How to properly take care of a betta fish? Betta fish, often known as Siamese Fighting Fish, is a popular pet. They are not only beautiful with their long, flowing tails, but they also have cool personalities. Bettas are commonly referred to as “scaly cats and dogs” in the water. This article how to properly take care of a betta fish.
They have wonderful personalities, but they are aggressive towards other bettas (male and female), thus they often live alone. They may be suitable for tank mates in some cases. Still, the betta’s temperament, the size of the tank, and other circumstances all play a role in the situation’s effectiveness.
If properly cared for, Betta splendens, sometimes known as bettas or Siamese fighting fish, can live for two to five years. Possessing enough room, access to warm and clean water and good nutrition are all aspects that contribute to a long life. So, here are numerous recommendations you should be aware of for your betta in order to supply those essential elements and more to guarantee that your lovely pet is healthy and growing.
If you want to keep betta fish and are frequently asked how to care for betta fish, there are a few things you should know in order to lengthen the life of your fish and keep it healthy and happy. So, here’s a quick rundown on how to care for betta fish:
How to properly take care of a betta fish
Because they believe they will only live a few months and that they are “just fish,” people frequently give their fish very little attention. Unfortunately, this is a very bad way of thinking that will only cause innocent living things to suffer throughout their whole lives, regardless of how long or short, they may be. Lets find below some tips on how do you take care of a betta fish for beginners:
1. Proper Tank Setup
If you truly want to care for a betta, you should take your time when putting up the aquarium for your betta. Your fish, for example, requires a lot of space to move around. You’ll need at least a 3-gallon fish tank for this, preferably more. You’ll need a filter and an adjustable heater for any tank you choose.
So that your fish don’t overheat, make sure you choose one based on the exact size of your tank. Bettas should be kept at a temperature of 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make sure your new aquarium is properly cycled so that it has a healthy filtration system that is designed to build a healthy bacteria colony that eliminates hazardous waste. Your fish will stay healthy if you cycle your tank. When betta changes color in a negative way, it can be because of bad water conditions.
• Apply dechlorinated water and do a weekly 25% water change and a monthly full water change. You’ll need to remove your fish and use a siphon to clean any gravel, sand, or substrate during your whole water change.
2. A tank with a minimum capacity of five gallons
Additionally, glass aquariums are preferred as acrylic tanks are very reflective and can stress certain betta fish. Regardless of the tank you select, make sure it has a lid since bettas CAN and DO leap!
3. Set up a QT (quarantine tank)
It will be simpler to provide medication if you have a hospital tank that you can take your fish into if it becomes sick or hurt. Even a sterilized plastic container may be used as a makeshift aquarium. The bigger the better in terms of size, but it should also be heated, filtered, and have perfect water conditions. Make your water safe by removing chlorine and chloramine with Water Conditioner.
4. Keep the proper Temperature
Since bettas are tropical fish that require water temperatures between 76 and 82 degrees, an aquarium heater will help keep the tank warm (with 78-80 often being the preference). My personal favorite submersible is the Hydor Theo. It’s nice to use a glass thermometer to check the water’s temperature.
5. Filter
A filter to filter out impurities from water and support the growth and maintenance of good bacteria for the nitrogen cycle. Although other filters work fine as long as they have pre-filter sponges linked to the intake, sponge filters are the best to use with your betta to prevent breaking fins. If the current generated is too powerful for your fish, you might need to maintain the filter on a low setting or baffle it.
6. Select a suitable location for your aquarium
Your fish tank should be kept in a location where your fish will not be isolated and will be able to communicate with you. Bettas have a high level of intelligence and appear to recognize their owners. Make sure your tank isn’t exposed to chilly drafts or extreme heat when deciding where to put it.
You should never place your tank near a window or too close to a radiator, for example, because your fish may become too hot or cold. Furthermore, direct sunshine can lead to an algae overgrowth problem.
Of course, if your betta has an algae-eating tank mate, this won’t be an issue, and you’ll probably appreciate a little algae growth to feed your algae eater.
7. Place for betta’s aquarium
Set up your betta’s aquarium on a level, stable surface that will not be knocked off. You could even keep your fish on a table against a wall or on your desk. In any case, choose a location that won’t be readily disturbed.
8. Substrate
gravel or sand can be used as the substrate for the tank’s lining. Since anything brought in from outside your home might harm your fish, it should only be a substrate made exclusively for aquariums. You can, however, go bare bottom if you don’t want to use any substrate at all.
9. Plants
There will be lots of hiding and resting areas in the plants. Silk plants are delicate and usually won’t damage your betta’s fins. Using live plants is a fantastic choice for fish keepers with greater expertise. However, you also need to factor in the price of the right lighting, fertilizers, and pruning equipment. To provide your betta a place to relax near the surface, place some of the plants so that they can reach the surface while you’re arranging them.
10. Decorations
Ornaments that your fish may use to hide are necessary for a great placement. Your aquarium can truly stand out with the correct décor. To prevent harm to your fish, the decorations must have smooth edges and must not have any tiny holes where your fish may get caught. If the ornament seems rough, smooth the edges with a nail file; if it has holes, fill them with super glue. Run a pair of pantyhose over a decoration if you’re concerned that it’s too sharp. The ornamentation is excessively sharp if it catches or tears.
11. A net
Although many fish keepers prefer to use nets to move their fish, I personally don’t since your fish may easily become entangled and hurt itself or damage its fins. I instead transfer my fish carefully using cups. But in case your pet goes, you might want to have a net handy.
12. Water testing kits
Kits for testing the water to assist you to make sure your conditions are ideal. To assist your fish’s survival, it’s crucial to check that your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are suitable and steady before getting a betta. I personally prefer the API Master Freshwater Test Kit since liquid testing is MUCH more accurate than strip tests.
13. Change/Clean water
Supplies need to be cleaned and changed often. Buckets, siphons/gravel vacuums, towels, and algae scrubbers are a few examples of such cleaning products. Additionally, I use turkey basters to assist remove hard-to-reach dirt or stale food.
Implement Proper Feeding Strategies to Take Care of Betta Fish
Bettas have a proclivity for overeating, which can lead to obesity, constipation, blockage, bloating, and even death. Betta meals come in a variety of forms, including flake, pellet, freeze-dried, frozen, and live. Flakes are best avoided whenever feasible since they don’t contain the nutrients that bettas require and quickly pollute the water.
Just make sure that whatever you decide is packed in protein, like Omega One betta buffet pellets, which all of my bettas have raved over. Another favorite among fishkeepers is New Life Spectrum. You might need to test a few different bettas before you locate the one that works best because some bettas are much pickier than others. Variety is the spice of life, therefore blending several food kinds can help strengthen your betta’s immune system as a whole.
As a result, it is critical that you take the following steps:
14. Feed your betta the proper nutrition
Your betta should consume only as much as her eyeball can hold. That is, 3-4 pellets or 1-2 blood words are frequently sufficient. Feeding your fish one or two pellets of live food at a time is also a good idea.
This will ensure that she eats it and that there isn’t too much food at the bottom of the tank before she can take it. If she doesn’t eat the food within 5 minutes, scoop it out so the water in her tank doesn’t get contaminated.
15. Feed Your Betta on a Daily Basis
Feed your fish on a daily basis. Some people feed tiny amounts twice a day, while others skip one day. If you need to take a vacation, avoid the weekend feeders because they can contaminate the water, causing bacterial development and fin rot.
Instead, have someone you trust come over every day or every other day to feed your fish. While you’re gone, make sure they don’t overfeed your fish.
16. Change Up Your Betta’s Food
Bettas, like you, don’t prefer to eat the same thing every day. As a result, you should provide a range of dishes to make it more fun for them. Premium pellets or flake, both frozen, are excellent options. Bloodworms, live or dried, fruit fly larvae or fruit flies without wings, and brine shrimp
Finally, maybe you can stop looking for information on how to care for betta fish and go out and buy one – either through adoption or purchase. However, you must follow the following guidelines to maintain your fish healthy and happy. Best wishes with your new scaled betta fish pal. I hope this article on how to properly take care of a Betta fish was worth reading.
Credit: Pisces Pros
17. Medications
a. Aquarium salt (AQ) is used to treat open sores, external parasite infections, and minor bacterial infections at first, such as the onset of columnaris.
b. For the purpose of putting sick fish to sleep, use Clove Oil. When there is nothing more you can do, it is a good idea to have clove oil on hand. If you do come upon a bottle, buy it just in case since it’s not a common commodity you’ll discover at your neighborhood grocery. Health food stores are better places to find clove oil. You might also need ziplock bags, disposable gloves, plastic cups, a pipette, and a turkey baster for mixing, and a pipette.
c. Epsom salt can be used to relieve eye pressure, cure bloating, and swim bladder issues.
d. For treating parasite diseases, use Seachem Paraguard or Mardel CopperSafe. For deworming and treating internal parasites, many fish keepers prefer Hikari PraziPro.
e. To aid with fungus infections, use Jungle Fungus Eliminator. You’ll likely be dealing with columnaris, a bacterial illness that includes fuzzy patches as one of its symptoms, and bears in mind that real fungal infections are rather uncommon.
f. For treating diverse bacterial infections, API T.C. Tetracycline, API Triple Sulfa, API Furan-2, and Seachem KanaPlex are all suitable options. However, tetracycline tends to be the hardest medication, so take it with caution.
18. Additional Care
a. If there are no tall plants or decorations available, use a betta hammock so your betta has a place to comfortably relax that is near to the surface. This product has a metal wire, therefore if it is exposed, your fish might get hurt or the metal could corrode. A product should be taken out of the tank if you spot any metal or rust. A fantastic article by daynapapaya about making your own betta hammock is also available here. Additionally useful are floating betta logs, but keep in mind that if the paint chips, your fish might be in danger.
b. A mirror for your fish’s activity needs. To minimize unnecessary stress, limit your daily usage of mirrors to no more than 5 to 10 minutes.
c. Indian almond leaves (IAL) can aid in fostering general health. In order to make them feel more secure, the tannins also darken the water. IAL is available as complete leaves or extract, both of which need to be cleaned before being used in the aquarium.
d. A lighting fixture to assist highlight the gorgeous colors of your betta (and help live plants grow). However, not every tank comes with a light cover or fixture, so you might need to get one separately or create one yourself. Do not keep your light on all day, though, as bettas also require day and night cycles (especially if the lightbulb is incandescent since it heats everything up).
Final thought
Your fish may want to hide at times. As a result, you should offer a wide range of silk or real plants. Caves and other hiding spots can also be provided. Make sure that any décor you choose is safe for fragile fins. Running a pair of pantyhose over the décor is one method to test this; if it tears the pantyhose, it’s far too harsh for your fish.
As you can see, taking good care of a betta may be expensive. Like any other pet, a betta should never be acquired on a whim. Don’t purchase a fish if you can’t afford to buy the right aquarium setup and aquarium materials. Wait till your finances are better.
Credit: www.bettafish.org
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