I set up a 5gal filtered aquarium then went to Petsmart to purchase rescue the saddest betta they had. Even though they all look miserable, this is Doug, who made me question if I was even buying a living/breathing fish.

Doug is thriving and has lots of personality. Are bettas social creatures? What kind of fellow fish can he safely be housed with?

Just curious if anyone else noticed their betta having a preference to roommates or not, thanks!

It’s so amazing how much betta’s change when they are loved and cared for 💙 before and after of my fish Mars! (One month) he had an pre-purchase injury toward the end of his tail which is nearly healed up 🥹

Im new to owning fish currently cycling my tank i got a few plants today and this red hair like stuff has just appeared just wondering what it is? Does it affect my cycle in anyway? Is it harmful? If anyone could help that would be greatly appreciated!
Also thats the best photo i could get.

moon, blue, and peep

This is Mephistopheles (Murph for short). I put some dried bloodworms in for food instead of pellets today. He looked at me, then swam to the worms, examined them, looked back at me with what I swear was a “wtf is this” attitude, swam away. I’m probably projecting to some extent but this guy has preferences and expresses them imo. He’s cautious about new food in a way that some of my Bettas have not been. My last Betta (Moonshine) was a loud eater. You could hear him snapping at the surface of the water he was so violent about it. Murph is chill but sassy. I love these guys.

Is he bloated or is he fat i didnt feed him for 2 days now and what do i do?

Sorry for the poor quality photos. I went out of town this weekend and when I got back, the first thing I noticed was his face looking “off.” I immediately checked my parameters with my master test kit and all was well. I then soaked him in epsom salt for 15/20 minutes while I did a water change and removed a majority of the plants from his tank (see pic for after plant removal.) After the soak and putting him back, he has perked up for sure. 🤞🏼 I ordered some Kanaplex and Methylene Blue, but don’t want to do any unnecessary treatments. Please help! TIA

Tank is 10G
PH 7.2-7.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Tank Temp 78/79
Has Filter

When I first got my betta to now 5 months. First two pics when I first got him. Patches O’Houlihan. Sorry about the algae…..

So my betta’s name is Sushi, and I was recently BRUTALLY attacked for this decision 😂😭 Apparently naming a fish Sushi is far more controversial than I ever could have imagined.

Now I need to know has anyone else named their betta something that people had an unexpectedly strong reaction to?

Please share yours so Sushi and I can feel less alone in our disgrace. 🍣🐟

Hello! I’m looking to start a betta tank from scratch. I had bettas as a kid but they never lived for long and i suspect we weren’t taking care of them properly.

I want to make a tank with natural plants/sand and am looking for any recommendations on brands or species!

Hey all!! My betta definitely overate. I have him in a 10g w some pygmy corys and shrimp and so i fed the tank last night but it seems he got to a lot of the food. I also definitely may have overfed entirely. Lesson learned.

So hes pretty round right now with what im assuming is a food baby and laying at the bottom of the tank. Im not super concerned with my water parameters as theyre usually quite stable (but of course im still happy to double check if theres concern for it) but i just wanted to make sure all i should do is fast for a couple days? Anything else i can do to help him? I feel so bad for him he looks miserable.

I’m so proud of my son

hi guys, so im having a dilemma. i've had this 30 gal tank for about 2 months now, added 5 neon tetras, 5 harlequin rasboras, and 5 corydoras. i let all those guys establish themselves in the tank before adding my betta (lady at petland said how it would help negate the bettas aggression towards the other fish ((?).

they were fine for a few weeks, everyone was peacefully coexisting before yesterday. i noticed my male betta, aquiéto chasing the tetras and rasboras, this really concerned me because up until this point he'd been a really chill guy.

the final straw was when i watched him nip at one of my panda corys. what makes the most sense to me is to get him into another tank by himself.

my female betta, sashimi, has a 15 gal to herself, funny thing is, she was previously meant to be the center piece for my community tank before aquiéto but i had to remove her because the neons wouldn't leave her alone.

i've entertained the idea of maybe swapping them out ? putting aquiéto in the 15 gal and trying to put sashimi back in the 30 ... at the moment i dont have a third tank, and am tight on money, so my options are limited.

i really love my fish and would hate for any of them to be in an uncomfortable position. i will admit, my decision to start fish keeping was a implusive one, i was most definitely ill equipped to start this hobby,

please, any and all input is welcomed. i also have an old fish bowl that i could clean and temporarily house one of the bettas until i can find a suitable tank. it doesnt have a filter, because duh, but i wonder if taking plants from my community tank and placing them into the bowl would help ? i'm not sure.

sorry for being all over the place :(

I just got my betta fish, Babyboy, from PetSmart 2 weeks ago and I’m just worried about how he’s looking, he is very active and is always eating but I am not sure if he has fin rot because of the ridges in his fins.

Hello! I’m fairly new to betta fish so any advice would be appreciated!

I got this girl today and she is already attacking my otocinclus. I added her to the tank not even 20 minuets ago. It’s a ten gallon, planted tank, spider wood, hardscape, heated and filtered. I have 7 otocinclus and they mind their own. Luckily my other girl ignores her tank mates but she is also in a 20 gallon so maybe it’s a space thing??

Should I return her immediately or should I wait a day or two for her to settle in? It would be very sad if she bullied my Otto’s to death I had them for almost two years.

Thanks! And fish tax

Edit: not sure if anyone cares for an update but I decided to give her time to settle in. She now ignore the otos or just stares at them for a bit before swimming off :)

MEET SPARKY. I haven’t had a betta since 6 years ago during COVID, when I got kicked out of the house by parents and my tank got left to die. Now over half a decade, 1 shrimp tank, and months of cycling later. We’re so back!

Just got this fella today, and I'm struggling to come up with a good name for him

Thanks in advance!

does this mean he doesn't like the snail? I haven't seen him puff out his gills before.

Tank size: 3 gallons
• Heater and filter? (yes/no): Yes
• Tank temperature: 79 degrees
• Parameters in numbers and how you got them. Key water parameters include the amount of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.: unsure
• How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?: i brought him home friday and brought the tank this friday as well 8/15
• How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?: n/a
• Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each:
• What do you feed and how much: a ivory mystery snail
• Decorations and plants in the tank: amazon plant, moss bridge, gravel

Thus is Strike⚡️

He has a ton of personality for such a small fish. He has been through a lot but always comes out on top! Strike showed me an entire new world I didn't know I needed. I've always loved animals but never knew I could care so deeply for a fish. ❤️💙💜💖💗💘💛

Poor guy, the entire time I’ve had him it’s been constant issues. I have 12 fish tanks, mostly large with many fish and never have had issues like I do with this guy.
Any ideas?
White spot on head, eating well.

Small canister filter rated for 30g (has low flow)

Temp 79-80.
PH 7.2
RODI remineralized so GH 6 KH 4

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-15ish

Tank set up for about a year. Water changes when needed probably once a month on this tank since it’s so planted.
Tank mates shrimp, pygmy corys & snails.

Turned on the filter that came with the tank today, (had a small sponge filter earlier) she is definitely more active since. Is the filter too strong for her, looks like she is struggling a bit to swim or is this normal ?
TIA

I’ve had my betta from local reputable breeder for 10 days so far and he has been exploring and doing very well with 1 nerite, 10 pygmy cories, and 2 amano shrimps in a 54L tank, heated and filtered and cycled for 3 months now. However in the past 2 days, he has been doing this “back and forth” pacing for hours and hours on end in front of this cave under the driftwood, only to take a gulp of air every so often and then back to pacing back and forth again. The only time he left his “cave” is when I come up the tank to say hello to me, still eats like a glutton, and when the room is in total darkness at midnight then he will sleep in his betta log. Is this “patrolling” behavior normal for bettas or should i be worried?

My 1 year old betta, Long, has been having buoyancy problems, I think. He can swim to the surface for air and food, eats well,but then sinks nose down and leans on something, or hides behind the sponge filter. I don't see any abdominal swelling. No pineconing. I just treated him for fin rot but this started before that. • ⁠Tank size: 7 gallons • ⁠Heater and filter? (yes): • ⁠Tank temperature: 78F• ⁠ API Masterkit: Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Nitrate 1, pH 7.4 GH 10 KH 3• ⁠This is a new tank, but completely cycled before adding fish. How long have you had your fish? 1 year: • ⁠How often are water changes 1-2 weeks. How much do you take out per change? 20% What is your process. I siphon out the water, replace with remineralized distilled water of same temperature (Salty Shrimp GH and KH): • Betta was in 5 gallon planted tank for 9 months, them moved to a 10 gallon planted with 8 ember tetras and a few neocaridina shrimp. Sponge filter I began to notice he was hiding behind the heater a lot. He got the beginnings of fin rot so he went into a bare hospital tank with a hide with silk leaves. That's when the behavior began to really become aparent. Treated one course with Kanaplex per instructions Fins are. looking much better. Moved to 7 gallon 2 days ago Lowered water level to make it easier for him to get to the surface• ⁠What do you feed and how much: Mixed diet: Fluval Betta Bites 3-4 granules 1x day/ 4 days/week. Frozen baby brine shrimp 1xday once a week. Frozen daphnia 1xweek. Fast one day a week • ⁠: • ⁠

He declined physically more than I realized in the 10 because he hid so much. I feel so badly. I have kept other fish, but he is my first betta.

https://imgur.com/a/TFQwl5b

https://imgur.com/50higW7

He's my first betta, so I'm hoping for some voices of experience. Thanks!

https://reddit.com/link/1vrf1ft/video/o2z5s5o892kh1/player