Sometime last year, I got hooked on fish-keeping...and especially on bettas. I've currently got 14 of the little beauties. I've also spent a great deal of time researching them and their proper care, along with the care of other commonly kept fish, and it's sad and shocking to learn just how much cruelty goes on behind the scenes--especially with bettas. So I thought I'd make a journal entry to dispel some common myths about these lovely little fish.


Myth #1: Bettas naturally live in small mud puddles, so it's best to keep them in small bowls and not change the water too often.

Truth: This couldn't possibly be more wrong. Bettas, which are native to Thailand, live in a variety of habitats--none of which are mud puddles. Some of the most common habitats are rice paddies and swamps, both of which, while shallow, are large bodies of water. Males stake out territories and defend them from other males, while females swim freely.

A betta needs, at absolute minimum, 1 gallon of water to live in. However, 2+ gallons is always better. Bettas are relatively active fish and need room to swim around. DO NOT get one of those tiny tanks made "just for bettas"--they are death traps.

Bettas also require clean water on a regular basis, just like any other fish. In an uncycled tank, especially a small one, toxic ammonia from fish waste builds up quickly. Ammonia is fatal to all fish, even in relatively small amounts. It also causes illness and fin rot. Please don't subject your betta to dirty water because you're too lazy to clean the tank. A 1 gallon bowl needs 100% water changes twice a week--this is *extremely* important. If you're not willing to do this, don't get a betta. Simple as that.


Myth #2: Bettas don't need heaters.

Truth: Bettas are tropical fish and require temperatures of between 75-80 degrees to stay healthy and active. Unless you live in a very warm area, a heater is not an option--it's a requirement.


Myth #3: A betta in a vase with a peace lilly or other plant is a good set-up.

Truth: Absolutely not. Those betta-in-a-vase set-ups are silly and cruel. First of all, a vase is usually not big enough to house a betta. Even if it was, it would be difficult to heat. Furthermore, the roots of the plant often take up most of the vase, leaving the betta little room to swim.

Bettas also require a lot of open surface area, since they need to be able to breath air from the surface. The water in their native habitat tends to be stagnant and poorly oxygenated, which led to the evolution of the labyrinth organ in anabantoids--a group that includes bettas and gouramis. This organ allows bettas to get air directly, as well as using their gills to extract it from the water. If a betta doesn't have sufficient room to surface, it will drown.

The bottom line--don't keep you betta in a vase. Get it a tank, or don't own one.


Myth #4: Bettas only need to be fed 2-3 times a week.

Truth: While your betta probably won't starve on a feeding schedule like this, it's much healthier to feed your bettas to feed them 6 days a week--fasting them for one day to allow their digestive tract to clear itself out.

A betta's diet should consist mostly of pellets (not flakes, as these can cause constipation). They should also be given the occasional treats like frozen bloodworms/shrimp or fruit flies.

It's important not to overfeed bettas--a healthy betta will beg constantly for food, but they should only be given 5-7 pellets per day (depending on size and activity level) OR 2-3 bloodworms/shrimp.


Myth #5: When your betta makes a bubblenest, that means he's happy.

Truth: Male bettas make bubblenests on the surface of the water and then guard them, waiting for a female to pass by. If they're both ready, they'll spawn--the male will wrap himself around the female and she'll release her eggs, which the male will then gather with his mouth and place them in the nest. The female will then be chased off, and the male will continue guarding the nest until the fry have hatched and become free-swimming.

Bubblenesting is an instinctive behavior, and males make them regardless of how they're "feeling". It should not be used as an indicator of your betta's well-being.


Myth#6: When your male betta builds a bubblenest, it would be a good idea to get him a "girlfriend" and let them breed. Also, male bettas can be kept with a "harem" of females.

Truth: No, no, no, and NO. Male and female bettas should NEVER be housed together. Period. There is far more to breeding bettas than just sticking a male and female together and letting nature take its course. If you don't know *exactly* what you are doing, NEVER, EVER ATTEMPT TO BREED YOUR BETTAS. Chances are this will lead to the death of one or both of them. Your male does not need a "girlfriend"--bettas are solitary fish. Don't anthropomorphize them.


Myth #7: Male bettas will naturally fight to the death if they encounter each other--and they'll also kill any other fish they find.

Truth: Nope. In the wild, fights very rarely result in fatalities--once a winner has been decided, the loser with retreat. However, two males trapped in a tank together may very well end up killing each other, simply because the loser *won't* be able to retreat, and thus the winner will continue to attack him. So, obviously, domestic male bettas should never be kept together.

However, they CAN be kept with peaceful community fish, if you're careful. Some males are mellow enough for this to work, and some are not. Don't try it unless you know what you're doing.


Bettas are wonderful, interactive, curious, intelligent little fish and deserve to be treated well. Please, don't keep your bettas in tiny, unheated bowls or novelty tanks. Be a responsible owner.