Could I put a betta in a 55 gallon tank? Could I put other fish in with him, if so, what kind of fish?

Sorry for all the questions, I know just about nothing about fish and I REALLY don't want to just go out and buy something before i know what I'm getting myself into.

Yeah you can. I don't think it's a good idea to have more than one though... Also, I'm not 100% sure but, you could try putting mollies, platys, and guppy in with them.

Yes you could put a Betta in it. You would want to put some high broad leaf plants either real or silk NOT PLASTIC. With it you can put any non agressive fish.

Frankly, I would not want other fish with a betta. Instead, you can get a divider and have two bettas..side by side. Sometimes, male bettas can be aggressive and take a fish eye out of another fish. I've seen it happen and it is not a pretty sight.
Best wishes, though..

My bettas do very well with any kind of danios and/or Australian rainbowfish. Plecos, cories, shrimps and some of the smaller neon tetras are also ok. Some do fine with Mystery snails - others pick on the snails. All of them do well with Nerite snails.

They look wonderful in a moss planted tank and seem to enjoy 'hunting' through the thick moss for pieces of shrimp pellets.

With my 55 gallon, I'm thinking about putting some plattys and guppies and using a 10gal for a betta. Is this big enough for him? I want to put about 3/4 inch of gravel and some live plants in with him but I don't want to crowd him.

Is it just me, or doesn't it seem shoddy to keep betas in small Tupperware containers in the pet store?

yes you can, but don't put the guppies in with a betta. the betta if a male will attack the guppies till death thinking they are other bettas. only one betta per a tank, even male and female bettas fight but they can be put together.. don't put two male bettas in the same tank either.

Bettas are fine with community fish as long as they are non agrresive fish. I have them in with guppies, Platys, Zebra danioa, and others. I have 9- 20g tanks at our store each having all of the above mentioned and everybody gets along fine.

Out of platys, guppies, and plecos, which would you say would be ok as "starter fish" to help me cycle my tanks? These are the three that I want to put in my 55gal.

Newby, I'd go with bristlenose plecos, some bright platys - and add some of the varios zebra danios/glofish. For 'fun' you can always place a mirror outside one side of the tank to give the male betta a little competition to 'keep away'. He won't stay there all the time, but mine are funny because I use Aluminum foil as a backdrop. They get all excited and zoom around the tank - only to go and challenge the interloper again.