If you are a first-time pet owner or just interested in having an aquarium, a Betta fish is a great pet. They are easy to care for and it’s so rewarding to see a sick Betta grow back its fins. Whenever I went to a pet shop to buy supplies for my fish, I started noticing how many sick, injured, and depressed Betta fish they had for sale, and I began to worry about their fate. It’s always been sad to me, how Betta fish are kept in such small containers until they are sold. Now that I have seen how my Betta fish have flourished in bigger tanks it made me realize they are more affected by their environment than people realize. This led me to start rescuing Bettas and now I have over 10 in my care. Bettas come in all sorts of sizes and colors, some can even glow in the dark. My personal favorite is the Blue Marble Betta. If you do decide to get a Betta fish, there are a few important steps you must take before you jump right into choosing your Betta fish.
You should find a safe spot for your Betta aquarium. You don’t want a high traffic area where the aquarium would be shaking, this would lead to further stress on the Betta fish. You also want to keep your Betta aquarium away from any windows because too much sun light will promote algae growth. You also want to avoid drafts or cool breezes which can reduce water temperature in the aquarium. Cold water temperature in the aquarium could cause sickness because Bettas originate from Thailand where it is very warm. The ideal water temperature for the aquarium is between 77-80 degrees. So, a water heater is also a requirement to keep your Betta healthy. A ten-gallon aquarium can weigh over 100 pounds, make sure that wherever you are planning to put your Betta aquarium it can hold all that weight.
Bettas in the wild love hiding in plants and hollow branches so you want to try and recreate that environment for your Betta. I personally like using live plants because they kill harmful ammonias in the water. Plastic plants are fine because they come in all different colors, and sizes. Make sure the plastic plant does not have sharp edges which could tear your Bettas fins. Plastic hollow logs work well because there can be a few entrances for the Betta. So again, like the plastic plants, you must check that all the sides of the plastic log for pointy or rough surfaces.
I recommend getting a filter if you have a ten-gallon tank or larger. Even an aquarium with a filter, you should do water changes, which means you empty out half of the water in the tank at least once every 2-3 weeks. Now the heater is important because as I said before, Betta fish need warm water temperatures. The size of the heater really depends on the size of the aquarium so I would choose your tank first.
Now you have your aquarium set up, and you’re ready to choose your fish. You can not put two males into the same tank but can put one male and one female or five females. In larger than ten gallon tanks you can have one male and a variety of other fish as a community tank. Before you just dump your Betta into new water, you need to add some treatments because some tap water or even water from the store can contain harmful chemicals. I use several different treatments for my tanks, but one should really do the trick. If you are planning to put your fish in immediately, “Quick Start” is a great treatment. “Quick Start” contains live nitrifying bacteria that can help prevent fish loss and limits toxic ammonia & nitrites. You could also use “Stress Zyme+” that also contains other live bacteria and reduces aquarium maintenance. If your store doesn’t have those available, “Prime” is a good choice, it removes chlorine and detoxifies ammonia as well.
Finally, you must pick out your Bettas food. Now you might think that any old Betta food would work, but if you want a healthy Betta, choosing food is an important step. In the wild, Betta fish wouldn’t eat the same thing every day. Therefore, you want to have a variety of food for your Betta fish. My Bettas really enjoy shrimp pellets, bug buttes (contain processed bugs), and krill. Recently, I switched my fish over to frozen foods because it contains more nutrients than pellets.
At the end of a long day, it is therapeutic to relax and watch your Betta fish explore his surroundings and flourish on the food you provide. This relatively inexpensive hobby can bring years of visual pleasure.
