Can two Bettas live together?

Two males must never share a tank. Some keepers maintain female sororities, but they need a large, heavily planted tank and constant supervision.

Does a Betta need a heater?

Yes. Below about 24 C they become lethargic and prone to disease. A heated, filtered tank is essential.

How big a tank does a Betta need?

20 litres is a realistic minimum for a single Betta; more water makes temperature and water quality easier to keep stable.

Why does my Betta flare at the glass?

It is reacting to its own reflection. Occasional flaring is natural exercise, but constant flaring is stressful and usually means the tank is too brightly lit against a dark room.

FreshwaterTropicalBeginner

Betta

Betta splendens

A warm-water labyrinth fish with flowing fins and a strong personality. Kept alone in a small heated planted tank, it is one of the most rewarding fish available.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 28 °C
pH range: 6 – 7.5
Hardness: 2 – 15 dGH
Adult size: 6 – 7 cm
Min. tank size: 20 litres+
Lifespan: 2 – 5 years
Diet: Carnivore
Water flow: Very low
Preferred setup: Warm, planted, lidded tank with resting leaves and surface access

About the Betta

Betta splendens is a shallow-water fish from Southeast Asia that breathes air at the surface. Centuries of selective breeding have produced dozens of tail types and colours, from halfmoon to plakat. Despite its reputation as a low-effort pet, it needs a heated, filtered, cycled tank — bowls and unheated vases are a common cause of early death.

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Is it right for your tank?

Check Betta against a habitat you already keep. We compare water type, temperature, pH, adult size, group needs and everything living there.

Where Betta comes from

Native range

Mekong basin, Chao Phraya basin, Central Thai floodplains

Countries / regions

Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Habitat

Shallow, warm, still water: rice paddies, roadside ditches, marshes and floodplain pools, often low in oxygen and thick with vegetation.

Illustrative native range only, not an occurrence dataset.

Similar species

Dwarf Gourami
Trichogaster lalius
Sparkling Gourami
Trichopsis pumila
Paradise Fish
Macropodus opercularis

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

View all compatibility

Corydoras pygmaeus
Corydoras pygmaeus
Stays on the bottom, is too quick and plain to trigger a display, and shares the warm, still water a Betta needs.
Great
Nerite Snail
Neritina natalensis
No fins to nip, no competition for food, and useful algae control in a warm planted tank.
Great
Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Workable in a long, heavily planted tank with an easy-going individual, but chasing is common and you need a backup tank.
Compatible with caution
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Bright trailing fins are read as a rival male; guppies are usually attacked.
Not recommended
Another male Betta
Betta splendens
Two males will fight until one is seriously injured or dies. Never house them together.
Not recommended

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