Gear and Test Kits
Betta Gillfriend care rules: one betta per tank. Mirror or flare practice: one 2-minute session a day, with at least 2 rest days a week. Train: up to 10 minutes a week.
A shopping guide for the stuff that keeps a betta healthy, with what to look for and what to skip. No brand deals here, just reel advice.
Tip: Buy the heater, thermometer, filter, dechlorinator and test kit before the fish. Then cycle the tank (see Fishless cycling).
The must-haves
| Item | Why | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Tank, 19 L (5 US gal) or more | Stable water, room to swim | Glass or acrylic, with a lid |
| Adjustable heater | Bettas need 24–27 °C (76–81 °F) | Adjustable thermostat, sized to the tank (see below) |
| Thermometer | Heaters fail or drift | Separate from the heater; easy to read |
| Gentle filter | Home for beneficial bacteria | Sponge filter or adjustable-flow filter |
| Dechlorinator (water conditioner) | Tap water contains chlorine or chloramine | Must say it treats both chlorine and chloramine |
| Liquid test kit | You can't see ammonia | Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH at least |
| Bucket + siphon / gravel vacuum | Water changes | Bucket used only for the aquarium, never with soap |
| Lid | Bettas jump | Covers gaps around cords |
Heaters
- Sizing: PetMD suggests about 3–5 watts per US gallon (roughly 1 watt per litre). For a 19 L (5 gal) tank, that's about 25 W; for 38 L (10 gal), about 50 W.
- Cold rooms (hello, Canadian winter): go to the higher end of the range if your room drops below about 18 °C, or if the tank sits near a window or outside wall.
- Don't oversize wildly. A huge heater in a tiny tank can overheat it fast if the thermostat sticks.
- Adjustable beats preset. Many "preset" mini heaters only hold one temperature and can't be tuned. Always confirm with a thermometer.
- Safety: use a heater guard if your betta likes to rest against it. Unplug before removing it from the water, and let it cool before it comes out (follow the maker's instructions). Keep it fully submerged if it's a submersible model.
- Check daily. Heaters are the most common failure point. Glance at the thermometer every day.
Tip for very small tanks: Two smaller heaters on opposite ends make a stuck-on or dead heater less of a disaster, but most 19–38 L betta tanks are fine with one good adjustable heater.
Thermometers
- Glass or digital probe thermometers inside the water are most accurate.
- Stick-on LCD strips on the outside glass are handy but read the glass, which is affected by room temperature. Use them as a backup.
- Check your thermometers against each other once in a while.
Filters for bettas
Bettas come from slow, still water and have big fins, so gentle flow is the goal.
| Filter type | Good for bettas? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sponge filter + air pump | ✅ Excellent | Very gentle, cheap, huge surface for bacteria, safe for fry and shrimp. Needs an air pump and a check valve so water can't siphon back into the pump. |
| Internal box or corner filter | ✅ Good | Air-driven, gentle. |
| Hang-on-back (HOB) | ⚠️ Often OK | Choose one with adjustable flow, and add an intake sponge so fins aren't sucked in. Baffle the outflow with a sponge if it's strong. |
| Internal power filter | ⚠️ Sometimes | Often too strong for small tanks unless adjustable. |
| Canister filter | ⚠️ For bigger tanks | Use a spray bar aimed at the glass to spread flow. |
| Undergravel filter | 🚫 Not recommended | Hard to clean and doesn't work well with live plants. |
Is the flow too strong? Your betta is pushed around, hides in one corner, struggles to swim to the front, or bubble nests keep getting destroyed. Turn it down, aim outflow at the glass or a plant, or add a sponge baffle.
Filter maintenance: rinse the sponge or media gently in old tank water during a water change, not under the tap. Chlorine kills the good bacteria. Replace media only when it's falling apart, and never all at once.
Dechlorinator and tap water
- Many Canadian cities disinfect drinking water with chlorine, and some use chloramine (chlorine bound to ammonia), which lasts longer and doesn't gas off by letting water sit out. Check your city's water quality report, or just buy a dechlorinator that treats both.
- Dose for the new water you're adding, not the whole tank, unless the label says otherwise.
- Well water isn't chlorinated but can be very hard or soft or contain metals; test it before use.
- Water softener salt systems: don't use softened water from a home softener; it swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium. Use the cold tap from a line that bypasses the softener if you can.
Test kits: liquid vs strips
| Liquid (drop) kit | Test strips | |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | Generally more accurate and consistent | Quicker, but generally less precise; colours can be hard to read |
| Cost per test | Lower over time | Higher |
| Best for | Cycling, troubleshooting, sick fish | Quick weekly checks once the tank is stable |
| Tips | Shake bottles as the instructions say (especially nitrate); read in daylight against white paper | Keep the container sealed and dry; check the expiry date |
What to test and when:
- During cycling: ammonia and nitrite every day or two, nitrate weekly.
- Stable tank: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH weekly is a good habit.
- Any sign of illness: test first, before treating. Many "diseases" are water problems.
- Optional: GH and KH kits help if your pH swings or if you use RO or well water.
Tip: Many local fish stores will test a water sample for you. Bring water in a clean container. Ask for the actual numbers, not just "it's fine".
Nice-to-haves
- Outlet timer for the light (6–8 hours a day keeps plants happy and limits algae).
- Power bar with a GFCI (ground-fault) outlet, plus drip loops on every cord so water can't run into the socket.
- Battery or USB air pump + power bank for power outages (see Emergencies).
- Betta hammock / leaf rest.
- Feeding ring to keep floating pellets in one spot.
- Small net that's soft and fine-meshed (or use a cup to move your betta, which is gentler on fins).
- Spare heater.
- Algae scraper.
Skip these
- Bowls, vases and "desktop" tanks under ~10 L without heater or filter room
- Strong air stones blasting the surface in small tanks
- Sharp plastic plants (do the pantyhose test)
- Gravel too big for food to sit on top: uneaten food falls in and rots; smooth sand or small gravel is easier to clean
- "Water clarifier" or random chemicals as a fix for cloudy water; find the cause instead
- Heat lamps or desk lamps as a heater
Sources
- https://www.petmd.com/fish/betta-fish-care-sheet (heater wattage, filters)
- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/aquarium-fish (water quality and testing)
- https://www.york.ca/environment/water-and-wastewater/drinking-water-quality-and-monitoring (example: Canadian municipal water report)
- https://kb.rspca.org.au/categories/companion-animals/fish/how-should-i-care-for-my-siamese-fighting-fish
- https://ornamentalfish.org/what-we-do/advice-information/care-sheets/caresheets-tropical-freshwater-fish/how-to-look-after-siamese-fighting-fish-bettas/
- https://cvm.ncsu.edu/news/dealing-with-aquariums-and-ponds-during-power-outages/