How To Care for Betta Fish

Betta fish are flashy colorful fish with lots of vim and vigor. Since they exist naturally in small mud puddles and can gulp air from the waters surface, they are well suited to the small fish bowls often sold expressly for keeping Bettas. In some situations you may want to house one or more Bettas together in a larger aquarium. Just remember that if male Bettas can get to each other they will fight. Fighting causes severe stress and the weaker ones may suffer mortal injuries.

Follow these steps to keep your Betta healthy:

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Caring for Betta Fish  

1. Feed lightly and daily. There are several commercial preparations of Betta food on the market that work well. Add bloodworms as an occasional treat.
2. After a few minutes, remove any uneaten food. Uneaten food left in the aquarium or fish bowl can rot and pollute the water causing stress or death to your fish. This is especially important if you are using one of the very small fish bowls often sold for use with Bettas. Keeping your Betta in a larger fish tank is a more forgiving option. There are even compartmentalized products that hang on the inside of your tank to permit housing several Bettas in separate compartments.

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3. Inspect fins, gills and overall appearance for signs of stress or infection. Treat any symptoms you find with medications available at your local pet store.
4. Check the water level. This is extremely important if you are using a small Betta bowl. Even when you use a plastic compartment in a larger aquarium, it will be mounted very near the surface. This means it will be subject to evaporation more quickly than the tank as a whole.
5. Perform routine water changes. If you keep your Betta in a larger fish tank with other fish this will be easy to do as part of your routine tank maintenance. If you keep your Betta in small bowl, keep a jug of clean, de-chlorinated tap water in the same room as your Betta. This will help facilitate routine water changes and ensure that water is available to top off the bowl to make up for evaporation.
6. Keep a log book to make sure you are maintaining a regular schedule. This is especially helpful for families and can prevent overfeeding by family members who might not know if the fish has been fed yet.

On a final note, male Bettas will be at their most active and attractive if kept within sight of other males. A few bowls kept right next to each other or a compartmentalized in tank display is a fascinating way to enjoy Bettas. Following these steps to routine care will help ensure that your etta or Bettas stay healthy and vigorous.