You’ve gotten a new betta fish. Aside from the new tank, fish accessories and food, you’re probably wondering what you need to know about betta fish water to make your new beta comfortable.
How To Acclimate Betta Fish | Filling Your Tank For The First Time
Most people think that betta fish can be kept in small containers with a very small amount of water. While this is possible, it is uncomfortable for the betta fish and it makes the cleaning process much more difficult.
Make sure that your new betta tank is fairly spacious. It doesn’t need to be huge, but you’ll want to give them some room to move about. Betta fish like to have a place to hide, so including a nook or cave is recommended. You will also want to make sure that the bottom of the tank has gravel as well.
To get your tank saturated you will want to fill it with tap water. Do not use purified or distilled water. Tap water contains a variety of important minerals that are beneficial to your betta.
Some pet stores will actually offer “Betta Water” stations where you are able to fill a container with ready to use betta fish water. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation.
Fill the tank, leaving a good amount of space on the top of the tank. Betta fish need oxygen to breathe, they do not breathe underwater unlike the vast majority of fish species. So by leaving a gap at the top, your new betta will be able to grab a few gulps of air when they need it.
Make sure to pick up a water conditioner that will remove harmful chlorine and impurities from the water. Every time the water is changed, the conditioner needs to be added. There are specific water conditioners for betta fish that you can pick up at your local pet store to make things easier.
Question : How Often Should Betta Fish Water Be Changed?
Answer: Most betta owners will change the water at least once a week, however this can depend on the size of the container.
Before getting your betta fish in the tank you will want to make sure that the water in the aquarium is PH’d between 6.8 and 7.5. Once the water is situated, you can plop your bagged betta into the water letting it float at the top of the tank.
Make sure that the bag your betta is in has adequate space at the top for your betta to take a breath when they need it. Leaving them in the bag allows the water temperature in the bag to match the temperature of the water in the bag. This lowers the amount of stress that the betta will have to endure upon entering their new home.
What Temp Should Betta Fish Water Be?
Betta fish are tropical fish that are used to a tropical climate. They prefer the water temperature to be kept anywhere from 76 to 85 degrees fahrenheit. They are able to tolerate cooler temperatures but your betta will start to show signs of stress if this is a common/ long term arrangement.
Do Betta Fish Need Water Heaters?
If you live somewhere where it is cold most of the time it may be a good idea to pick up a betta aquarium heater as betta fish love warm water. If water temperatures drop or other stressors are present, your betta will start to change color/loose color. This tends to be common among betta fish that are stressed out and worried.
Keep an eye out for pale or lightning colors of your betta to know if your betta fish is comfortable in their aquarium or not. Sometimes they will even hang out at the bottom of the tank and look sluggish if they are stressed or unhappy. So if you see any of these traits, it’s time to do some investigating.
Do Betta Fish Need A Filter In Their Aquarium?
It’s common to see betta fish housed in fish bowls. In that scenario there is usually no heaters and no filters for those betta. While this is a common practice and most betta do “survive”, it is a huge downgrade to their standard of living and will ultimately cause stress or other maladies like fin rot or inflamed gills.
Aquarium filters are a great way to oxygenate the water for your betta. They filter out waste and contaminants while keeping the tank much cleaner. Make sure the water flow is slow and not disruptive to your bettas habitat.
Dirty water and cold temperatures are the main contributors of stress when it comes to betta fish. A non-filtered and non-heated betta tank requires a lot of work contrary to what most might think.
When betta fish in non filtered bowls have problems, they happen fast. Without a filter it’s hard for the tank to become its own micro ecosystem. There is nothing filtering out the hefty part of the waste and pollutants. That means that these require the owner to change water and provide upkeep much more frequently.
When To Change Betta Fish Water?
If your betta fish is going to be put into a filtered tank, there are colonies of microorganisms that break down old food and waste naturally. Changing the water in a filtered tank is much easier.
How to Change Betta Fish Water
Firstly, make sure to carefully remove your betta fish and set them in a container of their tank water in a warm shaded area while you are cleaning the tank. The cleaning process often stresses out the betta so we have found it beneficial to just remove the betta from the tank beforehand.
Because you don’t want to disrupt the natural microorganisms, you will want to perform a 30% weekly water change. While doing this, it’s important to vacuum the gravel, clean the walls of any algae that may have built up and any tank decorations that look discolored or gross.
Water Changes Without A Filter
As we mentioned before, betta fish can be housed in a bowl with no filtration. Owners will need to stay on top of weekly water changes and continuously check the temperature of the water in the bowl. You can pick up tank thermometers for an affordable price at your local pet store.
Because there is no filter, by missing just one or two tank cleanings/water changes, you could be putting your betta in a situation to develop major complications.
In the long run, and in our opinion, if you don’t have the time to clean the tank weekly/continuously, a filtration system with a sponge filter and a heater will inevitably create less work for you. You don’t need anything huge, maybe a 5 or 10 gallon tank will do.
Why Is My Betta Fish Water Bubbly?
If you’re checking out your tank before cleaning and see a cluster of bubbles, don’t worry, those are actually made by your betta. Betta fish like to make bubble nests.
This is completely natural and is a good sign that your betta is happy and in good health. Usually bubble nests are a male trait. In the wild, male betta fish build the bubble nest to secure the eggs collected from the female. It is an exciting process to behold.
While males are usually responsible for bubble nest building, we have seen a few of our female bettas build bubble nests. It is very rare to see a female betta build a bubble nest but it does happen occasionally.