Bettas like a consistent warm temperature (80 degrees F. is best for these fish, so an aquarium heater is advisable, unless they are in a consistently warm room). They suffer if kept too cool——in water below 75 F. they are inactive, sluggish, and prone to disease. They do best by themselves, especially if they’re males, as males will fight each other. Also, if you put them in with other fish, there’s the possibility of other fish nipping at their long, cumbersome fins and causing injury. Because they come from swampy areas in Southeast Asian, bettas are able to thrive in small quarters with little to no aeration, but they do much better in a roomier tank (eg., at least 3 to 5 gallons, not those little dinky bowls you often find them in in pet shops! Lol.). Aeration and filtration is best, but the aeration should be gentle, as these fish naturally live in calm water in the wild. They love eating little red dried bloodworms, which you can get at petshops. Don’t overfeed. Once a day is good enough. Keep the water quality in good condition with small, regular water changes once a week. This is probably one of the most important factors in keeping fish healthy. Just change 10 percent of the water in the betta’s tank (siphon the bottom) and replace with de-chlorinated water of the same temperature. Doing these things will ensure that your pet betta live a full life (Bettas live on average 2–3 years. They don’t live too long, but they are relatively hardy fish.)