So Sophie,

I just purchased a male betta, but I'm not sure exactly how to take care of them. What kind of care do they need? Is there anything special I need to know?

-New to fish

Hey New,

hat's a really great question and it's refreshing to see someone who just bought a new pet actually bother to do the research required to care for it properly. You really lucked out with your choice, though. It doesn't get a whole lot easier than the betta. Here's some info (much of it from www.bettasrus.com).

Betta (pronounced bet-uh, not bait-uh) splendens are otherwise known as Siamese Fighting Fish because males will fight each other until only one remains. Even if the loser is still alive, he often dies soon after the fight from injuries and/or infection that begins at the site of injuries. Because of this males must be separated from each other, with only one kept in a container or tank. Females, however, may be kept with other females without any problem.

Bettas are native to Thailand. They are usually found swimming in rice paddies and other slow-moving bodies of water. They don't need a lot of oxygen since they are air-breathing fish. Well, not exclusively, but they come to the top of the water and gulp air through an organ called a labyrinth. They need to have access to the surface of the water at all times, so be sure not to overfill your tank.

The bettas in the wild look very different than the ones we know and have been captivated by. In the wild, speed and agility are more important than color and beauty. With this in mind, you can envision the wild betta with short fins and dark, mottled coloring. The wild bettas are very interesting and beautiful in their own way.

While there is no definitive answer on what you should feed your betta, since they will eat just about anything if they're hungry enough, most people stick with anything from flake food, pellets or freeze-dried worms to frozen & live brine shrimp, bloodworms, black worms, and mosquito larvae. Bettas are carnivores, though, and cannot survive on plant-only food. There has to be some sort of meat product in their food or they will eventually suffer from malnourishment and die. They will live quite happily on the common "Betta Foods" found in pet stores. If you are planning on breeding your bettas they will need a specialized diet. Since I highly doubt that's what you're doing with your very first one, we'll skip that bit. Wal-Mart carries a food that they seem to like called Aqua Culture's Bettas, distributed by HBH. If placed on the water gently, it floats and usually will twirl around the surface of the water. That usually grabs the betta's attention (as if any food doesn't). It is in a small clear vial with a blue label and a picture of a Royal Blue betta with red wash. Feed your fish every day but not too much. Its stomach is only the size of its eye so it's easy to overfeed.

Bettas are a tropical fish and therefore prefer warmer water. An ideal temperature is in the upper 70's (°F); they can be kept in the lower 70's if needed but it isn't recommended. Many people will attempt to convince you that all bettas should be kept with a heater to survive; this is simply not true. I have seen people living in cold climates and college housing (read: not a lot of heat) keep them at room temperature and they were just fine. If you can manage it, somewhere around 76°F is best. The tank you keep them in should be at least half a gallon but these little guys don't need a whole lot of room. Change the water partially about once a week and you should be good to go. Never use distilled water in your tank, since it lacks essential nutrients the fish needs. Bottled spring water is fine, though. (I don't know why you want to keep your fish in spring water, but that's your decision.)

Keep your tank covered at all times! Bettas are apparently notorious for jumping out of the tank. None of us want to come home to find a dead fish on the floor. I've done that. It's not pretty.

This is by far not everything that you will ever need to know about the Siamese Fighting Fish but it's enough to get you off to a good start. Enjoy.