How to care for a Betta Fish

A Betta Fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, also sometimes colloquially known as the betta, is a species in the gourami family which is popular as an aquarium fish. Bettas can be territorial fish and are prone to high levels of aggression towards each other.

Preparing Housing for the Betta

1. Prepare betta's home 

• Have a proper set up ready before bringing home your new pet. This prevents possible mishaps.

2. A suitable home

• Betta are suited to living in relatively shallow, but spacious environments. To meet the spacious need, consider giving your betta a decently sized tank to help prolong its life. Pick a tank of 5 gallons (19 liters) or more for your betta to thrive. It may seem like a lot, but it's what your fish deserves.

3. Add the necessary equipment

• such as a heater, rocks, hard plastic plants, live plants, etc.

Adding water to the tank

1. Prepare the water

• Use a water conditioner such as Prime before putting fresh tap water in the tank. The chlorine and chloramines in standard tap water can harm bettas, as well as kill off all that beneficial bacteria housed in the filter. Older sources may suggest aging the water (standing it for a time) but it's best to use a water conditioner, as aged water removes chlorine but not chloramine and heavy metals. Use a master freshwater test kit to ensure that your tank is completely cycled before adding your betta.
  

2. Fill the Betta's tank

• If the tank is without a top cover, fill it about 80% high to ensure your fish won't leap out. Bettas are very active and can jump over 3 inches/7.5cm.

Feeding the Betta

1. Pick the proper diet 

• Bettas are carnivores. Your betta's diet should consist of pellets specifically made for feeding betta, as well as a variety of other carnivorous foods. Frozen brine shrimp or blood worms are good options.

2. Feed your betta regularly

• You should observe how much food them eats, Set up routine feeding times, for example, once in the morning and once at night. If you stick to this routine, you may even find that your betta will be waiting for you when it's time to eat.

3. Clean up any extra food that the betta doesn't eat

• If he/she spits up any food. This could be a sign that your betta is a picky eater, or it could also mean that the pellets are too big for the betta's mouth. Ironically, most big fish food companies don't realize that Betta fish have smaller mouths than, say, goldfish or others.

4. Turn feeding time into a little enrichment exercise

• Put a straw in the tank and watch your betta to see if he/she gets used to it. If he/she does, and you have leftover betta food he/she won't eat, place one of the leftover pellets in the tank. Place the straw over it so that it is inside the straw. Hold the straw over the fish and wait for him/her to find it. After your betta finds it, he/she will follow it. You can then slowly lift the straw up to the top of the tank until the food pops out and your betta will eat it.

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