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Betta Care
Have you ever wondered what size of a tank a betta should have? What
about plants? Substrate?
Well I am going to answer some of these questions for you in this article.
Bettas ideally should be kept in a tank no smaller than
5 gallons and you should provide your betta with a
heater and filter.
Bettas require a heater even though they are primarily
found in streams and rivers in the wild. They are still a
tropical fish which requires the temperature to be at least 74F and no
more than 80F. A good heater that will heat the water should be
submersible. These heaters last longer and work better than the hang on
the tank type. I use Whisper brand heaters in some of my tanks as well as
Aquatech. There are many heaters on the market that will work equally
as well.
Filtration is a must. Just as any other fish, a Betta produces waste which
needs to be removed from the water through a filtration system. A bio-wheel filter such as the brand Penguin is an excellent filter for the tank.
It provides all three of the filtrations necessary to a healthy tank.
It is also recommenced that you do a 25% water change on a weekly
basis for maintenance. This also includes vacuuming the gravel. The
Python is a fish keepers best friend as it allows you to vacuum the
gravel, empty the water, and refill it all in one easy step. It doesn't take
up a lot of time to do this and takes the work out of maintaining a
healthy tank.
Plants of course are optional. Your betta would enjoy a plant or two
because it makes him feel more secure. It gives him a place to hide if he
becomes frightened. If you do decide to add plants, make sure they are
made from soft materials such as silk. Plastic plants are nice but they are
rough and tend to tear a bettas beautiful finage. Real plants are another
option and provide some added beauty to the tank. They do require some
maintenance though but are well worth the effort.
Substrate for your betta tank should consist of small to medium size
gravel. It can be any color although the natural colors are more
preferable and easier on the eyes. Hot pink sometimes will not set well in
the tank.
Bettas are known for fighting therefore it is absolutely unadvisable to
add two bettas to the same tank. Even with a tank divider it can still be
risky. If you want to get your betta a friend, they go well with non-aggressive fish such as swordtail, guppies, and platies. If you are
keeping them in a ten gallon tank though you may want to limit your
choices to males only as these are live bearing fish a breed prolifically.
Bad choices for betta tankmates include such fish as barbs. They tend to
be fin nippers and will eat down the fins of a betta in no time. It's a
horrible way for him to die.
There are many different types of food that bettas can and will eat. There
are commercially made pellets that are specifically for bettas. A good
guideline to use for feeding a betta is 4-5 pellets twice a day. You may
substitute a meal with other foods such as bloodworms, spirulina, shrimp
and other frozen treats. I bought a great frozen shrimp based food that
comes in a cube form that my fish just love. Bettas come in many colors.
There is no perfect color to chose. Go with whatever color you prefer.
Now before you invest in your betta you need to read up on the article I
have for cycling your tank. You never want to start a tank without first
cycling it. It is too stressful for the fish and can cause many problems.
I believe that any fish purchase should be made from a reputable breeder. I used to buy fish from pet stores but you can run into an enormous amount of trouble. Some people have actually had good luck with pet store fish. A point to look out for if shopping from a pet store is to watch for dead fish, damaged fins, and any other signs of disease. The breeder I buy my cichlids from is a good one and the fish he sells have a bright, shiney tint to their scales. That’s what I mainly watch for. That and clear eyes!
If you did not find the answer to your question by reading this article, please submit a question for us in the betta forum and we will be more than happy to help you.
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