Our Top & Bottom Betta Fish Tanks (And why we like/dislike them!)

Hey Pet Parents & Pet Lovers,

I personally find that fish are one of the hardest pets to shop for. I know my training in the pet store didn’t cover much information about fish and for months I was under the impression that certain products were good for your fish, but I later learned that it wasn’t true and would cause a lot of stress/long-term problems for the fist. For that reason, I wanted to cover some of the best and worst fishtanks you can get specifically for a Betta.

The following list is by the popularity of the fish tanks and I will briefly cover the pros and cons of each.

Aqueon LED MiniBow Aquarium Starter Kits with LED Lighting – RECOMMENDED This is the tank we actually have for Blub and we have been happy with it for the two years we’ve had him. We personally have the 2.5 gallon tank which is enough room for a Betta. Off the bat, I would say you need a tank that is at least 2 gallons or more for one Betta. This tank has an easy flow waterfall that also includes a filter (which is also very important for Bettas as they are sensitive to dirty water and will develop sicknesses like “Popeye” if the water isn’t clean enough.) We clean this tank once a week with a 1/3 water change, which keeps Blub blowing bubbles regularly, and we always make sure to do a 100% water change when his tank’s pH in the water is getting a bit high.

The Nifty Nook Exclusive Design New Good Luck Decorative Gold Antiqued Elephant Glass Fish Bowl Tabletop Aquarium or Terrarium or Candle Holder I can’t deny how beautiful this fish tank is, but I would definitely say it is a much better as a candle holder as suggested in the name. Reason being: There’s no filter, the water is stagnant, and it wouldn’t be large enough for a Betta Fish. So you may be asking me, Johnny, why add it to the list? Well, it’s mostly just to bring up the fact that a number of first-time fish owners put their fish in vases, small filterless fish bowls or other inadequate enclosures for them. Please be wary of this. I’m not sure there are any fish that can healthily survive homes like this, but I can 100% say that it’s not a good choice for a Betta.

Coralife LED Biocube Aquarium LED – RECOMMENDED This tank basically blew my mind away. It’s extremely large (the smaller one being around 20 gallons). The cool thing about this product is the fact that the pumps are adjustable and the lights are actually on a timer that runs a natural day cycle. (This can be helpful for folks who aren’t home often or forget to turn off the lights in their tanks.) Everything is perfect with this tank, minus the fact that it does not have a heater. This is easily fixable and I can recommend using Marina’s Compact Heater which has two styles (one for up to 2.6 gallons and the other for up to 6.6 gallons.)

Aqueon Betta Falls Kit While this is a gorgeous fish tank, I don’t like the fact that all of your fish are using the same water. I mean, let’s be honest, if you’re running a large fish tank it’s going to be the same situation, but if one of your fish gets fin rot or ick in this adorable tank, they’re all going to get it. There is also no way to put a heater in this tank and even if you did find a way, the water can potentially be colder for one fish even though it’s warm for another. Bettas will also not have enough space to swim, and this would probably be the best bet for you if you’re only keeping your Bettas short term (like if you’re in a pet store.)

Koller Products AquaView 2-Gallon 360 Fish Tank with Power Filter and LED Lighting Although big enough, this is not a tank you want for your Bettas. Bettas will be stressed everytime something walks by this tank because they will look warped and much bigger than they actually are. I know that fish can “look cuter” in these tanks, but they won’t be looking cuter for too long. At the end of the day, these tanks always look cooler than they actually are for the fish.

Umbra FishHotel Mini Aquarium, Great for Goldfish, Bettas, and Other Small Fish, 1.8 Gallon This tank is actually fairly cool. It gives your Betta lots of places to hide and can stack with other FishHotels to make a condo. It is easily cleaned but does not include a filtering mechanic. You’re going to have to change this water bowl at least twice a week, but it’s definitely a good choice for an office or workspace. While not at the top of my list, it’s a good starter tank.

Penn Plax Betta Fish Tank Aquarium Kit With LED Light and Internal Filter Desktop Size, 1.5 Gallon This is also a great starter tank. It has enough space for one Betta, has great filtration and has the light that you need to run a day cycle. As most tanks, it doesn’t have a heater, but you probably won’t need one for a tank this small. As long as you have it farm from the window in a room that has a consistent temperature, you are fine! Honestly, I would love to have this on my desk at work.

Marina CUBUS Glass Betta Kit I’m tired of seeing this tank. It’s honestly one of the worst tanks I’ve ever seen and it’s the most popular in sales at the pet store I used to work at. It’s around 1 gallon large, which is…. manageable for Bettas but it’s flimsy and has broken on a number of our customers. The light isn’t great either and the feeding hole is not ideal. Fish have been known to jump out of this specific Betta cube, and quite frankly I don’t blame them. There’s not enough space, there’s no filtration and there’s no safety for your little one. Please stay away from this tank.

MarineLand Portrait Glass LED Aquarium Kit – RECOMMENDED Honestly, one of my favourite tanks of all. It has a 3-step filtration system that is adjustable, has white and blue LEDs to simulate day cycles and has a hinge to protect your fish from dirt and other animals. This tank is 5 Gallons and comes at a good price. It’s actually on the list of tanks I want to upgrade to in the future.

Fluval Flex LED Freshwater Kit – RECOMMENDED Also coming at a great price, this 15-gallon tank has a 3 step filtration system and also includes a remote control light. This tank will definitely take a bit of time to clean but will give your fish a great amount of space to swim around. You’re also going to love the price point it’s at, as it’s one of the cheapest 15-gallon tanks I’ve found to this day.

So Pet Parents, is your tank on this list? Is there a tank I missed? Companies are always making new tanks, so I hope to continue to update this list as more come out. Please feel free to send me suggestions of ones I should check out or if there’s one you have you need advice on, let me know!