Reddit mentions of Tetra BettaSafe, aquarium Water Conditioner For Bettas, 1.69-Ounce, 50-Ml, Golds & Yellows, Model:16837

This is seriously a wall of text. Sorry. I know it was a simple question, but there is a range. I also wanted to make sure you knew where the cost was coming from, so that's why this is so awkwardly long.

Lets start with what you will need. Generally speaking, you can keep bettas in smaller bowls than you normally would. I personally have my betta in a 1.5 gallon bowl. If you do any research, you will find people saying that you must must must have them in a 5 gallon tank. This is not necessarily true. The way I was trained, is that for every inch of fish, there needs to be a gallon of water. My little guy is only and inch long, so he is in one gallon of water (plus some, because decorations). They can get up to two inches, maybe even three, but it is not common. I plan on upgrading to a five gallon tank anyway soon (I have to move first), so if he gets any bigger, it won't be a huge concern for me. The great thing about bettas is that they can be kept in smaller areas. That being said, you have to do more work the smaller the tank you get. So for example, I have to make sure that my water is still clean, just like any responsible fish owner. This means, with a smaller bowl, that I have to change it more frequently (which I personally don't mind doing). Water quality is hugely important in the health and happiness of your fish. Now, the bowl I have is a nice glass bowl that looks like this and it would cost $25-$30 (but I got it for free from a coworker). A tank that is the 5 gallon recommendation that you will see in a lot of places can cost anywhere from $40 to even $100 dollars, depending on the brand and stuff (there are some tanks that come with filter, heater, light bulb, water starter, etc). Lids are not necessary, but some bettas will jump. If you do get a lid for your bowl/tank, make sure that it have air holes in it. Bettas have a primitive lung, called a Labyrinth organ, which allows them to also take oxygen from the air. Without this ability, bettas can drown.

Another great thing about bettas is that they are fine without a filter, and in fact don't really like the filter moving the water around (like I mentioned before, they are naturally found in rice paddies, which have standing water with little to no flow). So that is a cost you don't have to worry about. Now, if you wanted to get a tank and have other fish and a betta, you would have to have a filter. Bettas can live with non-aggressive schooling fish, and females bettas can live together (generally). Of course, with all fish, you may get some that you have to house alone. I know of a couple who had a guppy they had to return because it was literally killing all the other fish in their tank. A guppy. Yeah. It really just depends on the personality of the fish in some cases.

One thing that some say a betta doesn't need is a heater. While this is technically true, I would really recommend that you have a heater for your betta. This is the one I have, and it works well for my bowl. Bettas are a tropical fish, and they do need to be kept warm, generally between 76 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with the heater, I would recomend getting a thermometer to keep on the inside of your tank or bowl, and those generally only cost a few bucks. Bettas are a tropical fish and they do need the warmth. Without it, your fish will be miserable. It will live, probably, but it will be sad.

Another thing you will need is decoration. Not just to make your tank look pretty, but also to give the fish someplace to live. Fish, just like people, need a place to go if they get stressed or scared. A simple hideout will do, or even some plants. Here are examples of decorated tanks. One and two. Two, though, doesn't really have a decoration for the fish to hide inside of, which I would really recommend. When shopping for a decoration for your betta to hide in, rub your fingers along the entrances and the inside. If it feels rough, it may be dangerous to have for your betta. Their long, thin fins can be easily torn. It is also for this reason that I recommend against plastic plants. I would shop only for silk plants or live plants (though if you have a live plant they can murk up your water). If you have gravel and a house, your betta will be fine. It doesn't need plants. For every one gallon of water your tank holds, get a pound of gravel/sand for the bottom of your tank. So I have 1.5 lbs, a 5 gallon tank would need 5 lbs of gravel or sand. I would say that decor for your tank could run you about $15 if you just get the bare minimum for a bowl, maybe up to $30 depending on if you have a tank that you need to fill. Everything after that is just gravy.


You will need a water conditioner. I used Tetra brand Betta Safe water conditioner. You can get it here from Amazon for just a few dollars. If you buy it in store, it will be more expensive (anywhere from $5-$10). The reason you need water conditioner is so that you can use tap water to fill your bowl. Tap water has all sorts of stuff that is bad for your fish (chlorine, namely), and the water conditioner gets rid of that. Fill your tank, add conditioner, and 5 minutes later you're reader to add your fish. You don't have to cycle your tank (run the nitrogen cycle) for bettas, but you do need to be aware of the ammonia levels. If you go into your local pet store, they should be able to test your water and let you know if your ammonia levels are suitable to have a fish in. This is generally free.

You will also need food. Some people get multiple types of food (pellets and frozen blood worms). I get my pellets that already have blood worms in them, so I don't have to worry about it. Most people only feed their betta sparingly, like twice a week. It should only be what they can eat within five minutes, others do 1 pellet on the week days and 2 pellets on the week ends (AM and PM). It's really up to you. Neither way is going to be better for your fish, just make sure you don't over feed. This can murk up your water or even lead to digestive problems. Food should only cost about $5.


The fish, depending on the type of betta, can run anywhere from $3 to $20+ dollars. The cheapest fish at the place I work is the female veiltail betta. Females don't have the flashy fins or the pretty colors that the males do, so they are generally cheaper. The male veiltail is only a dollar more though. The most expensive fish that we sell is the Elephant Ear Halfmoon Plakat Betta, which can run up to $40. The fish is all based on your personal preference.

So, adding all that up:

Tank: $25-$100

Heater: $12

Thermometer: $5

Decor: $15-30

Water Conditioner: $2-$10

Food: $5-10

Fish:$3-40


Your grand total would be about $67 dollars before tax on the lower end and $196 before tax on the highest end discussed in this post. That $67 is plenty to start your betta on the road to a happy life in your home, on a counter or someplace (not in front of a window or near a vent, of course). If you wanted to upgrade later on, like I plan to, you could do that to, and build up your supplies over the long run. You can also check sales (for example, my store is having a 30% off fish sale this week, so I would check some pet stores in your area and see if there would be similar deals at other stores), and you can always check craigslist for used things tha tprevious fish owners don't want or need any more, :)

This is probably waaaayyyy more of an answer than you were expecting, but I like fish, and I had nothing better to do than write this. Now, some other people may have better advice, and that's totally cool and awesome, and I encourage you to look for all the advice you want. I have worked at this pet store for less than a year, and have only been a betta owner for a few months, so I'm sure that loads of people have more information that they can give you if you seek it. If you have any more questions, though, feel free to ask me. I'll do my best to answer them for you :)

Edit: I noticed the other commenter say something about the filters, and I just wanted to say that this is a differing opinion from what I have seen. The way I was trained is that they don't need and don't like filters, but I can see that this would be an issue if you have a larger tank. If you have a larger tank, definitely get a filter because it won't move the water too much and it will make life much easier for you!

API test kit - to test your parameters and see how much you have in ammonia and nitrites and nitrates
Stability - this is beneficial bacteria that will help cycle your tank. This doesn’t replace working on your cycle by doing water changes
betta safe - this is your conditioner that detoxis or removes and impurities of your water. I would suggest getting this in the future instead. Helps better with ammonia too prime
These are the hearty plants I like and are easy to upkeep depending on your light anubias

Hope this helps... most of all look into water changes and cycling...