Choosing the Best Betta Fish Tank

How to choose the best Betta fish tank and how about the set up? The betta fish, more commonly known as the Siamese Fighting Fish, is a popular freshwater fish because of its brilliant colors and relatively easy care (wild betta fish live in small, dirty puddles, so they are pretty hardy). Taking care of your betta fish does entail some special considerations that are unique to betta fish - especially a male betta fish - in order to keep him or her happy and healthy.

Is it true that Betta Fish do not like large bowls or fish tanks?

The Siamese Fighting Fish Needs Space. There is some debate about whether the betta fish needs or would prefer more room, but they certainly can live in small aquariums. Betta fish come in many varieties. There are regular bettas, crown tail bettas, twin tail bettas, and more. There are show bettas and bettas that are caught in the wild and of great value because they refresh the betta gene pool. Betta fish have been found to live for up to three years in the right conditions, but few in home aquariums will live anywhere near this long. You may have heard betta fish referred to as "Siamese Fighting Fish." This is because male bettas are extremely aggresive towards one another and will fight. They have been known to flare up upon seeing their own reflections so as to intimidate what they perceive as another betta. Female betta fish are not quite that aggressive towards each other, though it is recommended that there be many hiding places inside a tank if several female betta fish are to be kept together. Keeping two male betta fish together will almost certainly result in one dying."

Bringing Your Betta Fish Home

Things You'll Need
It is best to have a home for your betta fish ready to go before he arrives from the pet store. Your betta will be fine in a small tank or bowl, but the larger it is, the happier he will be. So, what types of the betta fish tank best for your pets? There are a couple recommended setups for betta fish:

• an individual small tank for one betta fish, 1/2 gallon or larger
• a glass or plastic fish bowl for one betta fish, 1/2 gallon or larger
• a divided tank for several male or female betta fish
• a community tank for one male or several female betta fish

Regardless of which setup you choose, you will need:

• betta fish food
• aquarium gravel
• a live plant or plastic plant
• a net and siphon or gravel vacuum
• a pH test kit

Also recommended:

• basic freshwater test kits especially ammonia test kits
• an aquarium thermometer, and if your tank is 5 gallons or above, a heater
• water conditioners, stress relief, and medications for betta care
• A tablespoon of freshwater aquarium salt
• a separate bucket or container for preparing water

Preparing the Betta Fish Tank

Water
There are three obvious options when filling the tank with water.

Tap water is generally safe for your betta fish, but should be left standing for 24 hours in order to condition it and bring it to room temperature. If your city has especially hard water, you may want water treatment chemicals to remove chlorine and other contaminants.

Bottled water varies as much as tap water does, and if you choose to use it, be sure to stick to one particular brand. If you do decide to change brands, make the change gradual, adding a bit of the new water to the old water over a couple of days. Using betta conditioners is still a good idea.

Distilled water should be avoided.

The PH level of your water source is important to measure and adjust as needed (betta buffers do this for you). The betta fish prefers as close to neutral water as possible, 7.0, but can manage in water that is between 6.5 and 7.5

The temperature of the water is also important, as the betta fish is considered a tropical fish. Water between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal but the betta can adapt to lower or higher temperatures as long as the change is gradual.

One way to tell if the water is too hot or too cold is by watching the betta fish's behavior. A sluggish, listless fish is likely too cold and a hyperactive fish (unless it is feeding time) indicates water that is too hot.

Gravel and plants
Plants help keep your aquarium stress-free for your betta fish, who likes to rest on the leaves, while gravel make the tank or bowl look more attractive to humans. Make sure you buy aquarium gravel as ordinary rocks from the street or your backyard will not do. Plastic aquarium gems will also be fine.

Before adding the gravel to the aquarium, rinse it in a separate container, changing the water out and repeating until it remains clear.

Live plants can be bought as bulbs from the pet store or you can prop up some artificial plants in the gravel.

Filters, heaters, and maintenance
Aquarium filters and Aquarium heaters are not needed for tanks less than 5 gallons and actually should be avoided.

The gravel in your tank should provide adequate biological filtration in this setup. Everything should be fine as long as you change the water frequently and remove excess food and debris immediately.

For a tank smaller than a gallon, change 100% of the water once a day or at least 3x/week. For a larger tank, do partial water changes of 25% of water a week. Be sure to siphon or vacuum your gravel when you change your water.

Because the betta fish breathes at the surface of the water, the water does not need to be aerated either. In fact, aeration and circulation may create too much flow for your betta, who are not accustomed to having to swim very hard.

If you do buy a heater for your betta fish tank, invest in a thermometer as well. Monitor the temperature of the water carefully, as extreme or fluctuating temperatures can kill your betta fish.