If you are planning to get a fish, you should consider a betta fish. These fish are very intelligent. They have been known to be able to recognize their owners. There are even some betta fish that can do tricks like pushing a tiny ball through a ring using their nose. This is something that most fish are incapable of.
One of the best reasons to buy a betta fish is their beauty. Most have bright, brilliant colors and their fins flutter like a fan. If you are thinking about buying a betta fish, you should know how to care for one. Like all fish, betta fish are susceptible to disease and other issues that can result in illness or death.
Best Types Of Water To Use
Since fish live in water, the type and quality of the water are important for the fish to live a long, healthy life. There is a science behind providing safe water for your betta fish.
What kind of water does betta fish need?
The best type of water for betta fish is Betta-Specific water. This can be found in many pet stores. If you cannot find this type of water, you are going to need to use spring water or distilled water, however, you will need to treat it properly to remove the chemicals, mineral, and nutrients. This will leave you with nothing but pure water. If you don’t test and treat the water regularly, your betta fish won’t live very long.
Can betta fish live in tap water?
The most readily available source of water is the water that comes straight from the faucet. Whether or not your tap water is safe would depend on where you live. In many areas, chemicals such as chlorine are added to the water so that it is safe to drink. While these chemicals are good for humans, they can hurt and even kill a betta fish.
If you are going to use tap water for your betta fish tank, there are high-quality water conditioners that you can buy. These conditioners will remove all of the harmful chemicals from the water in a matter of seconds. Once the chlorine and other heavy metals have been removed from the water, the water from your faucet is great for betta fish.
It contains a variety of minerals and nutrients that the fish need to thrive. Also, when you use tap water, it is easy to get it to the perfect temperature. It is easy to combine hot and cold water until you have reached the optimal temperature.
Changing the Water
Like all fish, betta fish need clean water. If you are planning to get a betta fish, you should know the basics regarding changing the water and ensuring that the first have a clean, healthy environment.
How to change betta fish water: If you have been keeping up with your tank, you would only need to do a partial water change. If you have a small tank that does not have a filter, you should do this often. If the water is very dirty, you should do a complete water change.
Partial Water Change
When doing a partial change, leave your fish in the water. Prepare your new water by adding the correct conditioners and making sure that it is the right temperature. Using a clean scoop, remove between 25 and 50 percent of the water.
When replacing the old water with the new, treated water, you should pour it in very slowly until it reaches the level that it was at before you emptied it. The last thing that you want to do is to disturb the fish. If you pour the water into the tank or bowl too quickly, the fish can get jostled around. Also, it can scare the fish, which is not good for its health.
Complete Water Change
If your tank is incredibly dirty, you should do a complete water change. Start by preparing the water in a clean container and gently transfer your fish from the dirty container to the clean one. Be sure to be gentle when you move the fish. They have very delicate fins that are susceptible to injury.
When your fish is safely moved, dump the water down the drain. If you have gravel in your tank, dump it down the sink in a strainer. When cleaning the inside of the tank, you should never use soap. Using just warm water and a cloth will get the tank clean.
Next, run the water over the gravel and mix it around in the strainer. Finally, fill the tank with gravel and slowly transfer the fish and the clean water to the tank.
How often should you change your beta fish water?
Most betta fish experts recommend that you do a partial water change at least once a week. This will ensure that the fish is always swimming in clean, properly conditioned water.
If you have skipped a cleaning or if you tank is especially dirty, you should do a complete water change. Since complete water changes can shock the fish’s system, you should try to avoid needing a complete water change.
If you clean your tank on a regular basis, you shouldn’t need to do a complete water change often. If you don’t keep the water clean, your fish won’t have a healthy environment in order for it to thrive.
What is the best water temperature for betta fish?
Like all fish, betta fish will only thrive in water that is the right temperature. If the water is too hot or too cold, the fish could die. If the temperature of the water is off, it can weaken the fish’s immune system. When this happens, they are susceptible to a variety of diseases.
The most common temperature related disease is Fur Coat Syndrome bacteria. To keep your fish healthy, the ideal water temperature should be between 78 and 80 degrees. To be sure that the temperature is correct, you are going to need to have a thermometer.
If it is cold in your home, you are going to need to a heater to keep the water warm enough. If it is hot in the house, it shouldn’t have an effect on the temperature of the water.
You should check the temperature on the thermometer as often as possible so that you can be sure that it is always safe for your fish. If the water temperature is off, you should make the necessary adjustment as soon as you discover the issue.
Beta Fish Water Conditioners
As mentioned above, you should use a water conditioner to be sure that the water quality is safe for your betta fish. The water conditioner makes it possible to remove the harmful chlorine, contaminants, and heavy metals from the water before allowing your fish to swim. Also, most water conditioners will reduce the effects of the ammonia in the water.
One of the best water conditioners on the market today is Top Fin Betta Aquarium Water Conditioner. Not only does this water conditioner remove all of the harmful agents from the water, it will protect the fish by creating a healthy slime that coats the fish.
Betta fish water conditioners are very simple to use. When preparing the clean water, you would simply add it to the water based on the instructions. You want to be sure to add the right amount of conditioner based on the amount of water that you are preparing. Too much of the condition or too little can be harmful to the fish.
Do Betta Fish Need a Filter?
Betta fish are often housed in bowls. When you bought your fish, it was likely held in a small bowl without any other fish. Also, there are no filters or heaters connected to these bowls. The betta fish in the pet store live like this and there are some fish who can live their entire lives without a filtration system. There are some, however, who will become distressed and they can develop fin rot soon after getting them home. If you are going to put your betta fish in an unfiltered bowl, it is important that you keep up with your weekly water changes.
Also, you cannot overfeed the fish. If you do, the excess food will fall to the bottom, making the tank dirty. If you are too busy or too forgetful to keep up with the regular weekly cleaning, the best way to ensure that your fish is thriving and they won’t develop an infection or fin deterioration is to put the fish in a tank with a filtration system. If you have a filter, you shouldn’t need to worry about doing a complete water change.
Instead, you would only need to change 30 percent of the water each week and make sure that the gravel is clean. If you have a filter, it should take you just 10 minutes once a week to keep it clean. If you don’t have a filter and you need to do a complete water change, it can be much more time-consuming.
If you are thinking about getting a fish, a betta fish is a great option. If you are patient with your betta fish and you are willing to spend the time, you can teach your fish tricks that will amaze your friends. Not only are these fish beautiful and great to look at, they are also very easy to care for. As long as you keep the water clean and at the correct temperature, there is a good chance that your fish is going to thrive and remain healthy.