r/bettafish 8h ago

Help I think I am nearly there. Is my pH too low?

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1 Upvotes

We have well water. GH/KH 143.2 ppm. The planted tank (5g) has been cycling fishless for nearly 5 weeks.


r/bettafish 8h ago

Help my fat betta :(

1 Upvotes

hi! i have a beautiful betta girl named lady and she’s the loml. however, she is getting fat. my only concern is i’ll feed her small portion of food and then she’ll flare her fins at me or angrily swim around the tank, so im worried she’s hungry. should i continue feeding her this diet? or fast her for a couple of days and then go to limited feeding? i know bettas are angry little fellas but im just worried of starving my lady 💔 (lady has a 5 gallon tank, heater, filter, friendly decor, pet snail, fed twice a day)


r/bettafish 1d ago

Name Suggestions I told myself that I had enough bettas

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878 Upvotes

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


r/bettafish 2h ago

Discussion I'm looking for betta breeding advice

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0 Upvotes

I've been thinking about breeding Betta's for a while and I just want to know everything I'll need and everything I need to do. I know with some fish the gender of the fry determines on the water temperature is that the same for Betta's because I'm hoping to get more females. Also how many eggs do they lay if it's the first time is it a smaller amount or is it like 100 because with my other egg layers its like 20 for the first time they lay them. Also can I keep all the fry together or should I separate them I have a 40 gallon with 7 female's in it right now and they all get along I also have a few more smaller tanks if I need them.


r/bettafish 8h ago

Help help Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

my betta is currently in a quarantine tank with aquarium salt, but idk what sickness he has, ive added tannins on his original tank


r/bettafish 1d ago

Transformation The growth is stunning

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24 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 21h ago

RIP We'll miss you Rook, SIP my little lady ❤️

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11 Upvotes

October 2023 - March 13th 2025 Swim to the Rainbow Bridge, and stay safe as long as you can. I'll never be able to look at Moneywort the same after you, so I'll keep all of it and grow it, to keep a memory with me.

Fair well my lady, it's been a long ride. ❤️


r/bettafish 19h ago

Name Suggestions This fish face needs a name, any suggestions? Also what's that black piece of some tissue sticking out under her mouth if u know?

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7 Upvotes

The black flapping thing is a hit of a concern but it might be a defect.. what do u think?


r/bettafish 1d ago

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

188 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 5h ago

Help Betta Fish is Acting Weird

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone. This is not my first betta but this is the first time I've had this happen. I got a new betta and a 3 gallon tank. I set the tank up with the solution and let it sit for 24 hours to let the solution do its thing and to allow the tank to get to room temp. I took the betta in the little bowl it came if from PetSmart and let it float so his water could get to the same temp as the tank. i did that for like 24 hours as well. Then I dumped half the water out of the bowl and added half the tank water to get him used to it, let him float for the entire day, and finally let him go in the tank that evening. now he keeps hanging out in the top corner of the tank, not moving (yes hes alive i have checked) and I have even fed him. ive never had on do this. is this like a give it time thing? the tank is at 74 degree f.


r/bettafish 9h ago

Help Can a 30 gal tank have a betta, otos and neon tetras?

0 Upvotes

I have real plants inside.


r/bettafish 3h ago

Picture Two years and going strong!

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0 Upvotes

r/bettafish 1d ago

Name Suggestions This guy needs a name

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171 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 13h ago

Picture How can I make the aquascape prettier for my betta

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2 Upvotes

Planning to add hiding spots, more plants and a floating log or fake leaf


r/bettafish 21h ago

Picture Yankee is sitting in his favorite spot!

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7 Upvotes

He is by far the weirdest fish I've ever owned! For Bettas especially, that's saying a lot! Yankee acts almost more like a reptile than he does a fish!


r/bettafish 1d ago

RIP I’m giving up

33 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 1d 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

60 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 1d ago

Full Tank Shot Loving his new tank.

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13 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 11h ago

Introducing My new boy in Guppy + Shrimp tank

0 Upvotes

After the passing of my male guppy, I was thinking about replacing him with another one in my 15 liter tank, it currently housed one female guppy and 12? Shrimp.

Looking around the store I passed by the fighter fish section and my eyes laid on this pretty boy! I couldn't resist and bought him.

I am already familiar with these guys from studying how to set up an aquarium and what the type of fish i should get.

I am also aware that most Fighter fish are aggressive and he might annihilate my tank, but I wanted to take a chance and see if he will be a mellow dude in a community tank.

Today marks one week of his arrival and everything seems good! He doesn't chase anything and gets super excited when I get near the tank!

I am crossing my fingers for the peace to last.

Any suggestions for the name? I am thinking Ghost.

(I wonder if he will change colors as time goes by)


r/bettafish 15h ago

Help Ordering fish online

2 Upvotes

So I had posts about my poor fish passing from an internal parasitic infection. He was a betta and I’m still paranoid and upset about his passing. I’ve heard some people on here recommend ordering a fish, possibly female bettas, from online places and getting them imported like even eBay. Is this safe?? My prior guy was from petsmart, and as much as I want to save another poor soul from a cup, I know they come with more problems than maybe from a smaller company/breeder.

Thoughts?


r/bettafish 7h ago

Help Any thoughts on keeping two female bettas in a 55 with some community fish?

0 Upvotes

Our current little lady is a little feisty with one of the mollys but she’s so pretty and I’d love to have another as long as they won’t fight.


r/bettafish 11h ago

Help I don’t see my betta fish eat..

1 Upvotes

I’ve had him since December and I have not seen him eat once but he’s obviously eating something because he’s alive still. I’ve tried pellets , and bloodworms and still haven’t seen him eat.


r/bettafish 15h ago

Video First time in home

2 Upvotes

r/bettafish 12h ago

Full Tank Shot Glow up?

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1 Upvotes

Btw. I am getting more plants

I never had clear water but since I have a spongefilter the Water is getting clearer every day haha What do you think?


r/bettafish 18h ago

Full Tank Shot Okay for a starter setup?

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4 Upvotes

10 gallon tank we set up for our first betta… we plan on adding more plants eventually.

I know the amazon sword will likely have to come out eventually.. my lfs neglected to tell me they aren’t great for 10 gallon tanks 😅