Betta Fish Care - Ways To Keep A Healthy, Beautiful Fish

Because betta fish can be kept in relatively simple containers as opposed to large aquariums with complicated filtration systems, many people are attracted to them as easy to care for, yet beautiful tropical fish. But betta fish care does require some frequent work to keep the fish happy and healthy.

The first key to betta fish care is to give your fish at least a little space. Yes, they can be kept alive in those little jars they sell them in at the pet stores, but imagine how happy you'd be if confined to a space so small you couldn't move. Bettas kept in very small containers often grow listless and may lose color over time. While your fish does not require a tremendous amount of space, you do want it to have enough room to swim around a bit. A one to two gallon fish bowl works nicely. In addition, since Bettas do breathe at the surface from time to time, you want to make sure there is sufficient space at the surface for your fish to do that.

Betta fish can and will jump, so whatever container you are using, be sure that it can be covered (dont use an airtight cover!) to prevent your fish from jumping out.

Water cleanliness is essential to good betta fish care. One tip for this is to be careful when feeding your betta. Uneaten food will cause bacteria to grow and cause the water to get cloudy. If you use betta food pellets, I suggest feeding just one or two at a time a few times per day. This will cut down on the problem of rotting food in the container and will help prevent the fish from being overfed, which can lead to swim bladder problems.

Another aspect of keeping the water clean is to remove any uneaten food quickly (a turkey baster can be used to suck out food particles). You'll also want to make partial water changes on a frequent basis. Different recommendations are made by various experts as to how much water to replace and how often. In large part, it depends on how large of a container you are using. The smaller the container, the faster waste products will build up, so for small containers it is a good idea to replace at least a third of the water twice per week. A larger container that holds one or two gallons, changing half the water once per week should be plenty.

I suggest using bottled distilled water to change your betta's water. Distilled water is pure and free of chemicals like chlorine that are toxic to fish. In addition, since distilled water has a neutral pH, it is ideally suited to the needs of betta fish.

Another important aspect of betta fish care is to keep the water relatively warm. Bettas come from tropical regions and are happiest at temperatures at about the 75 to 80 degree (Farenheit) range.

Betta fish prefer to rest on objects off of the bottom of the container, so some decorations are a good idea. It is important to use objects that are smooth and don't have any sharp edges, because the betta's fins are very delicate and can be easily damaged. Even artificial plants can damage a betta if the material is too hard.

The tips you now have will give you the basics to keep your betta healthy. A bright, active fish will be the outcome of good betta fish care.