Betta Fish Care Basics

Over the past year, I have learned a LOT about Betta fish care.

It is not as 'basic' as you might think and not for the faint of heart.

When I was a kid, the pet store said all you needed was fish food and a bowl of water to care for a Betta.

Now, people have actually done some research with the original environment and care of Betta fish and have found their basic needs to be slightly greater than that.

The Tank

The fish tank size is one of the first choices to make when thinking about getting a Betta fish.

The tank needs to be greater than 3 gallons as Bettas need room to roam. Many Betta keepers argue over the appropriate minimum size of the tank, but I think a 3 gallon is maybe not ideal, but still roomier than the small cup they are sold in. I have a 6 gallon tank and a 3 gallon and both work just fine for my Bettas.

Substrate / Live Plants

Most pet stores will sell you a range of substrate or pebble-rocks for the floor covering of your aquarium. Note that some of those colored pebbles have dyes that are actually harmful to fish and not idea for a Betta environment. Some of the aquarium sands have dyes in them too, so read the labels and go for the all natural stuff. I use live freshwater aquarium substrate. Its a bio active soil that is great for live planted aquariums. All my aquariums have live plants. I tried my best to recreate the Betta's natural environment where they are found in the wild. It is always important to research about Bettas before you purchase one and before decorating your aquascape.

Note that you cannot put just any plant in your aquarium, but they have to be ones that live naturally underwater. Pet stores sell them, so ask or do your research on what plants are best. Live plants require care and maintenance of their own so do your research on what those specific plants need.

Decorations

It has always been fun to pick out Betta hides and fun decorations for a fish tank. Ideally, you want something without harmful paint/dyes, and with a smooth surface. Betta fins comes in all lengths and frills and are very delicate. One snag of a fin could tear it and cause infection which could affect your Betta's overall health. So, no rough surfaced decorations, rocks, or plastic plants. Consider silk plants if you do not want a naturally planted aquarium. You want to consider getting something your Betta can hid in or behind with ease. Nothing too small or too large. You need to keep the size of your tank in mind as well giving you Betta lots of room to swim and for plants. Plants in your aquarium are important so that your Betta can rest on a leaf when tired. Leave that are close to the surface are best so your Betta can go up for air with ease while resting. Bettas breathe air through their Labyrinth organ to get oxygen from the air. This evolutionary feat came with living in low-oxygenated water conditions in stagnant water pools in the wild. So, if your Betta tank has a lid, make sure there is about a half inch space for air for your Betta to get oxygen.

The Filter

Yes, despite what you've been told in the past, filtering your Betta's water is always a good idea. It keeps your Betta water clean-ish and makes cleaning the tank less taxing. You will want a soft flow filter where the water is not strong. This can tire a Betta out and exhaust them. Their pretty fins are not great for strong currents. You need a gentle flowing filtration of water with a sponge filter. Having a sponge filter decreases the likelihood of your Betta's fins getting caught in the intake flow. This could cause damage to their fins and tear them. So, always use a sponge filter.

Growing Light

I have a light above my Betta tank that I only turn on during late morning and turn off near sunset. Do not leave the light on al night. The day/night cycle is important for a Betta. Some people have their lights on a timer, I just manually switch them on/off. A grow LED light for my live plants in the aquarium helps them grow. Having an aquarium light is important to really see inside it. Some people invest in other kinds of light depending on the kind of aquarium you have. Many aquarium kits come with lights attached to the lids. If you buy a tank kit, make sure it comes with a sponge filter where you can control the flow or you will have to purchase one separately.

Tank Water Heater

This may seem silly, but yes, Bettas need a controlled temperature for their water. The ideal temperature is between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the water temperature they are accustomed to in the wild. In the winter where I live, my house can get pretty chilly. To keep the water in the proper range all year, I have a small water heater in the tank. You can find them in the pet stores. Make sure you get one that can handle the size of your tank. For example, a small water heater will not be able to heat a 15 gallon tank to the proper temperature. So, keep your tank size in mind. I would also recommend getting a thermometer for the inside of your tank to keep track of the tank's temperature in case the heater can't keep up or gets too hot.

Water conditioner

You will want to purchase water conditioner drops at your local pet/fish store. Where I live, the tap water is very hard and sometimes has lots of things in the water that are not ideal for Betta fish. Look at the bottle and see how many drops are needed for your tank size. Conditioning your tap water or purchasing distilled water will help prolong your Betta's life.

Cycling Your Tank / Testing Your Water

Cycling a tank refers to the Nitrogen cycle in creating a safe environment for your fish. Its the process of establishing a healthy population of good bacteria from the natural cycling of fish waste into less harmful Nitrate/Nitrite. How you do this is by setting up your tank, i.e. substrate, plants, water, decorations, hide, heater, filter, drops of water conditioner (everything, but the fish) and run the tank like it has a fish in it.

Once its set up and running, with your heater, filter, and conditioned water inside, you will want to introduce bacteria into the tank. This can come from other fish tank media placed inside the tank or a bottled form of introductory tank starter bacterial sold at pet/fish stores. Read the bottle for the amount to introduce based on your tank size.

You want to do this BEFORE you buy your fish because cycling a tank can take up to a few weeks sometimes.

You can check to see if your tank has cycled by purchasing a freshwater test kit or test strips for fresh water at the pet/fish store. The chart with the kits can show you what the colors mean and how to stabilize your water conditions so they are safe for the fish.

This is probably the most tedious process of the setup process because it can really test your patience and chemistry skills.

Purchasing Your Betta

Once your water has safe ammonia, Ph, Nitrite, Nitrate etc... levels, you can go and purchase your fish.

You can purchase from a pet store, breeder, fish store etc... but know that the more expensive Bettas do not mean they will live longer. I have purchased from a very ethical and well-treated source and that Betta did not last as long as one of my pet store ones. So, it really comes down to your preference for purchase method. The Betta type will determine the cost as well as source. The prettier Bettas often can cost the most as well as rare coloring or breeds. Breeders can charge more depending on the Betta's living environments being better too. If you have extra money for a more ethical way to purchase a Betta, great! If not, there is no shame in rescuing one from a shelved pet store cup.

Pay attention to the behavior of the Bettas when picking one out. Check for visual rips on their fins/tail or behaviors that warrant concern. If a Betta is swimming sideways, floating to the surface or looks discolored/dim then this could be a sign of sickness or swim bladder (due to overfeeding). You want to make sure your Betta is healthy before you purchase it. Most places have a 30 day warranty on Bettas, so if it passes before the 30 days, bring the dead fish back with your receipt and you can get a refund or choose a healthy alternative of equal value. So, keep your receipt.

I tend to lean toward the Bettas with short fins because they are less likely to snag and tear or get infections based on my own Betta-keeping experience.

Ultimately, you want to feel good about your purchase and about the Betta you chose!

Only ONE Betta fish PER TANK

Bettas are territorial fish and are very aggressive. When you put two males in the same tank, they will literally fight to the death to protect their own territory. In the wild, these fish can occupy a decent amount of territory in the same water and maintain a happy life. Tanks are smaller, so don't put two Bettas in the same tank. Some fish keepers put groups of female Bettas together in one tank. They are called sororities. Sometimes this works, but the females can still become aggressive. There are plenty of reports of an entire sorority fighting and losing all their fish. So, keep it simple; one Betta per tank.

There are some tank mates you can put with Bettas. I have one tank with a single nerite snail with my Betta and they get along 'swimmingly' (haha get it?). Yet, in my other Betta tank I have a nerite snail in there as well and that Betta flares at it every day. Bettas will 'flare' their fins and gills up/out to assert their dominance when they feel their territory is threatened. So, wait on the nerite snail if your Betta does not seem happy with it. Every Betta personality is different and some are cooler about tank mates than others. Something to keep in mind about nerite snails is that they produce a lot of waste and don't clean as fast as they produce waste. This can cause your tank to dirty faster and potentially increase ammonia levels. Many others have found their Betta to accept small 'sucker fish' as a tank mate. Yet, I still have had Bettas that try to bite the 'sucker fish' and flare at it. Really watch your Betta's temperament and see what it will tolerate. Remove the nerite snail or 'sucker fish' if your Betta acts aggressively toward it as it will stress out both creatures and only cause both harm.

Betta Food

In the wild, these fish are carnivorous and often eat insects and larvae. Pet/fish stores sell a variety of frozen options that are close to what a wild Betta would eat. Most people try to feed their Betta a variety of Betta pellets, flakes, or freeze-dried or even live food. It really just depends on your budget and how quick you want feeding time to be. You only feed one time per day. I typically feed mine in the morning and only a small amount. I stay between 2-3 pellets for a feeding. Any more would cause a risk of overfeeding which could lead to swim bladder and not being able to control their swimming. Bettas always act like they haven't been fed in days, but don't feed them more because you think they are still hungry. They will literally eat themselves to death and have no self control (at least the Bettas I've had). If you accidentally overfeed your Betta, don't fret. Simply skip tomorrow's feeding and let their stomach settle. If you have children feeding their Betta you may want to supervise. Ideally, we all want our Betta to live as long and be as happy as it can.

Betta Training

Yes, you can train your Betta to do tricks. Just like many pets, food is a great motivation for incentive. Over time, your Betta will begin to know when its time to eat and who feeds them. They will swim to the top of the tank when you turn on their light and know that it is meal time. They can beg for food kind of like dogs would. There are many Betta tricks on YouTube; some ethical and others questionable. But, you can train a Betta fish to do some neat things.

Betta keeping basics? I know. Like I said, its not for the faint of heart. These are the basics and many Betta keepers go above and beyond these methods to care for their fish. Many go as large as 20 gallon tanks for one Betta. Its definitely a hobby and can get expensive. Since you can only have one Betta per tank, you need lots of room for other tanks if you want more than one.

As high maintenance as these creatures are, they are some of the most gorgeous fish I have ever seen and come in all shades of colors and markings. I love the calming aesthetic my fish tanks provide. I will sit at my desk, drink my morning coffee, and water my Betta swim around casually in his tank. Aquascaping and Betta keeping has become an enjoyable hobby of mine in addition to the art I create. It is nice having a little buddy with me while working on some projects.

I hope your needs are met today and you find a hobby you enjoy.

-xoxo Lindsey Peterson

6/5/2025 8:46PM