# Water parameters for wild betta (imbellis)?



## Ryan Mosby (Nov 22, 2019)

I'm having a hard time finding what the parameters should be for wild bettas. All I hear is 'soft water' but no numbers.

A long time ago I found an ideal parameters for a betta, listed as:

GH: 7-9 dGH
KH: 5-8 DKH
pH: 6-8 (7 is best)
Temperature: 75-80

Is this the same for wild bettas such as betta imbellis?


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Wild betta imbellis need the same water parameters as betta splendens. I keep my wild betta the exact same as my pet store ones no issue. I just add extra tannins and the pH is lower, that's all.


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## thijswildbettas (Nov 20, 2020)

If you buy wild caught imbellis you will need to have lower parameters than with CB's. My CB imbellis do fine at pH 7-7.5 and usually tap water is fine. Most important thing is that your parameters are stable. Catappa leaves are great to for making your water better for wilds.


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## Paradise Betta (Jan 7, 2021)

If you have a Wilde caught betta, you should keep the ph at 7.0, you should keep the ammonia at 0.02, you should keep the temperature at 78 degrees, the the should be at least 8, and the kh should be at 6.5-7


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Paradise Betta said:


> If you have a Wilde caught betta, you should keep the ph at 7.0, you should keep the ammonia at 0.02, you should keep the temperature at 78 degrees, the the should be at least 8, and the kh should be at 6.5-7


Ammonia at anything over 0 ppm is toxic and can kill fish.


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Paradise Betta said:


> If you have a Wilde caught betta, you should keep the ph at 7.0, you should keep the ammonia at 0.02, you should keep the temperature at 78 degrees, the the should be at least 8, and the kh should be at 6.5-7


Also, wild caught betta and wild bettas are two very different things


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## Paradise Betta (Jan 7, 2021)

Yeah, max ammonia levels are 0.2, that isn’t when you have to lower it,


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Paradise Betta said:


> Yeah, max ammonia levels are 0.2, that isn’t when you have to lower it,


Max ammonia levels are 0 ppm. Once again, anything over that (including 0.2 ppm) is toxic and can kill fish. Just for a reference 

Max ammonia-0 ppm
Max nitrites- 0 ppm
Max nitrates-20 ideally, but 30-40+ is when it can become dangerous and 50+ is toxic.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

@Paradise Betta please link where you found the information that 0.2 ppm Ammonia is acceptable.

Since you posted that I've search and all of the studies I found state that 0.0 ppm Ammonia is the only acceptable level. In addition, Ammonia toxicity is influence by pH levels. The higher the pH the more toxic is Ammonia. Here is an article with the toxicity chart. The references make informative reading Aquaworld Aquarium - Article - Ammonia Toxicity and the pH Relationship

BTW, when moderators comment on threads/posts, we are speaking as members unless we indicate otherwise.


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## Ryan Mosby (Nov 22, 2019)

I didn't get any email alert that there'd been more posts, I'm just now seeing these. My GH and KH were too high, as was my TDS. I started doing twice-weekly 1/2 gallon water changes with RO water with some remineralization in an attempt to bring them down. My betta (wild type, but not wild-caught) won't eat and stays near the surface to take air frequently. She swims around sometimes but makes quick trips to the surface. She doesn't swim like she has swim bladder disease, though, and she has pooped a few times (empty castings). I'm not sure I can reverse this, she's been refusing to eat for two weeks and is so thin. She won't eat her pellets, live flightless fruit flies, or frozen brine shrimp.

Also I have to agree, it's safer to stick with 0 ammonia. The presence of any could get out of hand, it'd be hard to just toe the line at 0.2. It's safer, especially in a tank where there is not a large working ecosystem in a live environment, to have it stay at 0.


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## Garent (Feb 4, 2021)

Wow, all of these information are new to me


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## Ryan Mosby (Nov 22, 2019)

Back with another question: is a GH of 12 too high for a betta? I'm keeping endlers and they prefer harder water.


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