Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Bettas are very unusual and fun fish to own, and this is a great, affordable way to get started. I have owned several bettas through the years, one that lived to 5 years old. Keeping their tanks clean is the most challenging part of ownership, and it stresses the fish a great deal if you remove them from the tank to do a water change. Many of the "experts" who proclaim that bettas need large, fancy setups and filters, etc. also say that bettas only live 2 years. I was drawn to this product when I was considering getting bettas for my boys and knew that I wanted a convenient way to keep them clean and healthy. The kit includes stones, which is nice. Make sure you give them a good rinse first, as they are very dusty. That could explain the "cloudy water" some people are complaining about. If you add your own stones instead, make sure they are not tiny pebbles or there will not be sufficient gaps for waste to get flushed out with a water change. I added marimo balls and betta beds to our setup. The tanks give the fish enough space to swim around, and they are quite happy. Water became a bit cloudy after initial setup, but that is NORMAL as the fish get established in their new home. We've had no fin rot or other health issues. I like the square shape, which allows us to set the tanks side-by-side so the bettas can see and "fight" each other. For water changes, I bought a gallon of spring water, and added a Jungle "Bowl Buddy" tab to the container. I've been adding new water every other day or so from the jug of conditioned water using the water cup provided in the kit. The tank cleaning mechanism works great, in my opinion. Looking in the waste water receptacle, there is definitely some waste that gets flushed out, and the water looks cleaner after new water is added. People who are expecting a spotless tank after adding new water are expecting too much from the product. You don't NEED to flush out every bit of poop every time. It will break down over time and more easily flush out with a later water change. As long as you are regularly adding fresh water, the fish will be healthy. Bettas need the good bacteria in their bowl to remain healthy. Also make sure you know how much your fish eats in a feeding and feed no more than that. We use Hikari Betta Bio-Gold pellets, which float and can be easily removed if the betta does not eat it all. Frankly, I think this product is being unfairly panned by people who either have unreasonable expectations, or have their own biases about a proper betta setup to begin with. It's a perfectly fine betta habitat that makes it easy to care for and enjoy these beautiful animals.