Thinking About Setting Up A Betta Aquarium?
September 21, 2009
If you are considering setting up a Betta aquarium then congratulations, you have chosen a beautiful and very popular aquarium fish that originally came from the tropical waters of Thailand, Borneo and Malaysia. The betta fish holds the scientific name of betta Splendens and it is also known as the Siamese fighting fish. This is because males are territorial and will fight for domination. In the wild this is not usually a huge problem, as the "loser" will escape to safety. However, in the betta fish tank, this of course is not possible and often males will fight to the death.
Here we hope to provide you with valuable information about maintaining and caring for betta aquariums and which will help you to provide a stress free environment or your bettas to thrive and maybe even multiply in.
There are of course many aspects of betta and aquarium care. These are some that we want to cover here:
- Various different types of equipment and supplies for your betta tank.
- Proper maintenance of your betta fish tank which will help to maintain the health of your fish.
- Common betta diseases which can cause havoc on your tropical environment.
- How to breed bettas and care for the fry.
- Feeding, filtration and water conditions help to keep your fish healthy so they live longer.
Size of the tank
As a rough guide a tank of around 10 to 12 gallons, should be ideal for the single fish. You may of course choose a bowl or jar and your fish, although some think this is unacceptable. An important part of the betta aquariums is a lid that is tight fitting, as the fish are well known for their ability to jump out of the water.
Temperature and filtration
Water temperature is one of the most important factors to good betta fish care, so try to maintain water temperature between 24 C to 29 C / 75F and 84 F. When considering a filter bear in mind that this fish is not one of the strongest swimmers, so any current generated by your filtration system should be minimal if you want to avoid stressing your fish.
Planting the aquarium
As in their natural habitat, plants should be included in the betta aquarium. They provide a place for your fish to hide and rest in. You may want to consider providing your fish with some floating plants. Should you decide you want to breed bettas these can be used as homes for the bubble nests that your male fish will create when mating.
Tank mates
It is possible to keep Betta fish with tank mates. The Corydora catfish, which is a "bottom tank hugger", makes a great companion for instance. Females and males can live happily on their own and never put two males together. Females can be grouped together, however if doing so group at least 6 together so that aggression is evened out in the betta aquarium.