Betta care basicsComplete guide
Betta Fish Care: The Complete Guide for Beginners
Everything a new betta keeper needs: tank size, heating, cycling, feeding and the myths that kill fish. Written from four tanks, not from a care sheet.
A field guide for betta keepers · August 2026
Bettas are bred well
and kept badly.
We recommend the minimum conditions that keep a betta healthy, not the minimum that keeps it alive. Everything here runs on 4 tanks in Riverview, Florida, and is checked against veterinary and welfare sources.
Read the guidesIdentify a sick betta
Illustrative composite. Male bettas must not be housed together.
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Tank setup and equipmentComplete guide
What Size Tank Does a Betta Fish Need? The Honest Answer
Bettas need at least 5 gallons, not a bowl. Here is what tank size actually changes, what welfare guidance says, and why the cup was never the plan.
Tank setup and equipmentComplete guide
How to Set Up a Betta Fish Tank: Step by Step
A complete betta tank setup in order: what to buy, how to assemble it, how to cycle it, and when the fish actually goes in. Nothing skipped.
Water quality and maintenanceComplete guide
Betta Fish Water Parameters: The Complete Guide
Target temperature, pH, GH, KH and the numbers that actually kill fish. What to test, how often, and what to do at each reading.
Water quality and maintenanceComplete guide
How to Cycle a Betta Tank: Fishless Cycling Step by Step
Fishless cycling explained in order: what to dose, what to test, what each reading means, and how to tell when the tank is genuinely ready for a betta.
Feeding and nutritionComplete guide
What Do Betta Fish Eat? A Complete Feeding Guide
Betta fish food explained: which pellets, how many, how often, which live foods help, and why the amount on the packaging is usually far too much.
Browse by topic
- Betta care basicsI have one. Now what?Everything a new betta keeper needs in the first month, and the myths that cause most of the damage. If you were sold a bowl and a fish in a cup, start here.
- Tank setup and equipmentWhat do I actually need to buy?Tanks, heaters, filters, lights and plants, tested on real setups. We never recommend a tank under five gallons, and we say when we have not personally run a product.
- Water quality and maintenanceIs my water actually safe?The nitrogen cycle, water parameters and testing, explained without hand-waving. Most betta deaths are water quality problems wearing another name.
- Feeding and nutritionWhat and how much do I feed?Bettas are carnivores, and most are overfed. We give portions as a countable number of pellets rather than a vague pinch.
- Health and diseasesSomething is wrong. What is it?Symptom-first identification and treatment, sourced to veterinary and welfare literature. We give honest prognoses, including when a condition is usually fatal.
- Types, behaviour and breedingWhat kind is mine, and what is it doing?Tail types, colours, and what betta behaviour actually means. Plus tank mates that work, and the ones sold to you that do not.
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