Ultimate guide to keep Betta fish healthy!!!!
- Jun 20, 2020
- Anshika Mishra
- 1839 0 0
A lot of people believe that it's perfectly acceptable just throw a Betta fish in any old tank and they'll be fine. This perception is the reason why your Betta fish keeps dying.
In this article, you will get everything you need to know on how to get your Betta tank up and running. Follow these simple processes, and you will provide a healthy environment for your pet Betta fish.
Betta Basics
The first thing you should know when it comes to Betta fish is that males are not the only ones that make a good pet. Yes, the males are the ones with the beautiful flowing fins, but there are some jaw-dropping female Betta fish out there too. Everything in this article applies to both males and females.
Picking a Betta fish tank!
When it comes to selecting the right aquarium for your Betta fish, just go and get them at least a 5-gallon aquarium. If you can provide them a bigger tank awesome, but it must be at least 5-gallons. There are many smaller aquariums out there that claim to be Betta aquariums that are much smaller than 5-gallons, but these are not good choices for a Betta fish. The larger, the better to give them as much space as possible. In the end, you will appreciate it, and your Betta will appreciate the larger tank.
Let's warm things up!
Yes, you Betta needs a heater. Bettas are tropical fish who want their water to be at a tropical temperature, which is from 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit or around 26 degrees Celcius. If you are from a tropical climate, you might not need a heater.
The good thing about heating your Betta tank is that most of you are going to set up smaller tanks for your Betta fish, and there are quite a few heaters in the market made specifically for smaller tanks. These are heater that can automatically adjust to maintain a temperature of 78 degrees. That is awesome because you will not have to make any adjustments. All you'll have to do is stick it in your tank plug it on and you are done.
Yes, they need a filter!
When you see Bettas in the shops most of the time, you're going to see them into little cups, and this is the main reason that leads people to believe that Bettas can survive in just about anything. Then there is the myth of their being raised in mud puddles. But the truth is Betta fish are no different than any other fish in the tank. They need plenty of room to swim around, and they need filtration on their tank to keep the water healthy and clean.
You don't need to spend big money on some fancy filters. A simple sponge filter would work or a small hang on the back filter. These can usually be bought for just about a few bucks, and they'll do a great job.
One of the big things about these fishes is that they don't like a ton of water flow in the aquarium. So, when you go to select your power filter, make sure that it has a flow control so that you can turn it down, and you are not blowing your fish all over the place.
Who turned the lights off?
Lightning your Betta tank is not a complicated thing, but there are a couple of things to think about.
- First is that Bettas don't like a ton of lights, so you don't want to waste a bunch of money on the biggest and brightest light in the shop.
- Second, if you already have some bright light in the tank, look into getting some plants real or fake, that have broad leaves. This facilitates the Betta with some shade and for avoiding the bright light.
- The next question is, 'How long do you need to keep the light on?' Well, there are no specific rules when it comes to Bettas. They don't care either way. But if you have live plants with them, you'll need to give them plenty of light so that they can grow. If your betta tank is in a room that has a lot of natural light, you don't need to put your light on hardly ever, unless your live plants require it.
Just turn them on for a couple of hours a night when you want to spend time with your Betta fish (if you do not have any species like plants in the tank that require it).
Let's decorate the tank!
Decorating your Betta tank is the fun part. You can do many different things in the tank, but some rules apply.
First, Bettas like to have places they can retreat to and hide to feel safe. They also want to be able to go to these areas to rest. So make sure when you add decorations, there are covered areas and places where they can retreat. You can use things like driftwood, rocks, or even little decorative mushroom houses for them to go into. You'll see them going in and out of these spots all day long, and it's super adorable
The second thing is the plants. Some people will tell you that you have to have live plants for your Betta to be happy. Well, it is not true. Live plants are beautiful, and Bettas do love them, but if you don't have the patience to use live plants, then there are tons of super nice artificial plants that work perfectly fine.
When using artificial plants, try to stick with the silk plants. They look better, they look more natural, and they are much safer for your Bettas. The plastic one sometimes can damage or even rip off the fins of your Bettas.
What to feed Bettas?
Feeding your Bettas is super easy because there are so many different foods out there from various companies that make food specifically for Betta fish. Betta fish are not ordinarily picky eaters, so between Betta's appetite and the varieties of diets out there, you should have a hard time getting them to eat. They'll generally accept what you offer them, try different foods, and feed your fish with what they like the most.
Give your Bettas some friends!
When it comes to tankmates for Bettas, there are a few things you will need to keep in mind.
First thing Tank Size - as you consider the fact that most people are going to put Bettas in smaller tanks, which means there won't be much room for any other fish. If tankmates are essential to you, you might think about starting something a little more substantial like a 10-gallon tank, if you do than there should be plenty of room for some smaller fish.
Second thing Keep Your Betta Safe - think about is that one of the best characteristics of Bettas is there amazing fins. Some of them are long and fluffy. So, you want to stay away from fish that are labeled as fin-nippers.
Take good care of your Bettas!
Bettas are popular for a lot of reasons. They are beautiful fish, they are easy to take care of, and they have the most amazing personalities. You don't want to be one of those peoples that believe they don't require any work. You should be a responsible fish keeper and do your job to give them safe and provide the best life possible for your Betta.
Just like any other fish, your Betta fish tank needs water changes, and the equipment and filter need to be maintained. Get on a routine of doing maybe 50% water changes every other weekend. Change the filter cartridge once a month. This is the hard stuff. The other stuff is simple things like wiping the algae off the glass and cleaning the glass on the outside to make sure your tank looks great.
Keep these points in your mind, and your Betta will live healthy and happy lives!!
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