The Betta Bible: The Art and Science of Keeping Bettas

by Martin Brammah

Everything you wanted to know about bettas in one placeThe Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens (commonly known as the betta) is one of the most attractive and popular tropical freshwater aquarium fish of all time. Despite this, newcomers to the hobby often struggle to find the information they need to truly master keeping and breeding this spectacular fish for themselves.In The Betta Bible, Dr Martin Brammah combines the collective knowledge of some of the world’s most well-respected betta enthusiasts with his own hands-on experience of keeping and breeding bettas, in order to put all of that information within your grasp. Over 300 pages long and containing more than 150 colour photographs, The Betta Bible covers every aspect of the hobby, from taxonomy, anatomy and history right through to the various types of betta, how to breed them and their genetics. Whether you are thinking of buying your first betta, or simply looking to improve your betta breeding skills, this book is for you!“A must-read for both the novice and more experienced betta hobbyist alike.” - Dr Joep H. M. van Esch (Co-founder of the Bettas4All Standard)

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Reference

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 14, 2015

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely can't believe I read this, in that I stayed up entirely too late reading it all because I got a fish tank for Christmas. I enjoyed the conversational style of the writing for the most part. The information largely seemed sound as well, but I didn't really fact check anything (though I'm not really sure if you can when it comes to betta fish & some science).
I didn't need to read the whole book, and I'm not entirely sure why I did… There were large sections on fighting betta, breeding betta, and betta genetics. None of that do I need to know in order to set my tank up properly and select the right fish (though the breeding and genetics section probably made me smarter for when the time comes for me to pick my betta out). It was interesting enough.
If this was a series piece of academic or journalistic work, then I would have some issues in how the author puts out a conclusion, even though they back it up with, that's just my opinion/experience, but as a book for hobbyists, I have no real complaints. I especially like that it was available through Kindle Unlimited, but I would bet it's definitely worth its price for the serious hobbyist, especially if you don't want to have to comb through the internet to find such material, and if you don't have a local freshwater aquarium shop to help you out.
I still can't believe I read this whole thing…

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living up to its title, this is THE definitive Betta resource. Absolutely everything you need to know can be found here, as written by a friendly voice. Based in science and steeped in culture, this book has the added dash of character coming from a breeder and betta enthusiast. Brammah offers not only standard, practical solutions but tips and tricks he's learnt himself through experience; inclusive of troubleshooting and the odd measures that work which science has yet to conjure a solid backing for.

This isn't a straightforward "how to" guide, it is an all-encompassing look at husbandry, breeding, genetics, history, wildlife, habitat, etc. I've only seen one complaint about this book and that's that it dedicates many pages to betta fighting. Brammah in no way endorses the abuse of these creatures. These pages exist merely to pass concrete knowledge and research on betta origins down to enthusiasts alike. It would be coddling the reader to avoid even mentioning the subject given how glaring a role it plays in the domestication and evolution of betta fish in general.

[Alyssa Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a novice betta keeper I found this very informative and helpful- detailed enough without being overwhelming. I think this will be a book I will reference again and again as my skill at keeping and collecting bettas grows. Worth the $10 for the download, and the full color good quality pictures are nice.

[Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Book for the hobby

Packed with valuable information. Easy read for anyone even curious about buying a fish!
Couldn’t ask for much more in a book on buying, keeping, or breeding these beautiful fish.

[Harlea Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recommend another book that's worth it than this one
(click more)

The fact they are okay with fish fighting and teaching/knowledge you so you can do it is the reason why I didn't finish I only got up to 29%, if they search right then they would know that betta fish who fight do not live for long cause how bad it is and you can go to jail now. I never put down a book so fast. The breed part is okay but it's mostly about it. Don't bother with this book. Hopefully, in the future, this book gets banned.

If you're looking for a book to understand and get knowledge to care for your betta etc...

I would recommend "the betta fish: the simple guide to care for your magical betta" by Walter James

[Edgy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't understand why this book is shilled everywhere online. Really overrated. There's better books out there for fishkeeping.

Beautiful photos, a few really good tips, but also contains some harmful tips, some outdated inferior approaches. Most of the book is dedicated to breeding so the name was a little misleading.

An okay read but I don't suggest to beginners to use this as their sole source due to a couple misleading advices in it. More appropriate to read if you have a little bit of prior knowledge and experience with bettas.

[Sashko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book!

Very helpful and informative book about Bettas. Every chapter delves into details deeply enough to grasp the concepts and bettas nature.

[Tara L Tyrrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

The best book on bettas that I have ever read. Very informative and easy to understand. Would recommend to anyone who has bettas.

[Chris Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good information that is more up to date than most American standards. Has explanations of things that I wasn't considering and was useful to be more well rounded.

[Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't breed Betta Splendens, but if I did, I totally would go back and use The Betta Bible as reference.

Such a great book. So much trivia. E.g (Super Deltas are failed Half Moons)

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply the best betta book out there.
Very in depth, full of great and sensible advice and wonderful pictures.

[Shadow's · Rating 1 out of 5]

Limited info, mostly useless prattle, not really helpful.

[Renae Stuckert · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was looking for a book on how to care for bettas and this only had one small chapter about that.