How do you take care of a betta fish?

Question

I have a young, about 6 months-1 year old male betta fish. Ever since my old one died, I've been very worried for this one's health. Any advice?

tghhhhhhhhhhhh

Answer 1

I would recommend no less than 2 gallons of living space (the more the better). While bettas can SURVIVE in a half-gallon bowl, it is not an ideal living condition. You could SURVIVE in a closet all your life if someone came in every so often to clean out your poop and give you food, but you wouldn't like it. Also, the ammonia and junk builds up so fast, in a bowl that's 1/2 a gallon, the water should really be changed every 3 days or so.

It's a myth what you hear about bettas "living in puddles in rice fields" in the wild. Bettas do jump (another bad reason to keep one in an open bowl), and they can jump from puddle to puddle. Also, those 'puddles' can be up to 3 or 4 feet deep. So given the enormous lateral space bettas have in the wild, a tiny bowl is nothing short of cruelty.

Also, pleeeeeease do not ever put your betta in one of those horrid vases. It's a recipe for disaster. Aside from them just being too darn small, the plant roots will make the water dirty very quickly, and they often overcrowd your poor fish. The plant also often blocks the surface of the water so your betta can't get any air. Bettas in these poor conditions will die very quickly unless you keep the plant trimmed back and change the water daily.

Okay, so once you have the proper space for him, you should be feeding him pellets made especially for bettas (Hikari pellets are really good). Remember that their stomachs are the size of one of their eyes, so do not overfeed. I've had very good luck with feeding 3 pellets in the morning, and then about 12 hours later 2 pellets in the evening. It's good to give him a varied diet, so try substituting one or two freeze-dried bloodworms for his evening meal every few days. Bloodworms are like candy for bettas, and your fish can get constipated if you feed him bloodworms too often.

I do a 100% water change every other week where I thoroughly clean the gravel, tank, and aquarium decorations and a 90% water change on the off-weeks. When doing water changes, add a water conditioner (like AquaSafe) before you put the fish back in. Also, make sure to acclimate your betta to the temperature of the new water slowly. More info on properly doing this can be found on http://bettatalk.com. Invest $2.50 in a thermometer to make sure that the water temperature does not go below 75 or get above 85. Bettas are tropical fish and need warm water to survive. If you find that your water is too cold, find a warmer part of the house, and if that doesn't work, buy a water heater.

As for medications to keep on hand, you should be all right with some aquarium salt (1/2 a teaspoon per gallon whenever you change the water). Adding a dash of aquarium salt will not only help reduce stress on the fish, it will also keep away nasty fungus (which is a pain to get rid of, by the way). Whatever you do, DO NOT use iodized table salt. Also have some melafix on-hand to help regrow damaged/ripped fins. Also having some ich medication on hand is never a bad idea.

Bettas appreciate places to hide and new surroundings to explore. Keep him mentally engaged by changing around the decorations in his tank whenever you clean it. Use your imagination when creating your tank set up. Good things to use are small clay pots turned on their sides, marbles, plants (live or fake, but if you get fake, make sure they are silk, as plastic plants will tear their delicate fins). It would even be cool to rotate decorations so your betta feels like he's in a new place every time.

Anyway, best of luck with your second fish!

Answer 2

It's best to have a Betta in about 3 gallons of water or more. Make sure the container is open or has a ventilated lid because Betta are one of the few types of fish that will come to the surface for air.

Also, fish flakes are not the best food for them. There are pellets designed for Betta's that float on top of the water. If you look at a Betta's face, you can see that it's mouth is turned up because in the wild they eat bugs from the water's surface.

If you use tap water, it is a good idea to purchase a water conditioner that treats the water to make it safe for the fish (chlorine is not healthy for fish) and provides a slime coat to ease stress.

When you change the water, remove about 2/3 and refill with fresh treated water. Changing the water entirely can overstress fish.

It is a good idea to keep Rid Ich or other Ich treatment on hand just in case. If you see white spots on your fish that resemble salt, treat the tank immediately and if you have other fish in there remove the sick one and place him in his own container until he is better.

Do not keep two male Betta's together. A male/female pair can also be aggressive towards each other. Do not keep a male Betta with fish that like to nip fins like mollies.

Betta like to rest in plants to sleep. Decorative faux plants look nice, provide a nice hiding and resting spot for the Betta, and are much easier to take care of than live plants.

Otherwise, just watch him and enjoy! Ours seems to enjoy when we talk to him, so that is worth a try, too.

Answer 3

bettas are really easy to care for, and a lone male should do fine. in fact two males would be likely to fight. just feed him every day-do not overfeed, causes a dirty fishbowl- and dont let the water get too hot or cold. if you want to give him something to do once in a while, hold a mirror up so he can see the "other guy" and watch his reaction!

Answer 4

Clean water of course, and if you have a vase your keeping him in with the plant, make sure that the water is at least one inch from the top, this will provide him with new air. If you have him in a glass bowl, again change the water at least once a week. I put Ammo Lock in the water before putting mine back in. Also, when I change the water and put mine back in, I'll watch him for a few minutes to be sure he's ok.

Answer 5

dont worry about its health. just make sure you feed it on a schedule and watch out for Ich. Little white spots. Also, you dont always need clean water...they like it kind of dirty!! My betta died when it was five, so i know..

Answer 6

make sure that you keep it away from other fish because it is a fighting fish. make sure that you feed it twice a day and once a week clean the fish bowl and put in clean water that is room temp.

Answer 7

Keep his water clean, and don't over feed. Read betta talk.

Answer 8

I don't think they live very long. You make sure your tank or fishbowl is clean, make sure not to over feed that just makes the aquarium dirty. Thats about all you can do.