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Siamese fighting fish, betta splendens isolated on white background, it is popular as an aquarium fish Let’s start with the basics of betta fish care and then we will cover the most common questions on the internet about betta fish. What is the first things you should know about betta fish tank setup? A single betta fish needs a dechlorinated freshwater fish tank that is a minimum of 3-gallons. A sponge filter, aquarium light with a timer and water heater running at 76 and 84 degrees is ideal. Betta fish love hiding places such as caves, plants, logs and enjoy moss balls, smooth rocks and gravel. A filtered 3-gallon betta fish tank should be cleaned weekly. A 20-25% water change should be performed weekly to maintain pristine water conditions. A single male betta can become bored but compatible tank mates and interesting toys will keep him entertained and happy for years to come. This article focuses on caring for your Betta fish. For more helpful information on setting up the best environment for your betta, please see our article on the Essential Guide to Your First Betta Fish Tank. Some interesting betta fish traits you should know about: Betta fish are sensitive and intelligent animals with wonderful personalities. Some betta will eat right out of your hand and you can even train them to jump through hoops. The colorful male betta fish are devoted fathers who fiercely protect their babies from predators. Prior to breeding new fathers should be moved from their dedicated breeding tank where he will meet his mate and make a bubble nest for his anticipated young. After the baby betta or fry hatch from their eggs and begin to swim you will need to return the male to his permanent tank so he doesn’t harm them. In their natural habitat these fascinating fish have miles of rivers and paddies to swim through in the wild. Betta fish can survive in smaller tanks but are best suited to happily thrive in larger tanks with plenty of room to roam and explore. In the wild when one male enters another’s territory, the two may show aggression but retreating into the vast water ways often dispels any fight. Two male betta fish in the same small tank will often result in territorial fighting that often leads to death. In this article we will cover everything you need to know for best care for betta fish and answer many of the most common questions asked on the internet about these interesting fish, including: Are betta fish easy to care for? Are betta fish good pets? Which betta fish is the best? How long do betta fish live? What betta fish eat? Do betta fish get lonely? How do you know a betta fish is happy? Why do betta fish jump out of their tank? What fish can you put in with a betta? (can betta fish live with guppies) Why does my betta fish stare at me? Do bettas like music? Do betta fish like bubbles? Is it normal for betta fish to lay still? Why is my betta obsessed with the filter? Do female bettas die after laying eggs? How do bettas choose a mate? Why betta fish die? How do you know when a betta fish is going to die? What do betta fish like in their tank? Why do betta fish change colors? Why do betta fish hide? Why do betta fish stay at the top of the tank? Why is my betta fish hiding behind the heater? How do betta fish mate? What do betta fish eggs look like? What do betta fish symbolize? So, let’s jump right in. Are betta fish easy to care for? Betta fish are hardy, low maintenance pets. Generally, the larger the tank, the less frequent the maintenance needed to keep up healthy water and living conditions in your aquarium. At a minimum the tank should be 3 gallons (11 liters) or larger for a single betta fish. Utilizing quality substrate, decorations, water filtration, auto-timer lighting to simulate the natural circadian rhythm, water heater and an automated betta fish feeding system will help to keep your maintenance cycle low and necessary water changes less frequent. Regular water testing will help you establish the maintenance schedule needed for your specific tank. Are betta fish good pets? Betta fish are excellent pets for beginning and experienced fish owners. These curious fish easily bond with their owners, following you when you enter a room, nibbling on your finger and intently watching you while in their presence. These interesting fish come in an endless variety of brilliant colors and live for 2 to 5 years. Betta fish make good pets that will surely encourage you to expand your aquarist horizons. Which betta fish is the best? The best betta fish are first rated by their bright and colorful diversity. The brilliant coloration indicates the fish has a healthy carnivorous diet and strong immune system. The male is naturally more colorful than the female betta fish. One of the best breeds among the betta fish species is the veiltail betta best known for their brightly colored long, asymmetrical caudal downward flowing fin. Veiltail bettas have outgoing personalities who love interacting with their owners. Veiltails are generally healthier, live longer and don’t suffer deformities like other fancy breeds because they aren’t heavily inbred. How long do betta fish live? You can expect a betta fish to live 2 to 2 1/2 years after your purchase it. Most fish you buy are already 6 months to 1 year old by the time they are added to the pet store market. It is possible for bettas to live for as long as 4 to 5 years of age as long as their tank is well maintained, the lighting simulates scheduled day and night routines, the betta is not overfed and he is eating a balanced natural diet. What do betta fish eat? Betta fish are carnivorous animals who, in nature, eat high protein meals made mostly of bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, small fish, insects and insect larvae. A diet consisting solely of plant roots may keep them alive for a while but the lack of nutrients for the betta species would eventually lead to sickness and death. Do betta fish get lonely? Many new betta fish owners believe that these fish should be kept alone. This assumption is based on the aggressive nature of the male betta, especially during breeding times. The betta fish is commonly a solitary animal in the wild. Because of their territorial nature the presence of other fish in a small tank will cause a significant and detrimental stress level as tank mates are perceived by betta to be invaders to their claimed space. The most common mistake many new betta owners make is the misunderstanding of loneliness for boredom. If your betta seems lonely or board try creating a more stimulating environment or introduce more interesting live foods. A ping pong ball, floating log or other floating betta fish toys can keep a betta curious and entertained. How do you know a betta fish is happy? The happiness of your betta fish is easily recognized by their strong vibrant colors and by how readily they feed. Their happy behavior often displays open and billowing fins that fold as they swim. When the fins are flared and taut the behavior displays stress, agitation and aggression. Happy betta fish swim smoothly and actively and will readily interact with their owners. Betta happiness is also influenced by their environmental conditions. An appropriately sized tank, ideal water heater temperature, clean water, plenty of hiding places, lighting that simulates the natural day and night time circadian rhythm and good quality food that includes live blood worms, insects and their larva play an important part in your betta fish’s overall wellbeing, ideal health and happiness. Why do betta fish jump out of their tank? Betta fish jump out of their tank because of poor environmental conditions. Excessively dirty water from waste materials, toxic buildup such as ammonia or heavy metals, water temperature below 75 degrees or higher than 87 degrees and imbalanced PH levels all contribute to poor environmental conditions and fish stress. If the tank is overcrowded, especially with fish that are aggressive fin nippers and larger in size than the betta, he may jump out of the tank. These poor environmental conditions lead to stress and the betta fish attempts to escape it. What fish can you put in with a betta? Betta fish are naturally territorial and should not share a tank with any other betta fish. Betta will often fight to the death to defend his territory. Fish sharing a small tank will swim in and out of the betta fish territory causing stress which over time causes sickness and even death. There are exceptions to this rule when the betta is in the presence of tank mates they do not see as a threat. For example, betta fish largely ignore: Ghost Shrimp Cherry Shrimp Ramshorn Snails African Dwarf Frogs Dwarf Crayfish Betta fish will tolerate a low stress fish species such as Ember Tetras and the slower moving fancy tailed Guppies as long as the tank size is large enough to accommodate all of the fish with plenty of room to swim and lots of places to hide. Why does my betta fish stare at me? The betta fish species is interested in the outside world. They often stare at you resulting from your interactions with them. Every time you feed them; they associate you with food. Every time you play with them, teach them tricks like swimming through hoops or they hear your voice they associate those experiences with you. Betta fish love interacting and for them this starts with staring at you. Do bettas like music? Betta fish react to music but there have been no studies that prove a level of enjoyment relative to types of music. Betta fish have a highly developed nervous system and very sensitive hearing. These senses help hem hear and feel sounds and vibrations in the water. Some betta fish will respond to music with flared fins and increased aggression, some will become stiller and calmer and some appear to even dance when music is played. Do betta fish like bubbles? Betta fish love to play in the bubbles coming from an air pump and prefer the higher oxygen levels in the water that come from stone diffused air bubblers. Slow flowing air bubbles are preferred by betta fish to the water turbulence created from fast flowing bubbles. Because of a betta fish’s large flowing fins, they find it difficult and stressful to quickly swim and maneuver through fast flowing water. Is it normal for betta fish to lay still? A betta fish with a healthy diet, balanced energy and low stress will often lay on its side very still and take a nap after a good meal. This is normal behavior for a healthy betta fish and many aquarists will encourage the behavior with the purchase of a betta bed or ‘hammock’. This is an artificial leaf with a suction cup attached to the inside bottom area of the tank for. An even more comfortable and natural option for your napping betta are live broad leaf plants like the Anubias Nana or Amazon Sword. Why is my betta obsessed with the filter? Betta fish will spend more time in the areas of your tank that has the most oxygen. The outlet of the filter provides the best spot with the highest concentration of oxygen flowing in the tank. Betta fish have gills like other fish to take advantage of those high oxygen areas while under water in the aquarium. When your betta fish is away from their favorite spot, they can still breath because they are part of an air-breathing group of fish called anabantids. This means they also have the ability to breath air above the water surface through the use of a special labyrinth organ. Do female bettas die after laying eggs? Female betta fish do not die after laying eggs. After female betta fish mate, they will lay eggs within two or three days. In nature this is normally done in the presence of the male betta who will keeps her eggs in a bubble nest he has created until they hatch and can swim on their own. Female betta fish sexually mature at an age of 2-3 months and should breed no more than 3 times in their lifetime and each breeding session should be at least 6 months apart. How do bettas choose a mate? In the wild, female bettas are the picky sex while males compete with each other for mating rights and territory. The female will often watch two fighting males and select the winner to mate with. Without a fight to help her chose a mate she will often select the male with the brightest colors. The diverse and bright coloration signals to the female his superior ability to forage for food. The female will indicate she is willing to breed by flaring her back and wagging her body at the male. Why do betta fish die? Stress is the primary reason betta fish die in captivity. Stress will shorten the average lifespan of this species of fish and is usually caused by overfeeding, poor water conditions, water temperatures outside of ideal standards, sharing a tank with other aggressive fish and overstocking your aquarium. The male betta will usually get sick before dying. Some stresses are so significant that a betta fish can commit suicide. These conditions are all preventable with proper education, preparation and commitment to care. How do you know when a betta fish is going to die? Betta fish that have otherwise been healthy but are dying of old age will lose their color, has a limp tail fin, unresponsive eyes and do not swim around the tank very much. Betta fish that prematurely die from stress will start to exhibit horizontal stripes running the length of their body known as “stress stripes”. Stress may also cause the color of the skin to turn white and their behavior becomes increasingly lethargic before death. Most betta fish will sink to the bottom of the tank when they die. What do betta fish like in their tank? The ideal betta tank is one with pristine water and a creative aquascape that will keep your fish entertained with plenty of places to hide and new places to discover from time to time. Betta like having the territory they claim remain unchanged but periodically adjusting the rest of the tank by moving decorations or introducing new things in the tank keeps it interesting. Betta fish like aquarium plants, a betta bed or hammock, a floating or sinking log, a ping pong ball, a moss ball and a small mirror. Why do betta fish change colors? Changes in diet will often result in skin color changes. For example, if you have only fed your betta flake food and then change to a high protein diet similar to what betta eat in their natural habitat such as blood worms, insects and insect larva, you will see the betta skin color become brighter, more vibrant and distinctive. Color lose is usually due to age or stress and in response to illness. Why do betta fish hide? Commonly fish who don’t feel safe will find a place to hide until they feel the threat is gone. Betta are no different, in the wild they prefer places with lots of hiding places they can escape to when threatened with the possibility of becoming the bigger fishes next meal. If your betta feels uncomfortable with new and unrecognized sounds or vibrations or if he feels like he is too exposed in an open water area of the tank, he may retreat to a safe hiding place until he feels like it is safe to come out. Why do betta fish stay at the top of the tank? Betta fish stay at the top of the tank because of low oxygen availability in the water. Betta need a pocket of air at the top of the tank to surface and breath if there is not enough air in the water for their gills to process. Adding a diffused water bubbler to your tank will usually resolve this issue. If your betta is floating near the top of your tank upside-down or on his side the he may be suffering from bloat or swim bladder disease. If there is a shortage of food your betta may be at the top of your tank anxiously telling you to add the food as soon as possible. Why is my betta fish hiding behind the heater? Betta fish are close to the heater because they are cold. The tropical Betta fish like the water to be between 76- and 84-degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 28 degrees Celsius). Colder water will slow the betta’s immune system, making them susceptible to disease and death. Betta fish will also hide behind the heater to avoid strong currents or as a safe place to avoid danger if there are no better places to hide. How do betta fish mate? A male betta is placed in a dedicated breeding tank with a female betta. The female and male will have a transparent divider placed between them until the male builds a bubble nest. Once the divider is removed the courtship begins which includes the male spending more time near the bubble nest, swimming in a zigzagging pattern and bubbling and the female flaring her back and wagging her body. Ultimately the male betta will flip the female betta upside-down and wrap himself around her to fertilize the eggs. When the female begins to lay eggs, the male retrieves them and deposits them in the bubble nest. What do betta fish eggs look like? Bubble-nesting betta fish eggs are irregular sized white oval balls averaging 1mm in size and take 2-3 days to hatch. The larger mouthbrooding betta fish eggs average 2-3mm and averages 10-14 days to hatch. During betta egg development the color may change from white to a mild yellow color. What do betta fish symbolize? A betta fish symbolizes the unexpected warrior; they are small and underestimated but when tested they are amazingly resilient, relentless fighters, intelligent and creative creatures whose ability to overcome difficult circumstances are impressive. The betta fish symbolizes the independent and defiant spirit that never gives up. Betta were originally called betta splendens which means “Beautiful Warrior”.

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