Caring for Betta Fish

Known as the Siamese Fighting Fish or Betta these fish are quite amazing. Preferably the Male.
The females are not as glamorous and are quite small compared to the males.

These are my favorite types of fish to own and there is little out there on how to care for them properly.

I am an aquarium enthusiast to the highest degree. Just ask any of my closest friends what they have gotten as gifts from me over the years! Water Atriums!

We will start off by how to pick your fish.

Always go for the fish that is reactive to you being by the cup. I have figured out which fish are going to last in my care by the first 3 seconds of picking up the cup. Never get a too enthusiastic fish.. fish that move too quickly are probably in the last stages of dying. Goes for any fish. They could also have Ick a common parasite in sick fish.

Also NEVER buy a sluggish fish.

A fish to pick is one that slowly puffs out in fight mode but doesn't get too spooked either.
A healthy betta will sway slowly side to side when you pick up the cup possibly puff out their gills but never get too crazy.

Once you have your fish - living conditions are important.

There are many rules with the Male Betta you will find online some of the common myths:

1. Male Bettas must live alone.
This is not true. They can live with other fish just not in the same family. Two Male Bettas are territorial and should not live together, but I have had male bettas live in a large tank with 3 or 4 female Bettas who are not as hard to put in the same tank. They do have a pecking order like a pack of dogs but that is it. My male bettas have lived with gold fish.
The trick to putting any territorial male betta in a tank with other fish is to put the betta in after the other fish have been placed. And it helps if the other fish are just a little bit larger than your male betta. He will not feel like the big king of his tank in that case.

2. Bettas don't eat anything except live plants.
NOT TRUE! all fish need food. Bettas are not plant eaters at all and are carnivore fish. Giving them plants will kill them.

3. Bettas NEED a heated tank.
Not completely true. While they ARE tropical fish and a heater does allow them to live a healthier life they do not necessarily need a heater. You can also put them under a light - Sunlight helps them a lot. Natural light or other lighting.

4. Bettas can live in small cups all their lives.

Betta Fish are Labrynth fish which means they have the capacity to live in shallow water as well as deep water. The labrynth works as a lung in humans but it does not sustain them to live out of water or in poor conditions. Your Betta fish coming from the rice fields in asia is fine in shallow water but in the wild. In fact little known fact wild bettas do not even look like the store bought. They do not have long pretty fins. That is something that has been inbred in them over hundreds of years. So give them at least a gallon or two of water and room to swim please!

Now for proper care..

Pick a large square vase if you want, or a regular tank with filter and lighting.

Live plants are common and Bettas love the soft texture for hiding. They love hiding behind plants but be careful of shells as they can get stuck in them and not get out and die.

A little bit of Water conditioner added to tap water or distilled water is a good thing as well as some Natural Organic sea salt. The sea salt kills any diseases and works wonders on all types of fish including gold fish.

1 teaspoon to a gallon.

Once your fish is in his new habitat you will enjoy his company - or at least learn to relax.

My Mother had Betta Fish in her aquarium when I was younger. I do remember having to keep only one as it left the other fish alone. A friend of mine had one in a small tank and put the two tanks together to watch his Betta Fish go after each other. (We were very young at the time.) The fish were trying to get at each other but the glass barrier was there.

I do want a Koi pond in my back yard and a large aquarium inside. I do love watching the fish, and I love the colorful types of Kkoi available out there. They also live quite long, but I have to read up on their care. They are larger relatives of goldfish, so they are a bit easy. The upkeep of the pond is another story.

yes they go potty a lot.. and grow really fast. I am a sucker for gold fish though.. they live with my angel fish and all get along just fine.. Plus the gold fish get better food that way.

One way to help maintain a clean pool is to have a Plecostomus in it:



We had a few of these guys and they lived a long time.

I just had my biggest cat fish pass away:-(. I didn't find a body so I'm assuming my cichlids took care of it.