Beta fish do not require heating pads. I had a beta in a 1.5 gallon tank and he was very happy. They are labrynth fish, which means they are content with small bowls. When mine was in his tank he mostly stayed in the corner. Be careful of any filter you may have in the tank, my suggestion is to get rid of it, seems that my beta used to get sucked into it on more occasions than I would have liked. Just keep the water clean and your fish will be happy.
When looking for a healthy fish, make sure there are no open sores or wounds on the fish. Most stores should have a 2 week policy that if the fish dies you can return and have it replaced.
Hope this helps.
