Betta Fish Care | Betta Care

Betta fish are awesome pets. They are low maintenance (once you get their home squared away), beautiful, and fun to watch with their individual personalities. If you are considering a betta or already got one on a whim it is time to learn how to care for a betta fish! Read on to learn all about Betta Fish Care.

Betta Fish Care: Betta Tank 

For a single betta choose a plastic or glass tank that is at least 2 gallons and preferably 5 gallons. These pet fish can jump out of tanks so be sure your tank has a lid! Get a hideout or 2 for you betta fish. Choose a real or silk plant and/or decor with smooth edges to avoid any fin damage. While filters are not necessary for betta fish, they are nice to have to keep your tank cleaner and healthier. Always choose a low flow or gentle filter for bettas. You don’t want them stressed or even injured from strong currents. Add a water heater to your tank to maintain appropriate water temperature for these tropical fish. Keep your betta tank clean. How often you need to clean your tank varies a lot with the size of your tank, how many fish you have, whether you have a filter or not, etc. You can do partial water changes between full tank cleanings to keep the water healthier for your tropical fish. 

Betta Fish Care: Water

Water is a crucial part of betta care. Water should always be treated with a water conditioner before adding it to the tank. Conditioners remove chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals from tap water, making it healthy for your betta fish. Avoid using distilled water. The distilling process removes essential minerals that are good for your fish. Water temperature should be around 76 to 81 degrees for tropical fish like bettas. The water pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5. It isn’t likely your tap water pH will be lower, but it could be higher than this range. So checking your water acidity is a good idea before setting up your tank especially if you know you have hard water.

Betta Fish Care: Food and Feeding

DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR BETTA FISH! I know. I know. You just want to keep giving your baby snacks, but it is bad for bettas. (and most of us) Stick to 4 to 5 pellets once or twice a day unless otherwise instructed by the particular betta food that you feed. Betta fish are carnivores that need a high protein diet. So choose a premium betta pellet food that lists proteins as the first ingredient(s). There are other options for betta fish feeding in the form of freeze dried, frozen, or fresh foods, but these are best fed cautiously and as a treat. Frozen and fresh foods carry a risk of disease or parasites. That being said, bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp are nutritious, high protein foods that bettas enjoy. 

Now you know how to take care of a betta fish. Once the tank is set up and ready to go betta care is quite easy. Feed them and clean their tank from time to time and betta fish are generally happy. However basic Betta Fish Care is important to know when you have pet bettas to keep them happy and healthy. 

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