# Basic betta requirements!!!



## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Hi
More and more recently I have noticed people coming here saying they keep their bettas in half gallon bowls with no heat, so I thought it would be good to have a thread stating all the basic betta requirements!

1: All bettas *need* at least 1.5 gallons of water.
Why? Because a betta will *survive* with a half gallon tank, but they will not *thrive*.

2: All bettas *need* a heated tank.
Why? Because despite what petsmart/petco/walmart may tell you, bettas are *TROPICAL* fish and need to be kept in a heated tank.

3:No male betta should *EVER* be kept with a female fish unless for breeding purposes. (This does not apply to babies under 6-8 weeks old)

4:No male betta should *EVER* be kept with another male.

5:You should *NEVER* put your male betta in a tank with another male for fighting purposes!No matter what you have been told, it is not safe, it is not healthy, and it is most certainly not entertaining!It can cause life threatening injuries and even death.

6:For tanks over 5gal, 1 50% water change and 1 100% water change is reccomended per week.For tanks under 5gal, daily water changes are reccomended.This is to reduce ammonia, nitrate + nitrite levels which can cause your fish serious damage when not controlled.

7:*NEVER* keep your betta in a vase, this is neither healthy nor safe for your betta!

8:Bettas are solitary fish, some females will thrive in a sorority tank, some may not, do not force a female into a sorority if it puts her safety or the safety of another fish at risk.

9:Always quarantine a fish before putting it into a shared/community/sorority tank. If the fish is carrying disease it may pass the disease onto a tankmate, or even start an epidemic.

10:Treat your betta with the respect and love they deserve, they are living creatures and not circus acts!

If anyone has any suggestions let me know and I will add them to the list.


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## Cattitude (Apr 19, 2012)

I'd only suggest something about filtration - necessary or not? 

Re water changes: I have one betta who I'm currently keeping in a one-gallon "cube" with no heat or filtration. I do plan to rectify this situation ASAP with a bigger, heated, filtered tank. I've read a few opinions on this board re water changes. It seems nothing is carved in stone. I'm doing 50% water changes every second day for my cube, and the betta seems to be doing well (is active and showing no signs of illness).


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Lol ok this is just a guide apart from the obvious ones about male female male male and fighting ones lol, in regards to filtration I think that is up to people to decide themselves, I personally keep filters in all my tanks because it makes my life much easier, but remember that if you get a filter you make sure that it can't suck your betta into it!


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

I just wanted to clear a few things that you didn't provide, was incorrect, or didn't come out clear

*Vases*
Vases are fine for bettas given that they have the optimal volume preference, they can be heated properly, if it is very tall, that there are multie plants to rest on, and you can provide clean water. Vases are typically ignored by most Fishkeeping. But if there are maintained correctly. Vases are absolutely fine to house Bettas as long as you can provide there other requirements

*Feeding*
Bettas require a nutritional diet to thrive and ideally should have a high quality staple diet such as omega one flakes/pellets, and a treat sucha s mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, and bloodworms for best results. These all have a high nutrition content and bettas will gladly appreciate them

*Tank temperature*
Bettas are tropical fish originating from Thailand and are known to be very inactive in unheated tanks but handle it very well. They can be placed in lower temperatures for short periods of times. But it will have a negative impact on the fish. Ideally you would want to aim for higher temperatures around 78-80 for them to thrive

*Tank size*
Bettas can thrive in a wide range of tank given enough cover, heated water, clean water and the optimal swimming space. A 1 gallon should suffice long term for one Betta given that the requirements are provided for it. Even though I am against placing any type of fish in anything short of 2.5 gallons. Other experienced members such as OFL have had tremendously magnificent results. Some even are known to do better in smaller tanks, I previously owned a blind Betta and he did much better in the 2.5 gallon of compared to the 16 gallon, also. Bettas appreciate a long footprint so a 1 gallon long would be mush more better than a 2.5 gallon tall

*Cover*
Most bettas appreciate cover to hide, and swim through. Cover is one of the main reasons that most fish get stressed it and tailbite as without enough cover, they feel insecure and will be very weary. I would recommend broad leafed plants as long finned bettas are somewhat slow fish and appreciate somewhere to rest. I would also recommend leafy plants to hide and swim through for the betta. Ideally y would want more mid-surface cover as this is were most bettas spend the majority of there time

*Water changes*
In anything less than 5 gallons you should ideally do 1 50% and one 100% water changes weekly to minimize ammonia, and nitrites content. In a A tank of that size you shouldn't have to worry about nitrate/nitrite poisoning as nitrates/nitrites are both a result of bacteria oxidizing ammonia into those substances. Cycling doesn't occur as much in tanks less than 5 gallons. In a tnk upwards of 5 gallons. It has the ability to hold a stable cycle, and depending on the stocking. You should do 25-50% water changes. As 100% changes can slightly impact the cycle


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

yes I can completely understand that some will do better in smaller tanks as with some females not being cut out for a sorority but When I wrote that I should have made myself clear that I don't believe in a fish living in a tank that size or below long term if it would do better in a bigger tank, sorry for misleading you people! My dog decided to puke while I was writing it so I was a bit put off if you know what I mean!!!


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

And o the subject of cover I forgot about that one I will add it in when the edit button decides to come back on my screen :S


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

^ +1 Tanks of 5 gallons or more (Unless you can cycle a the smaller tank steadily) you only need to do one 25-50% once it is cycled. Uncycled you should be doing two 50%s a week until it fully cycles. You would need a test kit to tell.

Have you seen OldFishLady's tank? Forgot what size it is... Well she breeds bettas and bred them to where the males could ne housed with males, with no aggression even after taking them out and reintroducing them. At first it was you could keep the same spawn together, nut you could never separate them or else once returned they would fight. Now she can put different spasms in the same tank and even remove some without fighting. Though she did breed carefully and for years just to do it. Nobody try this! Unless you breed the bettas on yourself, they WILL kill each other! Don't even think about it as males in the cups will fight to the death. Which is not entertaining and is just plain cruel.

The edit button only lasts a certain amount of time, so you can't edit the original post.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

You would need to contact a moderator/administrator for editing. Sakura, romad, and drama queen have all helped me wwhen I had edits to do for posts


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Ok thanks guys, especially mo for clearing that up, my dog managed to stop being sick now  (fail)


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Also, I must talk to OFL to find out how she managed that!


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