Betta fish is known as one of the intelligent and beautiful fish. When you take care of betta fish it will start recognizing its owner and even you can train it for pushing a ball through the ring. Due to its big and coloring fins, some people call it fancy fish, but it is not like that. It is also named as “Siamese fighting fish” or “labyrinth fish,” and requires the same care as other fishes need. The average life of betta fish is 2 – 4 years. If you have decided to have betta fish as a pet and follow below guide how to take care of a betta fish, hopefully, your fish will live longer.
Setup Betta fish
If you are new with betta fish, it’s better to follow below instructions on how to setup betta fish bowl. First, you need to arrange the below items. [su_note note_color=”#760000″ text_color=”#ffffff” radius=”2″] [su_list icon=”icon: check” icon_color=”#FFFFFF”]
- It’s good to have a big fishbowl of 3-5 gallons. Betta fishes can live in one gallon also but it is not recommended.
- They are carnivores, so eat pellets and insects.
- A thermometer to monitor the water temperature of a fishbowl.
- If you live in a cold-weather than you have to arrange a heater as well.
- If you want to have some plants or pebbles in bowl you can buy them from the shop.
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How to setup Betta fish tank?
Start with proper rinsing of the fishbowl and other accessories so that it does not contain any impurities. Otherwise, it is going to affect the health of betta fish. Place water filter and other equipment as needed. Adjust your decorations accordingly and do not crowd it too much.
Water levels for betta fish
Do not overfill fishbowl with bottled water. Leave space on top and try avoiding tap water, sometimes it contains more particles of ammonia, chlorine or metal particles. If you do not have any option than add Amquel (to remove chlorine) plus aquarium salt (never table salt). You can take advice from a local pet shop for the right products depending on the water condition. Now make sure everything you placed is working fine. Betta fish prefer to remain in slightly acidic water, so the ph level should remain between 5.5 – 6.5.
Water temperature for betta fish
The normal temperature in which Betta fish normally survive is between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in cold weather conditions, then it is not recommended to keep betta fish in a bowl, as you cannot put an electric heater in a fishbowl. And also do not keep bowl in front of an Air conditioner or ventilation or direct sunlight. It will affect the water temperature.
Adding betta fish to tank
It is not recommended to add any Fish instantly to the fish tank. They are highly sensitive to fluctuating water conditions. So first place fish in a separate container with half the water from the pet store and make sure water from fish store have the same temperature. Now add half water from your fish tank and leave it for an hour. You can now take out fish from the container and add it to the fish tank.
Betta Fish Tank Mates
Betta Fish is also known as siamese fighting fish who defends their space very aggressively. Because of their wild and aggressive nature, it’s hard to decide which fish can be placed together in the same fish tanks. We will give you complete list and their fish tank mates details and caring factors. [su_box title=”List of Compatible Betta Fish Mates” box_color=”#760000″] [su_table responsive=”yes” alternate=”no”]
| Fish Name | Compatibility Rank | Care Level | Size | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corydora Catfish | 10/10 | Easy | 2.5 Inches | 72-78 °F |
| Kuhli Loaches | 10/10 | Easy | 4.5 Inches | 75-85 °F |
| Bristlenose Plecos | 10/10 | Easy | 6 Inches | 70-79 °F |
| Neon Tetras | 9/10 | Easy | 1.5 Inches | 69-79 °F |
| Harlequin Rasboras | 9/10 | Easy | 2 Inches | 72-80 °F |
| Ember Tetras | 9/10 | Easy | 1 Inch | 75-82 °F |
| Clown Plecos | 8/10 | Moderate | 4 Inches | 73-82 °F |
| White Cloud Mountain Minnows | 8/10 | Easy | 2 Inches | 45-75 °F |
| African Dwarf Frogs | 7/10 | Moderate | 3 Inches | 72-82 °F |
| Ghost Shrimp | 7/10 | Easy | 2 Inches | 75-85 °F |
| Zebra Snails | 8/10 | Easy | 1 Inch | 70-80 °F |
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Betta fish food
Betta fish are carnivores and they mostly like proteins, betta pellets, bloodworms, and shrimps. And we should not overeat them. Betta are greedy and they have a small stomach so overfeeding leads to bloating, constipation, swim bladder issues, and a build-up of uneaten food in the tank. You can feed live insects to give them some extra care. Feeding a pea to betta fish will clear betta’s gut and as pea works as a laxative. It’s advice to do this once a weel not more than it.
Maintenance schedule for betta fish care
Daily:
- Monitor water temperature should remain between 76 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Daily observe fishes movement in the water, if you find any illness sign make proper treatment.
- Check water filter, thermometer and heater are working properly.
- Don’t forget to feed your betta fish.
Weekly:
- Change 20%-40% of the water each week for larger tanks.
- Change all water for smaller tanks.
- Once a week, do not feed betta fish for digestive health.
- Check pH and bacteria levels.
You have now come to know all the basics of taking care of betta fish, everything is simple. You should always focus on fish health and water condition, hopefully, your fish will live longer. We will keep updating this article with more information from time to time. If you need to share anything, please add it in the comments section.
