Printable owner manual
The tank is cycled before the fish goes in. Everything else is detail.
A 37-page printable manual with tank, heater and lid, a fishless cycling walkthrough, the water numbers that actually matter, feeding without overfeeding, five health pages with dosing limits, and a blackout plan.
Not sure yet? Download the first 4 pages free, contents page included.
- 37 pages, print or view
- Beginner friendly
- No external links inside the PDF
Edition 2.2
Sep 2026 路 37 pages
Care-sheet roulette
- A bowl on a desk, room temperature, no filter
- "Add the fish and the tank will cycle itself"
- Fin rot treated with whatever the pet shop had on the shelf
- Flakes twice a day, and a bloated betta by month two
This guide
- 5 gallons minimum, heated, filtered, cycled and lidded, with the reason for each
- A fishless cycling walkthrough, step by step, started while the fish is still in the shop
- Fin rot, ich, velvet and columnaris, with dosing and duration limits
- A pellet staple, a feeding schedule, and why a betta stops eating
What's inside 路 37 pages
Everything from first setup to daily routine.
Tank, heater and lid
Tank size, the heater and the lid, and the temperature held steady, never room temperature.
The nitrogen cycle
Filtration and the nitrogen cycle, fishless cycling step by step, water quality and testing, water changes and keeping the cycle.
Health and red flags
Fin rot and ich, velvet and columnaris, swim bladder, dropsy and mycobacteriosis, and finding a vet.
Diet
The feeding schedule, why a betta stops eating, the food chart and the never-feed list.
Behavior and tankmates
Reading a healthy betta, stress signals and behavior, tankmates, and enrichment from the research.
Owner tools
Setup checklist and water targets, emergency card, budget and shopping list, first 30 days, symptom reference, blackout plan, pet-sitter sheet, and the logs.
Every page, section by sectionThe package's own contents page, all 37 pages of it. Nothing here is a teaser for something sold separately.
Getting Started
- How to Use This Package
Quick Profile
- Quick Profile & Cost Overview
Full Care Guide
- Tank, Heater & Lid
- Filtration & the Nitrogen Cycle
- Fishless Cycling, Step by Step
- Water Quality & Testing
- Water Changes & Keeping the Cycle
- Diet & Feeding Schedule
- Why a Betta Stops Eating
- Food Chart & the Never-Feed List
- Common Mistakes
- Enrichment: What the Research Says
- Reading a Healthy Betta & Body Condition
Health & Common Issues
- Health Red Flags & First Response
- Finding a Vet & What to Tell Them
- Fin Rot & Ich
- Velvet & Columnaris
- Swim Bladder, Dropsy & Mycobacteriosis
- Stress Signals & Behavior
- Tankmates
Quick Reference
- Setup Checklist & Water Targets
- Emergency & Quick Targets Card
Owner Tools
- Budget & Shopping List
- First 30 Days Checklist
- Symptom Quick Reference
- Daily, Weekly & Seasonal Routine
- Power Outages & the Blackout Plan
- Travel, Transport & Moving
- Pet-Sitter Sheet
- Owner Log
- Equipment, Water Change & Vet Log
- Enrichment Checklist & Log
Reference
- Glossary
- Sources
- Version History & About
Take a look inside
The pages that keep the water at zero.
Click a page to see it at full size. The contents page is complete; the others fade out where the paid content starts.
The first 4 pages, free
Pages 1 to 4 as a PDF: the contents page and the introduction, so you can see every page the full package covers. None of the care guide itself.
Who this is for
- New betta owners who have not bought the tank yet, which is the right time
- Keepers with a bowl or an unheated tank who want to fix it this week
- Anyone whose betta looks unwell and wants to test the water before medicating
What it's not
- Not a substitute for an aquatic-experienced veterinarian
- Not a live website mirror, a clean printable package instead
- Not a subscription, one purchase and every corrected edition is free
Ready when you are
Betta Fish Care Package
37 pages. PDF. Print it or keep it open on your phone, tablet, or computer. Yours the moment you check out.
Edition 2.2, published September 5, 2026. Paid through Stripe. The download link arrives on the next page, and it stays in your library for as long as the package exists, always as the current edition. Not a substitute for a vet.
More care packages
Same format, other animals.
Goldfish Care Package
Stop guessing your goldfish's tank targets.
40 pages 路 PDF 路 edition 2.1
Bearded Dragon Care Package
Basking temps you don't have to guess at.
35 pages 路 PDF 路 edition 3.1
Leopard Gecko Care Package
The belly heat number that actually matters.
35 pages 路 PDF 路 edition 2.1
The free betta fish guide is still free
This package is the same research as our betta fish care guide, reformatted into an offline manual with the checklists, logs, and triage tables the web pages do not carry. Read the free guide first and buy this only if you want it in your hands.