Betta Fish: 1st time owning a Betta and loving it! (Meet “Sandwich”)

So over the years, I’ve had a 20 gallon tank with Tetras, Cory’s, Snails and Shrimp, however I have never considered owing a Betta before.

About a week ago, my wife “surprised” the family by buying our daughter her own fish and brought home this Betta. Her plan was to put in a half gallon flower vase with “rocks from the garden” because she had owned a Betta before and it lived just fine like that. With no filter, heater, plants, etc.

Without hesitation I immediately ran to Petco and bought this 5g tank, light, heater, log, gravel and some extra plants to make this Betta a happy home. I used water from my currently established tank and after $150 and a few hours I made sure everything was perfect before introducing Sandwich (my 8 year old daughter’s name of choice) to his new home.

The thing that surprised me the most was that I had no clue how much personality these fish had. Don’t get me wrong, it is cool having that other tank/fish and shrimp setup but Bettas seem to be on another level in terms of consciousness.

He swims up to the tank and looks me in the eyes when I peak in. He knows when it’s breakfast/dinner and eagerly awaits for bloodworms/pellets when I open the lid. And overall it just seems an actual “pet” and not just another fish. This little guy has really made me appreciate the Betta hobby and I’m glad to be apart of this community. Can’t wait to see if any other colors start to pop as he gets more settled in/happy.

Any tips and or additions to the tank? Please feel free to let me know, I’m still in the learning phase.