Betta Care 101: Part One
Part One: Tank requirements.
So you've decided you want a fish. Where are you going to put it?
Well, first we'll address the idea of fishbowls, small tanks, and unfiltered systems.
These are just too small. These bettas will not only die early, but they'll be unhappy and depressed the entire time.
But even the bigger fishbowls, such as 1 gallon bowls, are a bad idea.
Why? Well, lots of reasons.
1. They can jump.
And they will jump, if they have reason to. Coming home to find your fishbowl empty and your betta dead on the floor isn't super common, but it does happen. Your tank needs a lid.
2. It's too small to keep them healthy.
I'm going to get into water values and things in a later post, but for now you need to know that all fish produce ammonia, which is unbelievably toxic to them. The smaller the tank, the faster that ammonia builds up. A one-gallon, unfiltered bowl needs 50% water changes twice a day to keep the ammonia down. Otherwise it poisons the fish.
But wait, I was told they live in tiny puddles and dirty water!
This is a myth told to make impulse buying of betta fish more attractive. The water they live in is dark, not because it's dirty, but because it's been stained by the plants. They live in rice paddies. Lots and lots of plants to filter the water and stain it. But if the water was dirty and toxic, the plants would die, too.
And they do not live in tiny puddles. During the dry season, when water levels lower, they can become trapped in tiny pools and puddles, and that's the easiest time to catch them. But they do not survive this way for long. It kills more wild bettas per year than fighting and territory disputes.
In reality, they are extremely territorial and their territory is big. Over a square meter. They patrol this area, they defend it, they actively swim it every day. One gallon is not big enough.
3. They need a filter.
You've got make sure it's a low-flow filter, because bettas don't like turbulent water. Their fins make it hard for them to deal with turbulent water. But they need a filter.
The nitrogen cycle is another thing I'm going to get into later, but you remember that ammonia I talked about? The filter is instrumental in fixing that. You need a filter, and most bowls and tiny betta kits cannot accommodate a filter.
4. They need a heater.
They live in Thailand and Cambodia. They are tropical fish. Many pet stores train their employees to tell customers that bettas are not tropical and don't need a heater, but again, this is to make impulse buying of betta fish more attractive.
Pet stores care more about profits than animal care, and the average employee knows nothing about the animals they're selling, because the company does not educate them or gives them the wrong information, to make the fish sell faster. A good general rule is to not believe a single word a national chain pet store employee says. If you find one that is knowledgeable about fish, take their advice with a grain of salt, because bettas are unique (which again, I will get into later).
They are tropical fish. They need water that is 75 degrees at the absolute minimum, and it really should be around 80. Fishbowls cannot accommodate a heater and the temperature in a small fishbowl fluctuates too greatly to keep the fish healthy.
5. They need hiding places.
These fish are flashy and bright. Evolution has made them easy targets, and they can get stressed out if they don't have places to hide.
Stress is a killer for humans, right? Well, bettas are smaller and more fragile. It kills them faster. They need hiding places.
6. They need stimulation.
Bettas are predators. They are intelligent and have active minds (for fish). They need stimulation, or they'll get bored and self-destructive. Fin biting and tail biting is a problem that can open them up to a whole host of health issues and bacterial infections.
Alright, so the reasons why they can't live in a bowl are pretty extensive. So what do they need? What should you buy for your pet?
It depends on how much you want to spend and how much maintenance you want to do.
The minimum is 2.5 gallons, but the recommended size is 5. I personally love divided 10 gallon tanks. Double the occupancy for about the same price.
The 2.5 Gallon Debate
Opinions on 2.5 gallons are mixed. Some people say that 2.5 is fine, some insist that 5 is the minimum.
I'm on the 2.5 side. Because it's fine. It's not too small. But there are some very definite cons to a tank that small.
I have Grim in a 1.5 (which is too small), I have Illy in a 2.5, and I have the twins in a divided 10. And I hate the 1.5, the 2.5 is meh, it works, and the 10 is a dream.
Just going by size, the 2.5 works, and honestly, I just chuckle at those who insist it's too small.
Take a look at Illy, in my 2.5.
So you've decided you want a fish. Where are you going to put it?
Well, first we'll address the idea of fishbowls, small tanks, and unfiltered systems.
These are just too small. These bettas will not only die early, but they'll be unhappy and depressed the entire time.
But even the bigger fishbowls, such as 1 gallon bowls, are a bad idea.
Why? Well, lots of reasons.
1. They can jump.
And they will jump, if they have reason to. Coming home to find your fishbowl empty and your betta dead on the floor isn't super common, but it does happen. Your tank needs a lid.
2. It's too small to keep them healthy.
I'm going to get into water values and things in a later post, but for now you need to know that all fish produce ammonia, which is unbelievably toxic to them. The smaller the tank, the faster that ammonia builds up. A one-gallon, unfiltered bowl needs 50% water changes twice a day to keep the ammonia down. Otherwise it poisons the fish.
But wait, I was told they live in tiny puddles and dirty water!
This is a myth told to make impulse buying of betta fish more attractive. The water they live in is dark, not because it's dirty, but because it's been stained by the plants. They live in rice paddies. Lots and lots of plants to filter the water and stain it. But if the water was dirty and toxic, the plants would die, too.
And they do not live in tiny puddles. During the dry season, when water levels lower, they can become trapped in tiny pools and puddles, and that's the easiest time to catch them. But they do not survive this way for long. It kills more wild bettas per year than fighting and territory disputes.
In reality, they are extremely territorial and their territory is big. Over a square meter. They patrol this area, they defend it, they actively swim it every day. One gallon is not big enough.
3. They need a filter.
You've got make sure it's a low-flow filter, because bettas don't like turbulent water. Their fins make it hard for them to deal with turbulent water. But they need a filter.
The nitrogen cycle is another thing I'm going to get into later, but you remember that ammonia I talked about? The filter is instrumental in fixing that. You need a filter, and most bowls and tiny betta kits cannot accommodate a filter.
4. They need a heater.
They live in Thailand and Cambodia. They are tropical fish. Many pet stores train their employees to tell customers that bettas are not tropical and don't need a heater, but again, this is to make impulse buying of betta fish more attractive.
Pet stores care more about profits than animal care, and the average employee knows nothing about the animals they're selling, because the company does not educate them or gives them the wrong information, to make the fish sell faster. A good general rule is to not believe a single word a national chain pet store employee says. If you find one that is knowledgeable about fish, take their advice with a grain of salt, because bettas are unique (which again, I will get into later).
They are tropical fish. They need water that is 75 degrees at the absolute minimum, and it really should be around 80. Fishbowls cannot accommodate a heater and the temperature in a small fishbowl fluctuates too greatly to keep the fish healthy.
5. They need hiding places.
These fish are flashy and bright. Evolution has made them easy targets, and they can get stressed out if they don't have places to hide.
Stress is a killer for humans, right? Well, bettas are smaller and more fragile. It kills them faster. They need hiding places.
6. They need stimulation.
Bettas are predators. They are intelligent and have active minds (for fish). They need stimulation, or they'll get bored and self-destructive. Fin biting and tail biting is a problem that can open them up to a whole host of health issues and bacterial infections.
Alright, so the reasons why they can't live in a bowl are pretty extensive. So what do they need? What should you buy for your pet?
It depends on how much you want to spend and how much maintenance you want to do.
The minimum is 2.5 gallons, but the recommended size is 5. I personally love divided 10 gallon tanks. Double the occupancy for about the same price.
The 2.5 Gallon Debate
Opinions on 2.5 gallons are mixed. Some people say that 2.5 is fine, some insist that 5 is the minimum.
I'm on the 2.5 side. Because it's fine. It's not too small. But there are some very definite cons to a tank that small.
I have Grim in a 1.5 (which is too small), I have Illy in a 2.5, and I have the twins in a divided 10. And I hate the 1.5, the 2.5 is meh, it works, and the 10 is a dream.
Just going by size, the 2.5 works, and honestly, I just chuckle at those who insist it's too small.
Take a look at Illy, in my 2.5.
 |
| Here you see him just in front of his filter. |
He has room to swim through and behind all his plants, he has room to hide, he's fine.
The 2.5 is big enough for him.
But that doesn't mean it's the best choice.
There's a reason they say small tanks are not recommended for beginners. I've even heard fish experts advise against anything under a 10 or 20 for a beginner. My very first tank was a 5.5, and the learning curve was steep, but I figured it out.
The 2.5 is big enough, but it's a lot more high-maintenance than a 5 or 10. My 10 requires 25% changes once a week. My 2.5 requires 50% water changes every other day, even with the filter.
My heater also has to work harder to keep the temperature steady. The temperature fluctuates a lot in the smaller tanks, and mini heaters are generally lower quality than the big expensive ones (that are too big for such a small tank, anyway. It'll cook the fish). I've had to replace the heaters in every 2.5 I've ever owned at least once a year. The heaters just aren't great.
I've never had to replace the heater in my 10.
And frequent water changes also means more water treatment, higher costs because of water conditioners, higher costs because of more frequent water testing (water testing kits are expensive), and a lot of other things.
It's big enough, and it's possible. Illy is healthy and happy, and will live to a ripe old age. But it takes a lot more to keep him healthy than it does Neph and Osiris.
My original goal was to get a 5 gallon, move him into it, and use the 2.5 as a hospital and quarantine tank. Getting Grim changed that. Now, Illy's got to stay in the 2.5 until I can get Grim in a bigger tank. Illy is fine in the 2.5. He can stay there indefinitely. Grim cannot stay in the 1.5.
Because you think the 2.5 is tough? The 1.5 is a royal pain in my ass. 50% changes every day, daily water testing, a supplemental heat source outside the tank, as well as the submersible heater (which is actually too tall for the tank, but it's the only 7.5 watt I could find, and a 10 watt, like what I've got in the 2.5, is too powerful for the 1.5. So I had to shove it down into the gravel and keep it at an angle to make it fit).
The other thing to remember is that, with the 2.5, boredom is a distinct possibility, and you have to safeguard against it. I move Illy's plants around once a month or so, and have a number of toys I cycle through at different times. Nontoxic plastic beads, marbles, moss balls, carefully bent and trimmed pipe cleaner with all sharp edges removed, weighted plastic hoops, etc. He's always got something to entertain himself, and I keep the stimulation coming.
Grim's tank is too small for most of that, and with him being as ill as he is, I haven't done much with stimulation yet. But I'm going to need to start very soon. Now that his fins are growing back, the last thing I need is for him to start biting them out of boredom.
Yeah, the smaller tanks are cheaper at first, but you'll pay for it in added water conditioner and testing kits, plus added stimulation, plus just the sheer amount of time you'll have to spend maintaining the tank.
A 10 is just so much easier. And if you don't have a lot of space, you can get very small aquarium stands for $30, that can go almost anywhere.
If you absolutely don't have the space for a 10, a 5 works too.
If you absolutely don't have the room for that, a betta fish can thrive in a 2.5, but it'll require a lot more work on your part.
So obviously I recommend a 5, but 2.5 is adequate, as well. It's really about what you want and what you have space for.
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