My first betta was a blue veiltail from Walmart named Rainbow. He lived in a 10-gallon tank and I thought I was really doing something. I was a seven-year-old kid in Florida, and I wanted to get it right.
Thanks to my parents giving me unfettered internet access at, frankly, far too young an age, I learned mostly from forums. This meant wading through advice that contradicted itself, had no sources, or had been passed down so many times nobody remembered where it started. Figuring out what was actually grounded in research versus what was just hobbyist folk wisdom took years, and it’s not a skill I’ve gotten to retire.
Why This Site Exists
KnowBetta started because I remember how confusing it was to be new to this and not know who to trust, and because the hobby has a way of being unwelcoming to exactly the people who are trying hardest. Most people asking questions are just trying to do right by their fish.
I’m not a biologist or a vet. I’m someone who’s cared about this for a long time and wanted a place that admits what it doesn’t know and doesn’t scold anybody for asking.
What I can promise is that I do the homework. I’ve built a reference library of research papers, publications from veterinary organizations and universities, and reputable hobbyist books, and I use it. When an article on this site makes a factual claim, I try to cite where it came from so you can check for yourself; when the science is unclear or the honest answer is “it depends,” I’d rather say so than pick whichever answer sounds most confident.
If you found your way here, you’re probably the kind of person who wants to get it right. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only qualification the hobby should require.
Get in Touch
If you spot something on this site that doesn’t look right, whether it’s outdated information, a broken source, or something that could be explained better, I want to hear about it! Shoot me a message at [email protected]