but its not ok either.

we just dont realise that the fish is suffering , because fish are so inhuman, they dont wine, cry or meow or hiss so we think he hes happy!

But if you saw my betta swimming in a community of fish in my filter heated 55 gallon, you would be seeing an entire different thing then your floating blobs in bowls. And then you could compare.

I'd suggest getting a 10 gallon tank off of Craigslist and building a divider out of some plexiglass that you can find at home depot. Pet stores sell sealant that is safe to use in a tank so just ask for someone at the store for that. 5 gallons per fish would be a lot more exciting than the tiny bowl you have now. I usually go all out with my fish tank when I get new fish and make it look exciting inside. Give them plants and obstacles and a filter to reduce the amount of times to clean it out.

Amber is right. There is a huge difference between surviving and thriving. Are your fish active? Do they spend time swimming around on their own, exploring? Or are the inactive, generally staying in one spot, perhaps dull in color? If it's the latter, your fish are not thriving in any sense of the word.

People also suggest having 5gals not only because of the size, but it's a size tank you can safely heat and have a stable cycle in (google the Nitrogen Cycle, very important when keeping fish). And speaking as an owner who went from a 2gal bowl to a 5gal tank, there is a huge difference.

There's some difference between living and being happy. Your fish are alive, but I really doubt that there is any quality to their life. Your fish are not being given the care they deserve.