If you use natural lighting for your Betta, then this will take care of itself. We recommend 8 to 12 hours of daylight and 12 to 16 hours of darkness. You can also use the natural light of the room for the majority of the daytime hours.īettas also need a regular day/night cycle. The best lighting for Betta fish is LED or luminescent lamps. Lightingīettas like low to moderate light. Use an aquarium thermometer to get it just right (especially during water changes). Pro Tip: Don’t try to guess at the temperature of your tank. If not, you can purchase these separately, just be sure it is made for a small tank. If you purchase a Betta kit, check to see if there is a heater included. It can also lead to stress that can bring on some common Betta ailments (more on that later). Unheated environments will reduce your Betta’s appetite and activity levels. Heaterīettas are tropical fish, therefore they need a heater to keep their tank between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, the sponge provides an excellent place for good bacteria to grow. We recommend using a sponge filter as these are made with Betta fish in mind, so they keep the flow low and the sponge (intake) will not damage the fins of the fish as they swim past. There are many filtration systems on the market, but since Bettas are slow-moving, you will want to choose one that has a slower intake and output, or one where these parameters can be adjusted. A proper filter will remove impurities from the water and create that important biological cycle that every water habitat needs to thrive. So, let’s start the Betta off right with the minimum 5-gallon tank and the following “accessories.” FiltrationĪ filter is more than just a motorized unit that creates water flow in your tank. Plus, the smaller the tank, the more maintenance you are going to have to perform. Yes, there are plenty of tanks on the market as small as 1-gallon sold for Betta fish however, this is not enough room for all the requirements this fish needs and deserves. We recommend at least a 5-gallon aquarium to house one male Betta. This is simply untrue, and more importantly, it’s a cruel existence for this fish. The Betta Fish Aquarium & Habitat Requirementsĭo not let undertrained pet store employees convince you that the Betta fish is “just fine” in small containers or bowls. But to get the longevity and those beautiful colors and fins from this fish, you will want to set them up properly from the get-go. Male Bettas grow up to 2.5 to 3 inches long (females are 2.25 inches long) and with proper care can live about 3 years (some even longer). In fact, they come in a wide range of colors and patterns along with various fin shapes and sizes such as the half-moon, delta, veil, crowntail, and double tail. It’s only been through selective, captive breeding that our buddy the Betta has developed those long-flowing fins and vibrant colors. Wild Bettas have short fins and are usually a dull greyish-green. If we were to find one in its natural habitat of Asia in slow-moving water bodies such as marshes or rice paddies, we would be surprised to learn that they don’t really resemble the pet store variety. However, the most popular and common in the pet trade is the Betta splendens (Siamese Fighting Fish). There are around 73 different species in the genus Betta. Before we teach you how to properly care for the Betta, let’s discover more about this fascinating fish.
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