Freshwater Aquarium

Caring for a Betta Splendens, or the Siamese fighting fish is relatively easy. You don’t need a large well equipped aquarium that costs hundreds of dollars. A small bowl or vase will work, but if you can get a small 1-2 gallon aquarium with a filter that will work best. If you do use a bowl or vase make sure it is big enough for your new Betta to swim around without bumping into the side. While the Betta can breathe air from the surface it is important that the opening of your Bettas bowl is wide enough to allow good oxygenation of the water.

It is important that you don’t put two Bettas in the same bowl or tank because they are after all called Siamese fighting fish. If two males are put into the same small bowl they will usually fight until one of them is killed. Females will get along better with each other than the males do but they do need room to escape a more aggressive female.

Another point to remember when it comes to caring for your Betta fish is to not over-feed them. They can be fed once or twice a day but only a few pellets of Betta food at a time. They will not eat much at one time and if you feed them to much the remaining food will fall to the bottom and muck up their bowl.

You will have to change your Bettas water once every two or three days. Since they can easily live in a small bowl without any filtration the best way to keep their water clean is by frequent water changes. You need to do this to prevent the build up of ammonia which is toxic. You need to replace 70%-80% of the water every time you do a water change. You will also need to use a water conditioner that removes the chlorine and heavy metals normally found in water supplies. Another thing you can do is let the water sit out overnight in a bucket which allows the chlorine to escape.

The ease of caring for a Betta fish makes it appealing for people who do not have the time or space to care for more high maintenance pets like dogs, cats or even an aquarium full of fish. They can be placed just about anywhere, on a shelf or counter top, in an apartment or home.

If you properly care for your Betta fish they will easily live for 3 to 5 years and provide you with a healthy happy companion that will become more than just a pet.

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Betta splendens is one of the most wanted fish in everyone’s aquarium. Breeding Bettas is not hard, though you might face problems at spawning them. They are oviparous fish, the male builds a nest in which the eggs/fry are kept for few days under the strict care of the Betta male. If you follow the next advices, you have big chances to get nice results of your Betta fish spawning.

1. Reproduction tank equipment: volume of 15-20 liters, a heater, a thermometer and air pomp connected to an air rock which will spread small bubbles. You need small bubbles because the fry are very sensitive to water movements and you don’t want them to suffer.

2. The aquarium water must have a temperature of 28-29

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When you saw him at the pet store you know you had to save him, and now you need to know how to care for your betta fish! You couldn’t help but buy the betta fish, seeing its beauty stuffed inside that little cup with no room to move. I don’t blame you; they are an absolutely beautiful fish. They look so crammed and lonely inside that little cup. You took the first step by taking him home and doing a really good thing for the little guy; now let’s just hope you continue to take care of him.

Taking care of anything is not nearly as easy as the pet store would make it seem. They buy betta in mass quantities, stick them in the little cups, and display them with the intention of selling them before anything bad happens. If one dies they just throw it out and they’ve already raised the price enough on the others to cover their losses. So believe me when I say you did a good thing. Now, on to caring for your betta.

First Tip

Buy a good fish aquarium. Bettas don’t need a lot of room, but much more than a cup! The bigger you decide to go with the tank the better. It will be easier to take care of and you never know, you might want to house some other Betta-compatible fish with it later on. Give the aquarium a rock bottom, preferable rock intended for aquariums, and clean it thoroughly.

Second Tip

Buy an adequate filter for the aquarium, especially if you have more than one fish. This costs a little more but makes your job, and the Betta’s life a lot easier. The filter will help keep the water cleaner longer and you will only need to buy replacement cartridges every month or so. This will also keep the water quality consistent for the fish.

Third Tip

You only need to feed your fish once a day, twice at the absolute most. This is where many people go wrong, they keep dumping flake after flake into the tank. The fish will overeat and that’s not even the biggest problem. By overfeeding your Betta, the food will drop to the bottom and become waste and eventually poison the water.

Four Tip

The majority of Betta deaths are cause by poor water conditions. As long as you filter your water and do a 20% water change every month, you should not have any problems with water quality. If you suspect bad water conditions, especially in the beginning while the water is acclimating, you can and should test the water. It can take up to eight weeks to get the water acclimated and from there it should stay in a safe range. You should always do your homework before purchasing anything, but since you’re reading this you’ve probably already purchased your Betta.

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