Betta Fish Care – How to Prepare Your Betta Fish Tank
January 13, 2012 
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Betta Fish
Betta Fish Care – How to prepare your betta fish tank
Article by John Roberts
Before you bring your betta fish home from the pet store, it’s a very good idea to have a home ready to go for your new found friends. The bowl or cup you bought the fish in are not meant to be long term homes for your fish if you want them to thrive during their time spent with you. What follows is a good list of things every betta owner interested in high quality betta fish care should handle in order to give your fish the best shot of living a long and full life.
When first preparing their new home, it’s best to try to replicate a betta’s natural environment. This will lesson stress in their lives and increase the likelihood of them flourishing in their new surroundings. Selecting a small fish bowl may at first seem a good place for your fish to live, but it actually makes a terrible home for your fish. With no access to freely move around, you should not reasonably expect your fish to live to their full life expectancy. An aquarium with a 5-10 gallon capacity is a much more suitable home for your fish. A tank this size will give your bettas much more room to live a vibrant and active life.
The water added to the tank must be completely free of any trace of chlorine. Tap water is an acceptable option provided it sits for at least 24 hours. Allowing the water to sit should enable the chorine in the water to completely evaporate into the air. Alternatively, you can treat the water with a water conditioner which removes any harmful substances from the tap water.
You’ll also need to remember to leave some space between the top of the aquarium and the water surface. Betta fish are known for their jumping ability, and it’s not uncommon for them to occasionally jump out of their aquarium. If a hood or glass cover is not available for one reason or another, a netting or mesh could substitute as a cover for the tank.
When considering a substrate for the aquarium, it’s best to use a natural sort. Gravel that is painted is not a good option because the paint can dissolve into the tank’s water, which can harm your fish. You should also choose gravel free from jagged edges because the edges can cause damage to your fish upon contact. For this same reason, it’s also best to avoid metallic decorations.
Natural plants are an excellent choice for your betta’s home and your fish will appreciate your attention to detail in this sometimes overlooked aspect of betta fish care. Not only do natural plants serve as natural hiding places for bettas, they also provide your little friends oxygen and help to break down nitrates which accumulate in the tank water.
Bettas are accustomed to experiencing sunlight in their natural environment. If the room in which the tank sits does not receive natural light, the next best option is to provide artificial light. The light will not only benefit the bettas, but will also help the nitrification bacteria and plants located inside of the tank. One word of caution: when using a desk or reading lamp, make sure the lamp does not heat the tank water beyond what bettas can tolerate. The safe temperature range for bettas is between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Placing a light at a safe distance from the tank will usually pose no risk of raising the water temperature, and many pet stores offer aquarium lights designed with this specification in mind.
While all of this preparation may seem like quite of bit of work, it will be well worth the effort in terms of providing your fish with a safe and comfortable place to live, as well as providing you the peace of mind knowing your fish are well taken care of. But the job is never done because maintenance will always be a necessary part of betta fish care.
John Roberts, a self confessed betta fish fanatic of over 15 years. He now owns more than a dozen professional aquariums and apparently can no longer park the family car in the garage because of all the fishtanks and equipment! Let’s just say that his wife is very patient! John has a great sense of humour and enjoys cooking, golf and is actively involved in hiking and snorkling.
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Betta Fish
He tweeted on Wednesday that he just bought a Betta Fish and named it Lady Gaga… though as it turns out, not everybody is a fan of Gaga (WHAT?), as Chris explained, I don't think it likes its name. I've never seen a fish roll its eyes before. …
Betta Fish question by allusive_joker: Is my male betta fish trying to kill the female betta fish?
I had a betta fish by himself and recently went and put a female in the tank with him. It seems he doesnt like her cause he cases her around and she is constantly sitting on the bottom kinda like hiding from him. I thought that male bettas liked female bettas. Any suggestions?? Thanks!
Betta Fish best answer:
Answer by koala4poly
No take her out, the male figther is commonly known to mate with the female and kill her, the same with 2 males, they will kill each other.
Also you should watch what other fish you put in your tank, fighter fish attack anything with long fins and tails and colourful fish
Taking care of your own Betta fish
The title says it all *& ask questiions(:
Betta Fish Video Rating: 4 / 5
