June 21st is Betta Fish Awareness Day!!
Hey everybody! Betta Fish Awareness Day is coming up and I wanted to clear up some common misconceptions about keeping and caring for bettas. I happen to work at a very popular PET COmpany and see a lot of misinformation being spread about these babies. As a loving betta fish owner I want to make sure that all the bettas are well cared for.
Here are a few basic guidelines for keeping bettas:
1. Temperature: Bettas are a tropical fish species and need warmer water to survive. The ideal temperature range is between 72 and 82 degrees farenheit (22-27 degrees celsius). The best way to ensure your tank is warm enough for your angry baby is to install a heater in their tank and monitor the temperature with a thermometer.
2. Tank size: We often see bettas in kept very small spaces; in mason jars on pinterest, small bowls on tv shows, and sold in small cups from pet stores. These are not healthy environments for your betta! They should ideally be kept in a minimum of 5 gallons of water. Having a larger tank reduces stress on the animal and allows them to not only survive, but THRIVE and live happily.
3. Filtration: All fish tanks should have a functioning water filter. It helps remove waste products and keeps the tank clean. It also keeps the water moving in the tank, which circulates oxygen, disperses heat, and keeps your fish happy. Bettas are no exception to this.
4. Keeping multiple bettas: Bettas should NEVER share a tank! This includes the “dual betta fish tanks” that are sold at many pet stores. Even if the bettas are physically separate from each other, the presence of another betta intruding on their territory will cause unnecessary stress on your fish. The only exception to this rule is female bettas. Females can be kept together in a “sorority” only if you have a large tank, 20 gallons or bigger is recommended.
While you cannot have bettas together, you CAN keep bettas in a tank with other species. Some very common betta tank mates are freshwater shrimp, snails, neon tetras, and small bottom feeders like cory catfish. Just avoid any species that look similar to bettas. No long tails or flashy colors.
5. Feeding: Bettas should be fed once per day. Most commonly they are fed small pellets specially formulated for the species. You should give them 3-5 pellets at a time. Bettas also enjoy eating freeze-dried blood worms, they can eat 1 or 2 of these per day. It is important not to overfeed them, because it can cause problems with their swim bladder and make it difficult for them to swim around. If you see your betta struggling to stay buoyant, you may be feeding it too much.
6. Decoration: Bettas love decorations! They like to be able to hide when they are stressed or when they feel threatened. It’s important to decorate your tank to make your betta feel safe. Live aquatic plants are a great way to provide cover for your babies and also remove carbon from the water and replace it with oxygen. Also they just look pretty! Decorate however you want, go crazy, be creative! Your betta will love it!
It’s important to note that these are just a few of the guidelines to keeping bettas. There are so many other important things to keep in mind when caring for these colorful friends, but these are the questions I am asked most commonly when I’m working. I hope this post helps, and please feel free to add more tips for betta care down below!
