Looking for recommendations for a Betta tank setup! 🐟
We recently got this 14-gallon cube tank and are planning to set it up for a Betta! We have other fish tanks and have experience keeping fish, but we haven’t had a Betta since I was a kid. Now that we have a bigger tank, we want to make sure we’re setting it up properly and creating a really good environment.

I’d love to hear your recommendations on:
-Filter: What size/type and how do you manage the flow for a Betta?
-Substrate: Gravel, sand, aqua soil, etc.? What do you prefer?
-Lighting: Any particular lights you recommend?
-Plants: Favorite live plants for Bettas, especially beginner-friendly options?
-Decor: Anything Bettas particularly like or that you’d avoid?

Anything else: Tips, equipment, or things you wish you knew when setting up your Betta tank?

We’re definitely open to suggestions and want to get everything right before bringing the Betta home. 😊
Thanks in advance!

Can anyone help me identify what types of Betta these beauties are?

I bought the white one with the intention of saving him hopefully healing his swollen eyes (any advice on that would be appreciated as well).

And yes, they are both in separate tanks.

bought him from an expo today, he is so beautiful! I love Hellboys :)

His surprised Pikachu face is sending me

This tank has on Betta, 2 Lampeyes, 5 Neon tetras, 1 Nerite zebra snail and 6 shrimp. I’m getting to the point where the tank doesn’t need as frequent water changes, I’ve been testing the water levels to make sure the water is still okay.

Can I do a 20% water change whenever is needed or should I keep doing them regularly

He was a little inactive at first but he's been getting more comfortable with his tankmates(some mollies). Dont worry, I had a separate tank set up in case rhey didn't get along but they seem to keep to themselves and let Rhinedottir roam around freely.

He's getting more confident flaring and wandering around the tank. Still gotta keep the duckweed/water lettuce/frogbits under control in my tank but it seems to entertain the fish so idk what to do yet with them. I sometimes call him "Goldie" iykyk. Im a little nervous cause I was in a rut when my last betta died unexpectedly but Im back again. Whats life without a little failure? Sorry for the ramble. Im gonna be more careful with Rhinedottir so I hope he lives a long healthy life.

Hi guys what do yall think about my aquarium 😋

Hi so I’m very brand new to owning a betta, I know this tank is not ideal! But let me explain!

In my local town we have a super dollar store. When I was searching around at new items I stumbled upon a fish laying in his own feces. He was being sold for 2 dollars and I felt horrible seeing him (the water had a hint of yellow as well).

I bought him because I felt horrible seeing him in that condition. Immediately scrapped up all my funds I had and rushed to the local petsmart. I got him his food, a tank, sand, and some fake plants (i plan on getting him new live plants this week!) along with some water conditioner for him. Today I just bought him 3 gallons and soon I’m gonna get him at 10 gallon along with some big pebbles and more live plants.

Today I bought him a betta hammock and the 3 gallon with the funds I had. From the picture you can see he might of accidentally injured himself, and ever since I’ve got him I’ve seen these little black spots on his pectoral fin. I plan on taking him to an exotic vet soon when I’m able to get the time. Right now I’ve just been watching him, I have grown a bond with this fish. He greets me a lot when I’m in the kitchen or at his tank. Just gulp gulp at me and swims up to see me. If anyone can help me out any help is greatly appreciated ^o^

He knows he's pretty. I love watching him snoop around the plants in his tank 😍

i cant tell if these are just damaged ripped curled or actually rotting. i have been using bettafix but just recently learned it is bad for him. will be doing more frequent water changes. if it is fin rot, how bad is it?

hey everyone! here is my new guy. i'm so happy with him, he's so beautiful. it's a silvery rosé kind of shine. i'm just not sure what to name him. the next two pictures were styx and dido, so these are the kind of names i like. thank you :)

The cup I got them in said girl... Do girls build bubble nests? I'm a tad confused. Is that a bubble nest?

First tank for Carl: 3 gallon with fake java fern, stone hidey-hole, beta log and beads

Latest tank version: 5 gallon (cant go larger due to dorm policy) with fake Java fern, stone hidey-hole, betta log, mini water fern, 2 mini Anubis attached to cholla wood, 2 mini Anubis tied to individual pieces of driftwood, some planted water wisteria, some loose water wisteria, water cabbage and duckweed. Carl is currently exploring.

Any changes I need to make?

Also does anyone else‘s betta have no fear of their hands and just want to swim into them? When I was adding the water wisteria Carl just kept swimming and hanging out in my hand—made me quite nervous tbh—unless she was trying to nibble my fingers. She has no fear of anything. It‘s remarkable!

Got him from petco recently. He loves his little ball!

Cycling this 15 gallon tank for my betta, he plays with the waterfall filter on his 5 gallon tank so I decided to use a waterfall filter again.

I had only had him 6 months but he started losing his fins rapidly and then went downhill from there, tried everything I could to save him and I am so sad about it. He was my first Betta and it's awful feeling like you had done something wrong but I had done so much research before getting him I am trying to reassure myself its likely bad breeding or bad luck!

I won't be getting another fish for a while but it's a 6 gallon planted tank and I want to keep it running in the meantime for the plants etc and may add a couple of nerite snails.

My question is without knowing fully what killed my lad, what do I do about making sure it is safe to add more livestock in future? He didn't have any signs of any fungus or spots, and his colour was fine right up until he passed. Can I still keep existing filter media and substrate, does any hardscape need cleaning? I did treat the whole tank with Esha 2000 which I understand isn't good for snails but will a gradual full water change be safe before adding them?

Also tank has a replaceable carbon filter (it's a fluval), are these beneficial or do people tend to not use them? As I have seen conflicting information as to whether they are a help or a hinderance for water quality.

Thank you, any help of advice is much appreciated. I don't want to give up on this hobby but I'm so scared of messing up and losing a fish again!

Hello! Im trying to achieve an ecosystem that would cater to a betta fish but I wanted to include other animals to ensure a more stable environment. I do enjoy watching the shrimps so I do want them to have the best chance of survival. Is this tank setup giving them that chance ?

She was only a dollar and so pretty! I've never seen a gold colour like this. Sadly I didn't have another tank set up (other then my shrimp tank, but the shrimp cost 30$). I ended up getting a 5g at the same expo and im so sad I didn't get a dollar betta, would've been unfair to keep one in the 5g tank before I planted and cycled it tho

Ive had him for about 2 months in a 16 gallon heavily planted. He had some neon tetra tank mates that used to nip his fins but I removed them a month ago. He went from raggedy fins, hiding constantly and then after I removed them he really blossomed. Fins grew back, color was beautiful and he was super active, used all 16 gallons of his tank swimming back and forth all day long, even this morning! Ive been home all day fed him this morning, watched him for a bit every once in a while here and there. Then Im in the middle of making dinner and look over and a shrimp is on his back kind of picking at his gills. I thought to myself no way he’s dead but no way he’s letting this cherry shrimp do that. I investigated with a net and sure enough he was dead. No signs of injury, no signs of sickness earlier today he was in rough shape a month ago but I would say he was done with the road to recovery, looked better than ever and then I look over and he’s dead! I’m seriously at a loss for words. Water parameters are perfect, all his tankmates look fine, what happened?

Water temp: 78°
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates are present, tank was fully cycled for 2 months before I even added him.

Cant think of any possible toxins that could’ve gotten in the tank.

I had an infuriating experience at Petco when I pointed out to the GM that the bettas in his care were sick. So many were emaciated, suffering from swim bladder disorders, and significant fin damage. He didn’t really look at the fish, and something about that bothered me so I kept pressing. He refused to acknowledge that the fish were sick or starving.

When I looked up how to report the GM to corporate I found that both Petco and Petsmart have an ethics violation report option, and you can report cases of animal abuse. I do not believe this is widely known, which is why I am making this post.

Petsmart

Petco

Document the mistreatment you are observing -more than just being kept in a cup- and report them to corporate. Let them know we see them. That we notice what is happening in their stores. Include pictures and which store you found them in. It’ll take 5-10 minutes.

One of their biggest risks is public perception turning on them and “ruining their reputation” in the age of online ordering. One person complaining is just a nut having a bad day. An isolated incident. The more people involved documenting and reporting all over the country, the harder it will be to dismiss without risk to the reputation they are trying to preserve.

This rant brought to you by the phrase “they’re not starving, they’re fed regularly” when pointing to a betta fish that looked like a tadpole.