Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are one of the most popular fish species. Thanks to their vibrant colors and endearing personalities, it’s no wonder people love the Betta fish. They are also considered a “beginner” fish. However, anyone in the aquatic hobby knows otherwise. Starting and cycling new fish tanks takes a lot of time and patience. Here are the basic tools necessary to provide your new gilled friend the best life possible!
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Necessary items:
Seachem Prime water conditioner
Recommended items:
For a tank, a 5 gallon is the minimum for any Betta with longer fins (ie. halfmoon, double tail, crowntail). Since they have such long fins, swimming around tends to be a lot more tiring. Therefore, they don’t need as much room. 10 gallons is the minimum for any Betta with shorter fins (ie. female, plakat). Since they have shorter fins, they don’t have as much difficulty swimming and tend to be a lot more active. Small tanks tend to be very difficult to keep clean and nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels are typically very high. If deep cleans are not taken care of regularly, you run the risk of your betta becoming very ill. They can develop dropsy or pineconing which is a sign of organ failure.
For a filter, foam filters are the best option. They are relatively cheap and there is no risk of your fish being harmed by it. Hang on back filters (HOB) are also a good option. However, due to the intake, there is a risk of your fish being sucked in. The outtake can also be quite powerful on the HOB filter. If the filter does not have any sort of baffle, your fish can easily be pushed around by the heavy outtake which can lead to high stress levels. I used these sponges : on my tanks as baffles and they have worked wonders. If you’re in a pinch, you can cut a water bottle in half and wrap it around both the intake and outtake in order to help the flow. After a while, you may notice your filter cartridge getting a little grimey. That is okay, you do not want to replace it. As long as it is still holding together, you can use it! Only replace it if it begins to fall apart. If that is the case, keep all of the filter media and place it into a filter bag. That way, you keep all of your healthy bacteria and there is no risk of having to cycle the tank again.
For a heater, the wattage will depend on your gallon size. Since bettas are tropical fish, they need a consistent temperature of around 78-82 degrees. Thermostats are important for this. Without a heater, your temperatures can easily fluctuate which can cause a lot of stress and illness in your fish.
For filtering your tank, it is a bit of a lengthy process. Depending on how many gallons your tank is, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to months. Even though the nitrogen cycle does take a while to complete, it is very important to complete it or else you may potentially kill your fish. You will need a water conditioner to dechlorinate your water. Live plants and algae will help start your cycle. The plants will produce ammonia which is very toxic to your fish! The ammonia will then break down into nitrite which is also very toxic to your fish. Nitrite will then turn into nitrate which fish can tolerate in very low levels. While your tank is going through the nitrogen cycle, it’s best to leave it alone. There are chemicals that you can add to help the process such as Seachem’s Stability. I personally use it in all of my tanks while cycling, adding new fish, and doing water changes. To keep up with your cycle, weekly water tests are recommended. The API master kit is the best on the market and much more reliable than test strips. Around the week and a half to two week mark, you may notice your water become cloudy. One reason could be a bacterial bloom. These normally happen when tanks are starting the nitrogen cycle. When testing your water, you’ll notice your ammonia and nitrite levels will be super high. As long as there are no fish, that is a good sign! Your cycle is starting! A way to help clear the cloudy water is by adding some filter floss to your filer. Fill in the empty gaps on the inside and let it run.
For decor, it’s best to keep it natural. Bettas can see the colors red and blue, so anything bright and unnaturally colored will easily stress out your fish friend. Keeping natural colors can help limit stress and replicate their natural habitats. Live plants and driftwood are amazing additions to your tank. Plants like anubias and amazon swords are easy beginner plants. They help clean and oxygenate your water while providing your fish with lots of hiding places. Duckweed and water lettuce are good floating plant options as well. Driftwood adds tannins into your water and bettas love dark water. There are also different additives you can add such as almond leaves which can keep your water dark. Clear acrylic tunnels are a great way to add enrichment to your tank, along with floating betta logs. Providing mirrors for your betta for very short periods of time is also good, but no longer than 5 minutes every few weeks. Any fake decor can be dangerous to your fish. Since bettas have such long and delicate fins, plastic plants can easily rip them and cause damage to their bodies. Fake houses or other pieces of decor can also harm your fish if they were to get stuck in them. Bettas prefer a sand substrate, but it is harder to clean and maintain. Any sort of gravel is a good option and easier to work with. If you have live plants, you will also need a special light and some sort of fertilizer. In my tanks, I have a mix of fertilizer and gravel.
For maintenance, it will be weekly. You will need to do weekly water changes on a maximum of 25%. Any more can risk stressing out your fish and can potentially take away too much of your healthy bacteria. In order to do water changes, you will need a siphon and your water conditioner. You will grab a bucket for your new water and take it from the tap. You will treat it per the directions of the water conditioner bottle and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. Use your siphon to clean the gravel on the bottom of the fish tank. Once you take out 25% of your old water, you can slowly begin to add the new water after it has sat.
For tank mates, it depends on your gallon size. In a 5-10 gallon you can try snails or shrimp. Nerites are perfect snails to keep with bettas since they can help with algae. They also have a trapdoor that they can use to prevent potentially getting eaten. Depending on your bettas temperament, shrimp can also be a good option. They can help keep your tank clean and look super cool. However, if you have two or more of the same species, they will reproduce very fast. Naturally, bettas do eat snails and shrimp so it is always a risk. In a 20+ gallon you can house your betta with other species of fish. Harlequin rasboras are my favorite tank mates for bettas. They are hardy and docile fish that work well with bettas. Different species of tetras like ember, cardinal, neon, or black neon can also be good options. Fish to stay away from would be guppies and other bettas. Guppies are known to be fin nippers and can be quite aggressive. Bettas can never be housed together.
That is the beginner guide to starting a betta fish tank. Have fun and good luck!
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