Broadheath Bettas
Recommended Betta Care
A step by step guide
Welcome!
Whether this is your first Betta or you’ve kept them for years, this simple guide combines essential beginner-friendly advice with best practices from years of breeding, raising, and shipping these stunning Siamese fighting fish.
Following these guidelines will help give your Betta the best chance of a long, healthy and colourful life. Lifespan is typically around 3–5 years, although some Bettas live longer.
1.
Setting up your tank
(Preparatory Work: Do This BEFORE Buying or Receiving Your Fish )
Prepare everything well in advance and cycle the tank fully before your fish arrives, see our Tank Cycling guide. Confirm readiness by testing, not by counting days.
What You'll Need
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A 25–30 litre or larger aquarium
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A secure lid
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A gentle filter
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An adjustable heater
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A thermometer
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Suitable lighting
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Substrate, plants and safe hiding places
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Water conditioner/dechlorinator
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A reliable aquarium test kit
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A siphon and dedicated bucket for water changes
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Suitable Betta food
25-30 litres
Minimum
Larger is strongly recommended.
Larger volumes make water quality easier to maintain and give your Betta room to swim, explore and display natural behaviours.
Tank Size
Live or silk plants (Anubias, Java Fern, Cryptocoryne), floating plants, betta hammocks, caves and Indian almond leaves (catappa) provide cover, resting places and opportunities to explore. Live plants can also contribute to nutrient uptake.
Plants & Enrichment
Lid (Essential!)
Bettas are excellent jumpers and can leap out!
Filtration
Gentle flow only. Choose a sponge filter or low-flow hang-on-back filter with a baffle.
In the wild, Bettas live in still or slow-moving waters like rice paddies - strong currents stress them
Lighting
Low-to-moderate. Provide a natural 8–10 hour
day/night cycle. Bright light is not needed.
Heater & Thermometer
Bettas are tropical fish and need warm water. Aim for a stable temperature of
24°C – 27°C (76°F to 80°F)
Use a reliable adjustable heater suitable for the aquarium size and the temperature of the room. Always monitor the water temperature with a thermometer.
Substrate & Decor
Soft sand or fine gravel. Add smooth decorations with no sharp edges that could tear delicate fins.
Water Quality & Cycling
Water quality is the most important factor for Betta health.
7.0
Neutral
(6.5-7.5)
0
Ammonia & Nitrite
<20
24 -27
o
C
Temperature
Nitrate
Cycling
Never add a betta to an uncycled aquarium.
Use fishless cycling and confirm that the biological filter is ready by testing, rather than by counting days. Our Tank Cycling Guide explains the full process and the practical readiness check we use. Tap water must be dechlorinated before it is added to the aquarium. Once stocked, regular partial water changes and routine testing help keep conditions stable.
2.
Tank Acclimatisation & Essential Care Following Postal Delivery
Settling in your new betta
Your betta has travelled a long way. The first few hours should be calm and unhurried. The most important preparation was completed before delivery: a fully cycled, suitable tank, ready and waiting.
Someone must be present when your parcel arrives and you must unpack your fish straight away. Transport bags are for travel, not temporary housing. Check your betta promptly on arrival. Delaying this is not good for the fish’s welfare and could also prevent you from meeting the conditions of our Live Arrival Guarantee.
1.
Have the tank ready
Fully cycled and tested, with ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm on your test kit and the heater stable at 24–27°C, with the lights off and the room quiet.
3.
Match the temperature (if needed)
If the bag and tank differ noticeably in temperature, float the sealed bag for around 10–15 minutes to reduce the difference. This adjusts temperature only. Skip it if they're already close.
5.
Leave it in peace
Lights low – Don't feed immediately; Once your betta is swimming normally and starting to explore its tank, offer a very small amount of food. Don't worry if it refuses its first meal or hides for a day or two. That's normal.
Need a Little Help?
Your betta should settle into its new aquarium without difficulty, although every fish responds to a journey and new surroundings slightly differently.
If you have any questions about settling-in, feeding, behaviour, appearance or general wellbeing, just get in touch. Kieran's always happy to help, and our Arrival and Your First Week guide covers what to expect and when to be concerned.
2.
Keep the sealed bag dim and upright, and check your betta over promptly.
Looking good? Go on to step 3.
Not sure? Before opening the bag, take a clear photo or short video of your betta in its sealed bag, then contact us straight away (WhatsApp is quickest). Don't delay if your betta is in obvious distress: welfare always comes first.
Look before you open
4.
Transfer your betta gently
Use a clean fish cup or a soft, fine-mesh net and place it straight into the tank.
Never add the transport water to your aquarium. Discard it.
6.
Settle a New Arrival Before Introductions or Breeding
Your betta will have been in transit for a while and may need time to recover.
Keep it in a quiet, fully cycled aquarium and monitor its appetite, breathing, colour, swimming and general condition.
Do not introduce it to other fish or use it for breeding until it is eating normally, behaving confidently and showing no signs of stress or illness. Many bettas settle within a few days, while some may take a week or two. Judge readiness by the fish’s condition rather than the calendar.
Full conditions for our Live Arrival Guarantee are in our Terms and Conditions. For a quick, practical summary see our Delivery page.
Bettas are carnivores. Feed high-quality betta pellets or flakes designed for them once or twice a day, only a few pellets or what they finish in about two minutes. Overfeeding fouls the water and can cause digestive problems.
Choose an appropriately sized pellet and feed small amounts. Overfeeding is a much more important cause of digestive problems than whether the pellet is pre-soaked.
A good-quality Betta pellet should form the staple diet. Appropriately sized frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp or daphnia can be offered two or three times a week to add dietary variety and broaden the range of nutrients provided.
Feeding
3.
4.
Lighting, Decorations, Plants & Enrichment
8–10 hours daily supports a natural rhythm and live plants.
Lighting
Plants & Decor
Lush planting provides cover, resting places and opportunities to explore. Choose smooth decorations without sharp edges. Live plants can absorb some nitrogen compounds, including nitrate, but they do not replace regular water testing and changes.
Enrichment
Bettas are intelligent, inquisitive fish and benefit from a varied environment. Provide plants and cover, resting places at different heights, safe objects to investigate and gentle interaction at feeding time. Occasional small changes to the arrangement can also encourage exploration.
A mirror is not necessary for everyday enrichment. It is perceived as a rival and triggers an aggressive display rather than play. If you choose to use one, keep the exposure brief and infrequent, and remove it if the fish remains agitated or continues searching and flaring afterwards.
If several bettas are housed in adjacent tanks, prevent them from remaining in constant view of one another. Use an opaque divider, leave a gap between tanks or reposition them if repeated flaring occurs.
Environmental enrichment, including plants and structural complexity, has been associated with fuller swimming behaviour and altered aggression in captive bettas, so it is a better foundation than repeatedly provoking territorial display.
5.
Tank Mates
Bettas are territorial. Keep no more than one male betta in an undivided aquarium. Even a large, heavily planted tank does not make male–male cohabitation reliably safe.
In a suitably larger, well-planted aquarium, some peaceful companions may be suitable:
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Snails suit many setups, although an individual betta may investigate or harass them.
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Shrimp may coexist where there is dense cover, but this is never guaranteed; some bettas will hunt them.
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Corydoras are highly social fish that should be kept in a group. They need considerably more swimming and floor space than a 25–30 litre betta aquarium provides.
Choose calm species that are unlikely to nip fins, intimidate the betta or compete excessively for food and space. Compatibility depends on the companion species, aquarium size and layout, and the temperament of the individual betta.
Introduce tank mates carefully, watch all fish closely and continue monitoring them over time. Be prepared to separate them promptly if there is persistent chasing, fin damage, hiding or difficulty feeding.
Do not introduce tank mates or attempt breeding until your betta is eating normally, behaving confidently and showing no signs of stress or illness.
Female bettas are sometimes kept together in large, heavily planted aquariums, but sororities are advanced, high-risk setups. They can become unstable even after an apparently peaceful start, and aggression, injury or losses may occur.
They are not recommended for beginners or for anyone unable to separate every fish immediately if problems develop.
6.
Regular Maintenance & Health Checks
Daily
Feed, observe and check the temperature.
Weekly
Carry out a 25–30% partial water change with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water. Vacuum the substrate lightly and test the water.
Monthly
Rinse filter media in old tank water only, never under the tap, and trim plants. Avoid stripping the tank down; the filter's microorganisms live on those surfaces, and over-cleaning can set the cycle back.
Healthy Signs:
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Bright, even colour: deep and consistent, not patchy or washed out
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Alert and responsive: comes to the front when you approach, watches movement outside the tank
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Fins carried open and flowing: not clamped tight to the body
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Controlled, purposeful swimming: moving where it means to go, holding position easily
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Steady breathing, with occasional trips to the surface for air (that's the labyrinth organ doing its job: perfectly normal)
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Good appetite: interested in food, eats readily
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Clear, bright eyes and smooth, unbroken scales
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Exploring and resting normally: bettas nap on leaves and in caves; a fish tucked up somewhere comfortable isn't necessarily unwell
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Bubble nests: males often build rafts of bubbles at the surface as part of normal reproductive behaviour. Nest-building is often a positive sign that a male is settled and behaving naturally, but it should not be used on its own as a measure of health or welfare.
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Faded colour, clamped fins, loss of appetite, ragged fins, gasping or flashing (rubbing against décor or substrate) can all indicate that something is wrong. Test the water first, including ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature. Water quality is one of the first things worth ruling out.
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If the readings are appropriate but your betta still seems unwell, contact us and we can help you check the aquarium setup and husbandry. If you are concerned that your fish may be ill or injured, seek advice from a veterinary surgeon with appropriate aquatic experience.
Warning Signs
7.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
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Never keep a betta in a bowl, vase or unheated tiny tank. Bettas are tropical fish and need a properly heated, filtered aquarium with enough space to swim, rest and explore.
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Avoid temperature or pH swings.
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Avoid strong currents and do not use copper-based medications unless specifically advised. Never use soap or household chemicals on anything that goes into the aquarium; residues can harm the fish and the filter's microorganisms.
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Stability matters. Avoid sudden changes in temperature or water chemistry, and do not repeatedly adjust the water simply to chase a particular pH number.
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Adding your betta before the tank is fully cycled can expose your fish to harmful ammonia and nitrite.
Early action can stop a minor problem becoming more serious. Quarantine new fish before introducing them to an established aquarium where practical.
Preparation is Everything!
By preparing the aquarium properly, settling your betta in calmly after delivery and maintaining excellent water quality, you give it the best possible chance of a long and healthy life. You'll also allow your fish to show off its natural beauty, colour and character.
If you'd like advice on your specific setup, test-kit recommendations, or just want to check something, get in touch. WhatsApp is quickest, and Kieran is always happy to help.
Happy Betta keeping!