Instructions
Choose a betta that looks healthy. The fish should have a clean body without any white spots or slimy areas. Taking a good look at the fish through the glass is usually enough to determine its health. Make sure it is swimming and has fins that aren’t torn or ragged.
Set up a tank. The tank should be at least one gallon in size and should be filled with clean water. If you used tap water, use a chlorine neutralizing chemical that is made for fish tanks. Bettas don’t need plants or aeration, but they do like plants to hide in. Having a plant or a castle to hide in will keep him from becoming stressed if there is too much commotion in the room. Use an aquarium lid to keep the betta from jumping out of the tank. Bettas are accomplished jumpers and can suffocate themselves by leaping into the air and onto the ground.
Float the fish. The betta you bought will be in a clear plastic bag. Place the bag on top of the water in the tank and allow it to float there for at least an hour. This will slowly acclimate the fish to the water temperature inside the tank. Adding the fish to the tank too quickly can cause shock from the rapid change in temperature. Once at least an hour has passed, cut a hole in the bag and let the fish swim into the tank.
Keep the water temperature at about 75 to 80 degrees. This can be done by keeping the tank near a window and allowing the sunlight to warm the water, or you can place a lamp close to the aquarium. Keep a tank thermometer in the tank to make sure that the water doesn’t get too hot. There are thermometers that attach to the side of the tank and ones that float along the top of the water.
Feed the betta a steady diet of betta pellets. Supplement the betta’s diet by giving him bloodworms occasionally. Bettas will also eat brine shrimp, which can be fed to the fish live or in dried form. Feed the betta twice a day.
Clean the tank regularly. Change about half of the water from the tank at a time so that the water temperature doesn’t shift too rapidly. After you have taken half the water out of the tank, manually clean any algae from the side of the tank. Replace the water with water that has been sitting in the same room and has acclimated to room temperature. Be sure to treat the new water with a chlorine neutralizer before adding it to the tank. Do this every two weeks to keep the tank clean and the fish happy.
How to Keep Beta Fish Alive
Betta fish are popular for their beautiful colors and their easy maintenance. The betta can live for as long as four years and is inexpensive to take care of. Bettas are often called Siamese Fighting Fish because they can’t live together without fighting. For this reason, keep only one betta at a time in a tank.