I bred bettas for awhile, and they are still one of the nicest fish out there if they are healthy. I think some reasons people underrate them because they are made out to be a single fish in a bowl/tank, they are mean, they are fish for kids to have, they die quickly, they are boring - you get the idea. If I had the time I would like to set up a 5 gallon planted tank with a betta, or maybe even a 10 gallon.