The Betta Program - Betta Fish Care

So you're looking to buy a Betta, or perhaps you just bought one, and are looking for tips on caring for them.

As a new betta owner, you're going to need a number of things. Most pet stores will tell you to buy a small tank, a bottle of water conditioner, and some food. They'll tell you that you won't need any more than that.

For the most part, just ignore what they tell you.

Here is what you'll need, and why.

1. A tank. Obvious enough, but you'll need to be careful with what you get. Many stores have half-gallon or smaller tanks that they say are fine for bettas. Imagine living in an 8x8 cell the rest of your life, breathing in your own filth. That's what those tanks are like for bettas.

When buying your betta, buy a tank that is no smaller than one gallon. Remember, that's an absolute minimum. With a one gallon tank, you'll be changing the water out 100% every 3-4 days. With even smaller tanks, every 2-3 days is an absolute must.

2. Water conditioner. I recommend Prime water conditioner. Two drops in a gallon of water will remove the chlorine and make the water fish-friendly.

3. Food. For bettas, fish flakes are not acceptable. Bettas are extremely picky eaters, and will eat flakes only as a last resort. Pick out a high quality pellet food for bettas, as well as some freeze dried or frozen bloodworms, shrimp, etc. If you can find live shrimps, that's even better.

4. Aquarium salt. Yes, bettas are freshwater fish. However, all natural water sources do have small amounts of salt in them, and a little bit of aquarium salt helps your betta's gill function. Do not use table salt! The iodine will kill your fish immediately.

5. Aquarium plants. Bettas need variety in their tank, for something to keep them from getting depressed (it happens), and for them to lie on. Bettas love laying on aquarium plants. Live plants and silk plants are acceptable, but plastic ones are not. Plastic plants will tear your betta's fins.

6. Aquarium decorations. Having aquarium decorations can be optional. However, they can provide your betta with a source of entertainment, as well as a place to hide. Bettas like cave-like places, and any ornament that lets them hide will be a great hit.

There are a few things to look out for in a tank decoration, however. Firstly, make sure there are no sharp edges that your betta can scratch himself on. Secondly, make sure there are no holes to small for him to swim through. Bettas have no idea of their own size, and will try to swim through any hole. I've personally lost a betta to a tank decoration, with a little window he tried to swim through. He got caught, and died. Don't let this happen to your betta.

7. A tank heater. Bettas thrive in temperatures in the 76-80 degree range. A betta will live in room temperature water, but expect a shortened lifespan, or a chance of illness due to stress.

With 5 gallon or larger tanks, you can buy a 25-50 watt tank heater. the 50 watt should be for tanks 10 gallons or larger.

If you're only getting a 1-5 gallon tank, there are small 5-10 watt heaters available for those. Wal-mart and most pet stores will have one available.

8. A selection of medicines. I cannot stress this one enough. There are a number of diseases that your betta can catch, especially if they're in a dirty bowl. Fungus, velvet, ick, and dropsy are all very common in bettas. Most are treatable, but this needs to be done very quickly. The time you take going to the pet store, finding what you need to cure your betta, and getting back home, might be too long a wait. Have them on hand from the day you buy your betta, and if you notice something wrong, you can treat it right away. Bottles of fungus eliminator, tetracyclene tablets, and other such medications aren't at all expensive, so there's no excuse not to have them on hand.

Ok. I gotta admit, the information on this page will get you started with taking care of your betta. I've researched, I've tested, and I know what works for my bettas. This page gives the basics of how to set up a tank, care for your betta, and give it a healthy, happy life.

However, there is a lot more information out there that can make your job of being a betta parent even easier. I'd like to recommend a book by Marcus Song, called the Betta Lovers Guide

There are lots of books in the pet and book stores on bettas, but most of them show a bunch of pretty pictures of bettas, and then a little fluff filler that contains no more than what you've found on my site.

Betta Lovers Guide is different. Marcus Song spent years researching, filling his book with a huge amount of information about the perfect conditions for your betta.

If you're serious about your betta, you need to buy this book. Click the link below, check out the details about this book, and buy it. It's inexpensive, and can be downloaded from his site immediately.

Betta Lovers Guide

So, you followed my instructions, and bought all the things I told you to buy. You have the tank, the water conditioner, the food, and all the medicines. You have aquarium salt (not table salt!!!), and you have plants.

It's time to set it all up.

First, unpackage your new tank. Wash it out using warm water. There could be dust or particles that could harm your betta. Don't use soap of any kind, as that could also harm your betta. Once washed, dry it out using a paper towel, not a cloth towel. The cloth towel could have laundry soap on it, which would also harm or even kill your betta.

With each piece of your new aquarium, from the filter (if you have one), to the heater (again, if you have one), you must wash and dry them to make sure they don't harm your new betta.

It's recommended that you prepare your tank water before your betta arrives home. Fill your tank half way with water, position your plants (if silk, they should be washed with warm water as well), and then slowly fill the tank the rest of the way.

Treat the water with Prime Water Conditioner by putting two drops of Prime in for every gallon of water in your tank. For example, a five gallon tank will need 10 drops.

Next, add one rounded tablespoon of Aquarium Salt for every five gallons of water. This will provide the necessary electrolytes your betta needs to stay healthy and happy.

The next step is to leave the tank for a day or so. When you draw water from your faucet, the water is full of dissolved nitrogen. As it sits, the nitrogen forms bubbles, and the nitrogen escapes from the water. By leaving the water sit before putting your betta into it, you ensure that the nitrogen bubbles don't form inside your betta, which could kill him.

As for putting in aquarium gravel, you can do so, but it is not required. In fact, it can actually be better for your betta if you don't have gravel. The gravel can get dirty very quickly with food and fish droppings. Also, if your betta does get constipated (it happens), you'll be able to see it when it happens.

If you do choose to put gravel in, however, make sure to wash it to remove all the dust before putting it in your tank.

As for filtration, it is not necessary, and in some cases harmful to your betta. Bettas in the wild live in rice paddies, and water there doesn't generally have much current. Current can actually be difficult for a Betta, with its long fins. There have been cases where a betta has actually gotten trapped in a filter and died, because the filter caught the betta's fins. So, if you do have a filter, make sure it is of the under-gravel variety, and make sure the current isn't too strong, and stresses out your betta. If it is too strong, either get a new, gentler pump, or put a binding clip on the hose to cut off part of the airflow.

That's pretty much it for setting up your tank. You're ready now to bring home your betta!

You have your tank set up, as per the specifications above, and you're ready to bring home your betta.

There are a couple things you can do. Being a new betta owner, I recommend visiting your pet store and finding a healthy betta. Look for one with no ripped fins, no fungus, no missing scales, no white dots on them, and make sure his spine is straight with no forced curvature.

The other option, of course, is that you can find one that looks in need of care, that maybe has the beginnings of fungus or ick, and rescue him. If you choose this route, you may have a tough time with him when you get him home, but if you choose to bring him home, and can cure him, you will be rewarded with the satisfaction of making your friend healthy again.

So, pick out your new betta, and bring him home.

Once he's home, you can't just go and dump him into your new tank. He needs to get used to several conditions in the tank before he can be released into it.

Chances are, your betta was brought home in a plastic cup. This is perfect for getting him used to his new home. Take the cup, and float it in your tank. This will let the water in the cup slowly raise or lower to the temperature of the water in your tank. A sudden change could seriously stress or even kill your betta.

While your betta is getting used to temperature, get a spoon, and spoon a little bit of tank water into the cup. The water in your tank will be different from what's in the cup, and your betta will need to get used to the differences in pH, hardness, etc.

One spoonful every 15 minutes should do the trick. Do this for about an hour to an hour and a half, and watch your betta for signs of stress. He should continue to breathe regularly.

One sidenote: while doing this, make sure you have the lid covering the cup, as your betta may decide to jump.

Finally, you're ready to release your betta into his new home. Slowly lower the cup into the tank, and let your betta swim out. He's now ready to explore his new home.

From here, watch your betta, make sure he's not going to get caught anywhere in his tank, and he'll be fine.

As a note, with a new betta in a new environment, he may not want to eat right away. He's in shock, and doesn't handle changes well. Give him a day or two, and he'll start to eat like a pig.

Now that you have your betta home, in his tank, and happy, you have to work to keep him happy and healthy.

For feeding, I recommend Hikari Bio-Gold pellets. Feed him twice a day, and feed him about 3-4 pellets per feeding. If he doesn't eat a pellet, make sure you take it out of the tank. If you leave the pellet in the tank, it'll get soft, sink to the bottom, and start to rot. Rotting food is a haven for bacteria, and your betta won't do very well at all if he's sick.

As a treat, you can also feed your betta freeze dried bloodworms, or even live ones. Your betta will be thrilled with the variety. However, as bloodworms aren't very nutritious, they should only be used as a treat, and not as a daily main course.

It's recommended to fast your betta one day a week. Bettas need the time for their intestines to clear out.

Speaking of which, after fast day, your betta needs a little fiber in his diet, to help clear things out. Bettas frequently suffer from constipation, but there's a very easy remedy for this.

Once a week, take a frozen pea (not fresh, it might have chemicals on it), put it in a little bit of water, and microwave it for about 15 seconds to thaw it out. Slice open the pea, and cut the insides into quarters. Feed a quarter of that pea to your betta. Most bettas love their weekly pea, and it'll go through your betta like lightning. Voila, no constipation for your betta!

Your betta, other than food, also needs clean water. Checking the pH and nitrate levels in your tank is a must.

The water should be changed weekly. A one gallon tank requires a full water change every 3-4 days. A 5 gallon tank should have full water changes weekly.

Naturally, when you change your water, you should be using your Prime water conditioner, and your Aquarium Salt, as directed on the packages. Make sure the water is as close as possible to what your betta is used to. Sudden changes in temperature or pH can stress your betta, making him prone to disease.