She Who Roars With Dragons

Bettas are literally one of the best fish you can get. Colorful, interactive, and hardy; these fish are great for kids and beginner hobbyists. But where do you start?? Getting a betta can be fun, but there's a lot of misinformation out there surrounding these guys. Even well meaning associates at your local petsmart may have fallen for these common myths. So let's try and clear some of those up, shall we?? Here's what to know when looking at purchasing a betta (or several!)

Bettas like having lots of space to swim and explore. And while it's true that they can survive, maybe even thrive in small set ups, you won't get to see all the neat little behaviors these guys do when they have more enrichment in their environment. Try dropping a moss ball in and watch them roll it around the bottom of the tank!

Bettas also "sleep" sort of. If you've ever see a betta sitting at the bottom of a bowl, tank, or on a plant, they're probably just havin' a lil nap. To keep them more comfy, broad-leafed plants or other smooth/soft things are good additions to the tank.

A heater is necessary. They are a tropical fish and need warmer water to be healthy and happy. Water that's too cool can leave them susceptible to disease, fungal and parasitic infections, cause them to not eat, and may not contain enough oxygen for the betta.

Contrary to popular belief, bettas can have tank mates if the aquarium is suitable for a community. Lots of plant coverage is a good start. You'll also need to add any tank mates for the betta before getting him/her. Bettas are territorial and any fish, shrimp, or snails added to a tank after a betta will likely be killed. However, it's worth mentioning that every betta has a different personality. Some are just plain mean and will decide a tank is all theirs, even if the tank mates have had time to establish themselves. Others are completely docile, even trying to school with other fish in the tank. Just keep an eye out for any aggression or injuries and have a backup tank ready if a betta just won't play nice. Sorority tanks are also a fun thing to do where you keep multiple females in the same aquarium, but that's a bit more advanced imo and will be discussed in a separate post.

Ounce a week water changes are a must. Especially if you're keeping them in a smaller tank. Tho, imo one shouldn't be keeping a betta in anything less than a 1g aquarium outside of the breeding hobby. At that point it's just a matter of space, and as long as water conditions are maintained, the bettas can be perfectly healthy.

You will need a filter as bettas poop a lot. The filter will help keep toxic ammonia and nitrite from building up and should give only a gentle flow to the tank. If the flow seems too strong, try putting a sponge in to slow it down. Bettas have long, delicate fins and so have some difficulty in fast moving water. It can leave them too tired to swim to the surface for air, as well as cause general stress and weakness. Bettas getting most of their oxygen from the surface is also why you should keep the tank long, rather than tall.

Not only that, but there's a lot of misinformation out there about aquarium fish. Make sure to do your research before purchasing any living thing (I'm including plants here tbh, but that's just me i know).

So if you're thinking about getting that betta in the cup because he looks sad, here are a few tips to get you started right:

Do research on the species you're considering BEFORE you make your purchase. 90% of aquarium keeping is getting things set up in advance so as to not stress the fish (or you) out

Never forget to cycle your tank first. There are two ways to do it: fish-in cycling, and fishless cycling. The fishless route is considered more humane, as fish are not exposed to toxic ammonia while the bacteria colony develops. It also increases your chances of fish surviving the move to a new tank.

Live plants may seem intimidating, but they are a got damn blessing. They help eat up extra ammonia and other toxic chemicals so your fish stay comfy, some species will help oxygenate your water which means you can fit more creatures (not necessarily fish, but we'll get to that), give a ton of hiding spots to help reduce aggression and injuries from tank mates, and just typically look nicer than fake plants, tho silk plants do have a nice, almost natural look to them.

Always under populate your tank at first. Even if you've cycled your tank before getting fish, there's still going to be a mini cycle when you add any number of fish. Depending on the bio-load of the fish, you'll want to start with just two or three and add a couple more each week until you have the desired stock.

Larger tanks are technically easier to maintain, but be prepared to make large water changes. We got a 20g long thinking changing 5 gallons a week wouldn't be much hassle. It's not a lot of work, but it gets tiring running back and forth between the kitchen sink and the tank. Our 10g standard is much easier, only needing a couple gallons changed a week.

The fewer fish you have to care for, the easier it will be to keep them healthy. We started off with a small school of guppies, a few amano shrimp, and a couple snails. We constantly had to check if one treatment for the fish was safe for the invertebrates and vise versa. Plus, it will make it easier to spot injury or disease.

Which brings me to my next tip, learn to recognize healthy stock when purchasing for your aquarium. It will save you a world of hurt, trust me. Helps to keep current stock healthy and saves you money amd work in the long run.

Always have a quarantine tank ready when adding new fish. Keep your new stock totally separate from your established aquarium for at least a week to make sure none of your new guys will bring in disease.

Acclimating is more than just sitting the bag in the water for temperature adjustment. This is the most common mistake I see new fish keepers make. Fish acclimate to temperature, yes, but also the ph level of the aquarium. One of the more common causes of death for new aquarium fish is ph shock. You want to add small amounts of tank water to the bag your new fish is in over 1-2 hours. You'll also want to drop the fish in with as little water from the pet store's tank as possible, to avoid contaminating your own tank with potential disease/parasites.

There's also no such thing as something that is totally self-maintaining. You will always need to do weekly water changes. Yes weekly. The once a month instructions you see on a lot of fish stuff is the bare minimum for a heavily planted, under populated tank.