Betta Fish Facts

If your starting your first fish aquarium, then the betta is a perfect start for you. Betta's come in a variety of amazing, vivid colors. They have long flowing tails and slender bodies. It is also known as the Siamese Fighting Fish. Keeping two male Betta's in the same tank would have a bad outcome. One of them would surely kill the other fish because they are very hostile toward each other. Betta's prefer to live solitary. They are known to live up to three years.

The betta can live for a while in a small bowl without equipment like filters. Betta's can naturally filter their own water. Yet, you will have to change three fourths of the water once every week with dechlorinated or spring water. If you are just starting a fish aquarium you can use a small round glass bowl or a betta tank. Betta fish tanks are made for just one fish so adding some friends would not work with a betta tank. Beta fish are tropical fish that like to be kept in warm areas. The water temperature for your betta needs to be between 70 degrees to 80 degrees. Although they like warm water, they do not like direct sunlight. So, you need to keep them away from windows. They enjoy live plants and like to hide occasionally. You may want to add some live plants to your betta tank or aquarium.

Betta's can feed once or twice a day. They eat frozen bine shrimp, floating flake food, or freeze dried blood worms. If your betta seems to be sluggish or refuses to eat this could be a sign that his water is too cold. You can use a hydro min aquarium heater to help achieve the 70 to 80 degree water temperature.

Betta fish can have some types of fish friends in their tank. You can even place a female betta in the tank with the male. Fish that are smaller in size like neon tetras, cardinal tetras, and serpae tetras are great choices for sharing the tank with the betta. However, tetras are schooling fish and you will need three or more of them. The bigger the tank the more schooling fish you could add. For example, I have a small 1.5 gallon tank with a betta and three serpae tetras and they do just fine. If you have more schooling fish you should at least have a five gallon tank. Other fish that can go in the tank with the betta are white cloud minnow, rasbora, danios, platy, corydoras, and plecostomus. Each fish will have a different temperament. So, when you introduce your fish to the betta you need to watch them for the first few days. The first couple of days some nipping can occur. However, your betta should eventually get use to sharing the tank with his companions.

Sources:

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