TankBud

One species · 8 varieties

Betta

Betta splendens

Also known as Siamese fighting fish

FreshwaterFish

Betta (Betta splendens)
ErgoSum88 · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–86°F
22–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
19 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Bubble nester
Rarity
Very common
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Thailand

Pick a variety

One setup covers every line on this page: care is the species' care.

Tail types

5 gal (19 L) minimum · grows to 3 in (7.5 cm) · 72–86°F (22–30°C) · pH 6.0–7.5

Colors and patterns

5 gal (19 L) minimum · grows to 3 in (7.5 cm) · 72–86°F (22–30°C) · pH 6.0–7.5

Overview

The Betta is a solitary, long-finned fish for a calm, planted tank. It is a good first fish for a beginner.

Did you know

A healthy male Betta will often build a nest even with no female around. He does it just from feeling settled in his tank.

Caring for the Betta

Keep a Betta in a planted, low-flow tank of at least 5 gal (19 L), with some cover at the surface. Bettas are built for still water, so filter gently and do not blast them with current. They sit in the middle and upper water.

Heat the tank to 72 to 86°F (22 to 30°C) and keep the pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Bettas are carnivores. Feed a quality betta pellet and rotate in frozen or live bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Males are aggressive and cannot share a tank with another male. Their trailing fins make them targets for fin-nippers, so choose tank mates carefully or keep one alone.

Females have shorter fins than males. Bettas are bubble nesters: when a male spawns, he blows a raft of bubbles at the surface and tends the eggs in it himself.

Good to know

The Betta, also sold as the Siamese fighting fish, belongs to the family Osphronemidae, the gouramis. It is a labyrinth fish, with an organ that lets it breathe air straight from the surface. The wild form is far plainer than the long-finned, brightly colored fish in shops, which come from generations of selective breeding.

In the wild

Bettas come from shallow, slow, warm water in Thailand and nearby Southeast Asia. They live in rice paddies, ditches and floodplain pools thick with plants, where the water is often low in oxygen.

Other named lines

Every betta below is the same species. Breeders shape fins and color independently, so any pattern can appear on any tail type, and care never changes.

Tail types

Rosetail
extreme halfmoon with ruffled, overlapping rays; heavy fins to carry

Colors and patterns

Marble
patchy pattern that keeps changing through the fish's life
Galaxy
marble base with iridescent speckling

From published sources

Tank mates

Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the Betta by at least two published care guides. Seriously Fish and Practical Fishkeeping recommend keeping it on its own instead. The pairings below assume a planted tank of 10 to 20 gallons (38 to 76 liters) or more, with plenty of cover.

Sources: Aquarium Co-Op, Fishkeeping World, Chewy, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Aqueon, All Pond Solutions.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Betta need?

A Betta needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Betta need?

A Betta is comfortable at 72–86°F (22–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Betta eat?

A Betta is a carnivore. It eats a quality betta pellet, with frozen or live bloodworms and brine shrimp rotated in.

How big does a Betta get?

An adult Betta reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

How can you tell a male Betta from a female?

Males carry long, trailing fins. Females are shorter-finned.

How does a Betta breed?

A Betta is a bubble nester. During spawning the male blows a raft of bubbles at the surface, then tends the eggs in it on his own.

What fish can live with the Betta?

Published care guides name half-banded kuhli loach, kuhli loach, panda cory and harlequin rasbora, among others. The pairings below assume a planted tank of 10 to 20 gallons (38 to 76 liters) or more, with plenty of cover.

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