I’m going to be brutally honest here – I killed three bettas in my first year of fishkeeping, and it haunts me to this day. This was back when I was first getting into aquariums after retiring from nursing, when I thought fish were basically underwater houseplants that you fed occasionally. The pet store sold me a “betta starter kit” which was essentially a glorified cereal bowl with some colored gravel. The employee assured me bettas preferred small spaces because they lived in puddles. Complete garbage, as I learned way too late.
My first betta, a gorgeous red crowntail I named Frank, lasted exactly six days in that ridiculous setup. Room temperature water, no filter, fed him whatever flakes were on sale at the grocery store. Frank spent most of his brief life floating motionless near the surface, which I assumed was normal betta behavior. When he died, I figured I’d gotten a “weak” fish and tried again. Lost the second one to what I now know was fin rot. The third developed some kind of fungal infection that turned him white and fuzzy before he died.
I was ready to give up on fish entirely when my daughter’s friend, who’d kept bettas through college, came over and basically gave me a reality check. She looked at my setup and said, “Elena, you’re essentially torturing these fish.” Harsh but accurate. She explained that bettas in the wild live in rice paddies and shallow streams that can stretch for miles, not tiny puddles. They’re territorial fish that patrol areas, investigate their surroundings, and display complex behaviors – none of which is possible in a bowl the size of a soup pot.
That conversation changed everything for me. I researched proper betta care like I was studying for boards back in nursing school, reading everything I could find about their natural habitat, behavior, and needs. Turns out these fish are actually incredibly intelligent. You can train them to swim through hoops, they recognize faces, and some people swear their bettas have distinct personalities. Who knew?
Tank size was my first major revelation. Five gallons minimum – and honestly, I think ten gallons is better if you have the space. I know that sounds enormous if you’re used to those desktop “betta cubes” they sell at pet stores, but the difference in fish behavior is dramatic. I upgraded to a 10-gallon planted tank for my next betta, and it was like watching a completely different species of fish. Suddenly this animal was swimming actively, exploring caves, resting on plant leaves, building bubble nests. Real fish behavior instead of the depressed floating I’d seen in bowls.
My current betta lives in that same 10-gallon setup, though I’ve refined it considerably over the past few years. His name is Murphy (because everything that could go wrong with my early tanks did go wrong), and he’s a halfmoon with these incredible flowing fins that catch the light beautifully. He’s got Java ferns to rest on, a small piece of driftwood with anubias attached, and enough open swimming space to actually exercise. When people visit and see him actively patrolling his territory, they’re always surprised. “I didn’t know bettas were so active,” they’ll say. Yeah, neither did I for the longest time.
Temperature control is absolutely critical, and this is where a lot of beginners mess up. Bettas are tropical fish that need water between 76 and 82 degrees. Room temperature isn’t good enough, especially during winter months. I learned this the hard way during my first Minneapolis winter when my apartment got cold at night and my poor fish became increasingly lethargic. A simple 25-watt heater solved the problem completely, but I wish I’d known that from the start.
The nitrogen cycle applies to betta tanks just like any other aquarium, though pet store employees rarely mention this. You can’t just fill a tank with water and add a fish the same day – well, you can, but you’ll probably kill the fish like I did with Frank. The tank needs to cycle for several weeks to establish beneficial bacteria that convert fish waste and leftover food into less toxic compounds. It’s basic aquarium chemistry, but nobody explains it to beginners.
Here’s what I wish someone had told me from day one. Set up your tank completely – heater, gentle filter, live plants if possible, dechlorinated water – and let it run fishless for 4-6 weeks. Add a pinch of fish food every few days to start the bacterial cycle. Test the water weekly with an aquarium test kit (yes, you need one). When ammonia and nitrites read zero and you detect nitrates, you’re ready for a fish. This process seems tedious when you’re excited about getting a betta, but it prevents the heartbreak of watching fish die from poisoning.
Feeding is another area where I made terrible mistakes initially. Bettas are carnivores, not generic fish that eat whatever flakes are cheapest at the store. They need high-protein foods – quality pellets, frozen bloodworms, occasionally live foods if you can manage it. I feed Murphy three pellets twice a day, which seems like nothing but is actually plenty for an adult betta. Overfeeding causes more problems than underfeeding, including swim bladder issues and water quality problems from rotting food.
I’ve gotten pretty obsessive about plant selection over the years, partly because of my general interest in aquascaping but also because live plants make such a difference in betta tanks. They help maintain water quality, provide natural hiding spots, and create visual interest for both the fish and the owner. Anubias and Java fern are practically bulletproof – I’ve never managed to kill either species, which says something given my track record with plants in general. Avoid plastic decorations with sharp edges that can tear delicate fins. Trust me, fin damage leads to infections, and infections in small tanks can kill fish quickly.
Water changes are non-negotiable, though I’ll admit I got lazy about this when I first started. Twenty-five percent weekly changes keep parameters stable and remove waste products that accumulate over time. I use a small aquarium siphon to vacuum debris from the gravel while removing water, then refill with temperature-matched, dechlorinated water. It takes maybe fifteen minutes per tank, but consistent water changes prevent most health problems before they start.
Murphy’s behavior constantly entertains me in ways I never expected from a fish. He recognizes me and swims to the front glass when I approach his tank. He’s built bubble nests in various locations around the tank, which apparently indicates a healthy, content male betta. When I rearrange decorations or add new plants, he investigates everything thoroughly, sometimes spending hours exploring changes to his environment. This is normal betta behavior that you’ll never observe in inadequate housing.
Most betta health problems stem from environmental stress rather than specific diseases. Fin rot, fungal infections, lethargy – these are usually symptoms of poor water conditions or inappropriate setups. I’ve successfully treated several bettas over the years by simply improving their living conditions. Sometimes the “cure” is just clean, warm water in an appropriately sized tank.
The betta community online can be… intense. Some people are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. Others cling to outdated information about bettas preferring small spaces or not needing heaters. I’ve tested these claims through years of keeping multiple bettas in different setups, and the evidence is clear – bettas kept in larger, heated, filtered tanks live longer and display more natural behaviors. Period.
Setting up proper betta habitat isn’t expensive if you shop smart. You can create an excellent environment for under $100, which is less than most people spend on a weekend getaway. Compare that to the ongoing costs of replacing fish that die in inadequate setups, and proper care is actually more economical. Plus you’ll have a beautiful, thriving aquarium instead of a guilt-inducing fish bowl.
I still feel bad about Frank and the other two bettas I lost through ignorance. But their deaths taught me to research properly and question pet store advice. Murphy has been thriving for over two years now, displaying personality and behaviors I never knew bettas possessed. That’s what proper care gets you – a fascinating pet instead of a dying decoration.
If you’re considering a betta, please learn from my expensive mistakes. These fish deserve better than bowls and deserve owners who understand their actual needs rather than pet store marketing. Do the research, set up the tank properly, and you’ll have years of enjoyment from one of the most personality-rich fish in the hobby. Just don’t make the same ignorant assumptions I did – Frank deserved better than that.
A retired ER nurse, Elena found peace in aquascaping’s slow, steady rhythm. Her tanks are quiet therapy—living art after years of chaos. She writes about learning, patience, and finding calm through caring for small, beautiful ecosystems.
