Betta fish care card
A betta is a small, warm-water fish that breathes air, lives alone and needs a grown-up to run its tank.
- Home
- A wide tank of 5 gallons or more, not a bowl. Smooth decorations, plants to hide in, and room to swim.
- Food
- A balanced pellet or flake food once a day. Treats like bloodworms now and then. Plants are not food.
- Water
- Warm, calm water, about 76 to 81 F. A grown-up treats tap water first. Low-flow filters keep fins safe.
- Every day
- Check the thermometer. Feed only what he can eat in 3 to 5 minutes. Watch how he swims and eats.
- Every week
- A grown-up changes some water and cleans the tank. Ask a fish vet how often for your tank.
- Handling
- Mostly look, talk and watch. Wash hands before and after touching or caring for fish. Under 5s do not handle tank things.
- Happy signs
- Swims around, comes to the glass when you walk up, eats eagerly, and holds his fins out, not folded.
- Tell a grown-up if
- He lies still, stops eating, seems cold or slow, or his fins look torn. A fish vet knows what to do.
My jobs, with a grown-up
- Check the thermometer each day and tell a grown-up if it looks wrong
- Feed the right amount with a grown-up nearby
- Watch how your betta swims and eats, and tell a grown-up about changes
- Wash your hands after feeding
- Say hello and give him something new to look at
Wash your hands Wash your hands with soap and running water before and after touching or caring for fish, after feeding, after cleaning the tank, and before eating.
Ask a grown-up to look at Peabody Pets with you: pet.peabody.kids
From University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine: betta care, Washington State University: is your betta happy, University of Florida IFAS: Betta splendens, RSPCA: pet fish, CDC: fish, checked 29 Oct 2026. A vet always knows best for your own pet.