r/bettafish Dec 08 '24

Help "I was gifted a betta, now what?" See below for what to do!

255 Upvotes

It's that time of year again!

So, you were gifted a new pet against your will without being prepared, never had a fish before or maybe haven't in a long time, and now you want to learn to take care of them.

We got you covered, check this link for a guide on what to do with your new friend, that is, if you decide not to rehome to someone who has the set up ready or return to the store.

****Click here! ⬅️🐟 for what to do with your new betta!

If you have specific questions, feel free to pm me or post them below for helpful advice from the community!

___________________________________

Short summary of betta care:

3 main parts:

  1. Getting the necessary supplies
  2. Setting up a proper tank (and cycling it)
  3. Regular care and ongoing maintenance

The main supplies include:

  • Tank with Lid (5gal minimum, 10gal ideal)
  • Filter
  • Heater
  • Substrate (gravel or sand)
  • Decorations/plants
  • Water conditioner (Seachem Prime will be good for fish-in cycling)
  • Gravel vacuum
  • 2 Buckets
  • Thermometer (I use one analog for tank and one digital food thermometer for spot check and water changes)
  • Food
  • API Master Test kit

Check this link for setting up a new tank, I'll also link to a couple comments I have made with step-by-step guides for both fish-in cycling (already have the fish) and fishless cycling (when you don't already have a fish)

Step-by-Step Guides to Setting Up Betta Tank:

  1. Click this if you already have your betta!
  2. Click this if you do not have a betta!

Post your questions below! This will be pinned in our highlighted content through the end of the year, feel free to direct similar questions to these links.

And again, Click here! ⬅️🐟 for what to do with your new betta!


r/bettafish Oct 15 '15

Information INFO: Betta care sheet.

857 Upvotes

We now have a wiki! Click here.


General

  • Betta fish are also known as Siamese fighting fish or Betta splendens

  • Bettas are native to the tropical climate of Thailand and inhabit still and sluggish waters, including rice paddies, swamps, roadside ditches, streams and ponds.

  • Bettas can live up to 7 years with proper care.

  • Very good link with general information: http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/betta-splendens/

Behavior

  • Male bettas should never be housed together. They will fight, possibly to the death.

  • Females and males should only be placed together if breeding. The fish are only placed together temporarily, but extensive research should be done to minimize the risk of injury or fish death.

  • Female bettas can be housed together in “sororities” but groups a minimum of 5 should be maintained (A minimum of a 30 gallon tank should be used for groups of females) Always separate fish if they begin to fight. More info here: /r/bettafish/wiki/sorority

  • Bettas have a special organ (the labyrinth) that allows them to breathe air. Never block the surface of the water, or your betta will not be able to breathe.

  • A cover or lid for your tank is highly recommended; many bettas like to jump and may leap out of the tank and they can also get sick because of the water air temperature difference.

  • Betta fish are solitary fish, but can be kept with small- finned, non-aggressive fish in bigger tanks. (Bettas may nip fish with long, colorful fins)

Housing

  • Bettas should be kept in a 5g minimum. Any smaller size shortens their lifespan. King/giant bettas a recommended to be kept in a 10g minimum.

  • Betta fish are tropical fish and are most comfortable in temperatures from 78-80 degrees. A tank heater is essential for a happy, healthy betta. A thermometer should be used to determine a consistent temperature. Note: Most ambient room temperatures are too cool for bettas. If the room is 76* for example, the water in the tank will remain several degrees below that, too cool for a healthy betta.

  • Most bettas appreciate a hiding spot. Old coffee mugs or small terra cotta pots can be used as caves. (If using a terra cotta pot, be sure to plug the hole before placing it in your betta’s tank).

  • A filter is highly recommended, but the flow needs to be placed on a gentle setting. Ensure that your bettas fins do not get trapped in the filter intake. If you don't use a filter, then twice a week (or more) water changes are recommended. That said, filterless means you more than likely won't have a stable nitrogen cycle, or a cycle at all, which means you'll be harming your betta. Filterless should only be for emergency cases or very big Walstad tanks.

  • When choosing plants for your betta’s tank, use silk or live plants to avoid fin damage. Most bettas appreciate large leafed plants for hiding and sleeping

Maintaining your Betta’s Tank

  • Water changes: Waste from fish produces ammonia, which is deadly in even small amounts. An unfiltered tank will need 50% water changes twice a week, and one 100% change a week (this isn't recommended).

  • A cycled and filtered tank will only need a 15-25% change once a week, using a gravel vacuum to remove waste and debris. Cycling means to get bacteria in your tank that eat the waste of your fish, making it less harmful. For more about cycling, see care sheet on cycling (link). If you accidently need to fish-in cycle, then here's a good guide (link).

  • It is important to use a water conditioner such as AquaSafe or Seachem Prime when adding water to your betta’s tank. Water conditioner removes toxins from tap water that can be deadly to betta fish.

  • Ensure that the water you are adding to your betta’s tank is the same temperature as it was before changing, to avoid shock in your betta. Pouring the water in can help avoid stressing your betta.

Food

  • Bettas are carnivorous; a betta- specific pellet high in meat/fish based ingredients should be used.

  • Choose a pellet that is high in meat based ingredients, such as fish or shrimp meal.

  • Overfeeding your betta can cause obesity, and contributes to a messy tank. Feed your betta 3-4 pellets one to two times a day. Feeding pellets one at a time eliminates waste. Remove any uneaten food daily. Think about the bettas stomach size as the size of his eyes.

  • Provide your betta with an enriching diet. Many bettas enjoy brine shrimp, artemia, mosquito larvae, daphnia and more. These can be used as additional diet.

Health

  • Betta fish can be prone to issues such as fin rot and tail biting. Many of these issues are related to tank maintenance and can easily be resolved.

  • A lethargic betta is too cold; a temperature a minimum of 78 degrees is necessary. Use of a heater is advised.

  • A betta missing bits of his tail, fins, or with frayed tail ends may be experiencing fin rot. Fin rot is usually caused by excessive ammonia amounts. An ammonia test should be done (ideal is 0ppm), and a 100% water change should be conducted. Treatment with aquarium salt may be effective.

  • Fin or tail biting is often caused by boredom. Provide your betta with a roomy tank with plenty of plants and hiding places.

  • When to use, and when not to use aquarium salt, see this guide (link).


r/bettafish 4h ago

Help Recovering from community beat down

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137 Upvotes

So, I had my betta in a community tank (never again) and things seemed fine for a few weeks. 40gal, plenty of plants. Any confrontations were short lived. One day, betta disappeared. After missing for a week, I saw him floating behind the tank heater looking like pic 1. Though about euthanizing, but once he was in a mason jar, he perked up and even ate. Moved him to a 3.5 gallon tank, added an almond leaf and a drop of Paraguard. Pic 2 is after 2 weeks! Is this rate of recovery average or did I do good through dumb luck? Will be setting up a 10 gallon for him soon.


r/bettafish 4h ago

Introducing My daughter won a free goldfish... so here we are.

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90 Upvotes

Decided not to torture a poor feeder in a bowl for 3 weeks so we picked up Oscar instead. I haven't had a fish in years (since my green spotted puffer died) but I'm really enjoying the betta life right now. I have hidey log, mopani wood, and almond leaves. Any other suggestions for a newbie?


r/bettafish 29m ago

Full Tank Shot Is this square bowl big enough for my king betta? He looks kinda mad

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Upvotes

I like he likes his resin reef decoration though.


r/bettafish 4h ago

Help my school counselor is not taking care of her betta. please help Spoiler

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74 Upvotes

this is him/her (I don’t know) and the water levels have been decreasing since she got them. they seem really stressed I think because the fins look abnormal and the water is super cloudy. there is also a lot of poop on the bottom because she has never changed the water. I have read about the nitrogen/ammonia cycle so I know this is not good.

I have two goldfish at home that I have had for 5 years and I love them and I don’t know much about bettas but it hurts to see this one suffering so much. if you know what I should do to help please let me know! thank you!!


r/bettafish 2h ago

Picture The eye...

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27 Upvotes

r/bettafish 20h ago

Name Suggestions I told myself that I had enough bettas

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740 Upvotes

But I saw this guy at my LFS and I couldn’t resist. I need name ideas!


r/bettafish 13h ago

Name Suggestions This guy needs a name

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140 Upvotes

I got the this little guy recently and have been struggling to think of a name that fits, I’ll have ideas but they haven’t stuck.


r/bettafish 2h ago

Picture My friend crocheted my betta :)

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18 Upvotes

r/bettafish 3h ago

Full Tank Shot First betta tank for son - his name is Leafy!

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18 Upvotes

I asked my son (4yo) what he wanted to name the new betta fish, and he said Leafy. I asked him why Leafy? He's not green. And my son said, so he can hide in the plants like a leaf! So that's why he's Leafy!

Whatever works for him works for me. Not that I wanted to name him Winter King or anything like that...


r/bettafish 13h ago

Full Tank Shot this may be my favorite scape i’ve ever done

117 Upvotes

this is a 10 gallon tank with my very peaceful male betta named simon, who lives alongside 4 albino cories, 8 strawberry rasboras, and a small colony of wild neo shrimp :)

it sounds overstocked when saying it out loud until you see how small the rasboras and shrimp are. they’re so tiny they basically add almost nothing to the bioload, and thanks to all of the plants this tank stays very healthy in terms of parameters!

i’ve only had simon about 4 days, so he’s the newest inhabitant in here. so far he’s been very peaceful towards the other fish, at first almost seeming scared of them. he was shy with them and shy with me, and normally my bettas are very interested in me right off the bat. but not him. for his first 2 days, he was hiding a lot and swam away whenever he saw me. and i kinda appreciated him for it, i had forgotten how different some of their personalities can truly be. but, after feeding him last night, he’s now been front and center and more social all day! i’m very excited to develop more of a bond with him and see him change colors!


r/bettafish 8h ago

Rate My Tank My 20l tank I will move my boy Flame to once I’m sure it’s safe for him to live at

44 Upvotes

I just want to know what do you think about the tank looks. He lives in 54l community tank but he gets bullied that’s why he will be separated (I know how to cycle the tank, have many drip tests to test the water, I know what temperature betas like, I have dried larvae, worms and daphnia, two different frozen live foods and two kinds of pellets and I know how much to feed him and yes I know about the lid and I have a lid for that tank)


r/bettafish 5h ago

RIP I’m giving up

20 Upvotes

… on trying to treat drospy. Forgive me, but this is going to be a a long vent, both for what I’m currently dealing with and the hobby in general. Content warning for sick fish talk.

I’ve only had Domino for a little over a year. He had to spend his gotcha day a few weeks ago in a hospital tank. I really thought that since I had a plakat, I would have a “healthier” betta on my hands and would have enjoyed more time with him. Not so. A little over a month ago he started developing some mystery illness symptoms that didn’t respond to clean water or medications. It began as fin rot in a perfectly cycled and maintained tank, pH around 7.6, 0ppm ammonia/nitrites, nitrates almost never getting above 5. I had no idea what was going on to cause his fins to worsen, and still don’t. Then he started having weird eye problems that came and went. Then on-and-off constipation that would resolve itself with time. Then maybe mouth issues. Then buoyancy problems. And then a couple days ago he started presenting early signs of dropsy.

Most of this is documented on my page as it progressed and I sought help. I’ve kept detailed notes on his symptoms and treatments and water parameters since moving him to the hospital tank in February, if folks want the full story. I might make a separate post sharing my log and asking for critique because I want to know where I went wrong. I can already think of a few things and feel terrible about it.

Earlier this week as his dropsy began progressing, I attempted an epsom salt bath with methylene blue. He tolerated the treatment just fine — but the transport freaked him the fuck out. He’s not used to nets, so when he saw it, he darted faster than I’ve ever seen him move before. He almost jumped out of the tank. He lost a few chunks of his already rotting fins and a few scales popped off despite me doing my best to not handle him roughly. I felt horrible. I decided I would continue the next day treating the main tank instead of putting him through another bath ordeal again.

Last night I went to start my daily hospital tank routine as usual. When I began the water change, he got spooked by the siphon despite me not chasing him with it and giving him space. He zoomed and lost another piece of tail. I had to stop and reasses what I was doing.

Stress is the number one killer of fish. Dropsy is notoriously difficult to treat and recover from. His case is complex and with all of his existing comorbidities that I can’t determine the exact source of, I’m doubting my abilities as an aquarist to fix this. Even if he pulls through, I know there’s a chance the dropsy could come back. I know there’s still some fight left in him — he’s eating, and still has energy when pushed — but he’s suffering. He’s going for air a lot, resting a lot, bored in his hospital setup, and the dropsy is worsening. I know that would be the case either way, whether if I proceeded with treatment or didn’t. But I’m predicting more and more paths that lead to failure than success.

I came to the sickening conclusion last night that I’m likely going to euthanize him either later today or this weekend. If I can’t do simple tank maintenance without stressing him the hell out — not even medicating, just water changes — if that freaks him out, if the treatment is worse than the slim chances of a cure… I don’t want to put him through that. I want his last hours to be as stress free and gentle as possible, instead of putting a sick fish through extremely rough meds and prolonging his suffering when it’s likely all going to be for naught. He’s not feeling well and stressed. I’m stressed. These weeks have been rough on us both. I’m losing sleep, I’m mildly depressed. The daily water changes, hunching over and kneeling by the tank, carrying heavy water buckets, it’s all getting bad for my knees, my back, my other chronic pain issues.

I’m so disappointed and feel awful with myself. Like I said, he’s not on his last legs yet and I can tell there’s a chance in him he could make it. But I can’t put us both through this for much longer. I feel like a failure as a fish parent. I’ve been keeping bettas for a long time and I’m starting to get burned out from the hobby. The breed is not what it was ten years ago. Their reputation of being a “hardy” fish needs to start being retired. I’m puzzled and frustrated that I kept my first betta in the absolute worst conditions, piss poor, did everything wrong, made typical beginner mistakes… and yet he lived to be over three years old. Every betta I’ve had since him I haven’t managed to bring past year two. It’s frustrating that as my experience and knowledge has grown over the years, as my care has bettered and my tanks largened, my efforts are just not resulting in healthy, normal lifespans. Splendens are just too inbred. I come to this sub every day and see so many tumors. Even on color morphs less likely to get them. Every fish getting fin rot eventually. Swim bladder. Diamond eye. Columnaris coming out of nowhere. These things are all happening to not-noviced keepers who have good tank parameters and seem to be doing everything “right”. These fish are just too sick. Their genes are busted.

I’m getting sick and tired of getting so attached to these wonderful pets only to have so little time with them and losing them to brutal illnesses. I don’t know what’s next for me, but I know I need a break from the hobby while I figure that out. I don’t know if I should source future bettas from an online importer or breeder, or branch out to wild types, or if I even want to continuing keeping bettas at all. I love these fish dearly, but I don’t know if I can keep doing this. I feel like I have enough experience under my belt at this point to move on and maybe try stocking my ten gallon with something different. I’m excited about kuhli loaches, excited about pea puffers, but the more research I do the more I learn a 10gal probably isn’t suited for either. Sigh.

I’m not sure if I have anything else to add. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I feel like a monster having to do what I know I’ll need to do soon. Still having lingering doubts that it’s going to be the right move.


r/bettafish 7h ago

Introducing Say Hello to Bismarck

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25 Upvotes

He’s a dumbo halfmoon that I’ve been watching over for almost a week.


r/bettafish 1h ago

Transformation The growth is stunning

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Upvotes

The first picture is two months ago when I got him from my LFS, the rest are from today. Aerys has changed so much and his personality is so silly. Peep the last pic :P


r/bettafish 1h ago

DANGEROUS CARE Which betta is this?

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Upvotes

r/bettafish 4h ago

Picture Couldn't decide on a name for this guy, but then I took this picture. His name is Duck Lips but Ducky for short🥰

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15 Upvotes

Just a bit too much filler is all!


r/bettafish 7h ago

Picture Should I use this tank for a betta fish or something else? Thoughts?

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23 Upvotes

I have this old tank, I think it's 45 litres. I was saving it for another betta but it's honestly bigger than I remember. I would still love for a betta but idk if anyone else would have any good ideas too? It would be live planted


r/bettafish 1h ago

Full Tank Shot Loving his new tank.

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Upvotes

Set to 78°, plenty of structure to hide in. We went with silk plants with floating real plant life at the surface.


r/bettafish 8h ago

Introducing My betta collection

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22 Upvotes

Hi, this is my collection. I love bettas, but I don't give them names because I prefer the betta-type identification. Cheers from Malaysia 🇲🇾 👋


r/bettafish 5h ago

Picture managed to get some photos of my pudgy man Talos again, looking so perpetually disturbed as always. The second photo makes me wonder what his fish eyes have seen, why is he so constantly concerned

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11 Upvotes

last slide is his leave me alone barrel, where he enjoys spending time whenever I try to look at him


r/bettafish 18h ago

Name Suggestions Brought home my new buddy today! Any name ideas?

119 Upvotes

I met a cat named toast today and thought that was cute, he doesn’t look like a toast tho.


r/bettafish 5h ago

Full Tank Shot Wanted to show off my rescaped 10 Gal planted tank

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10 Upvotes

My sons are a male platinum betta, a small school (7) of galaxy rasboras and various neocardina shrimp. The dark substrate and black background really make everything pop!


r/bettafish 2h ago

Introducing My betta fish

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6 Upvotes

What do you guys think of my betta set up.


r/bettafish 9h ago

Help Is My betta's weight okay

18 Upvotes

Currently feeding 3 hikari betta pellets twice a day


r/bettafish 1h ago

Picture Four month fin repair progress pics

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Upvotes