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Step 4Betta Housing
Betta Housing
The Tank - Your Betta's Home
Bettas are labyrinth fish, meaning they can breathe directly from the surface of water. Therefore they don't need air pumps to provide them with oxygen like most fish do. You often see bettas at pet stores in small bowls without any type of filtration at all, as bettas do not like fast currents because of their long fins. And most pet store owners advise their customers to keeps bettas in such small spaces because they seem happier. Well how would you like it if you lived your entire life in a 2 x 3 ft room? Bettas need a minimum sized aquarium of two gallons. Although bettas can easily be kept in a two-gallon aquarium, the bigger the better. And that's because when there is more water volume, there is less pollution caused by fish waste and the betta would appreciate the extra space as well. Make sure the aquarium contains a lid or hood, as bettas are excellent jumpers. I highly recommend the minibow aquarium kit, it includes almost everything you need in order to keep a betta. (Image 2)
Betta Tankmates
Although bettas are aggressive to each other, they can still have tankmates. But every betta has its own personality, they might be aggressive to its tankmate or it'll just leave it alone. The tankmate can't resemble the appearance of a betta, at least for the male. But tankmate can't be too aggressive or else it'll stress or even injure your betta fish. And yet the tankmates can't be too small that the betta might eat it. These are the tankmates I recommend for the male betta fish:
1) Corydora (Image 3)
2) Pleco (Image 4)
3) Apple Snail (Image 7)
4) Medium to Large sized Tetras (Image 8)
5) Otocinclus Catfish (Image 9)
Despite the fact that these tankmates are appropriate for most male bettas, some will react differently to its tankmate. Like I said before, every betta has its own personality.
Aquarium Decor - Fake or Live Plants?
For aquariums larger than one gallon, I recommend getting gravel. This is so there is a place for the biological bacteria to grow on. But for aquariums that are smaller, I don't recommend using gravel because it'll just make it difficult to clean the aquarium. The color of the gravel does not matter, just make sure it doesn't have any sharp rocks or pebbles so it won't injure your betta. Before adding gravel to the aquarium, make sure to wash it with lukewarm water without soap or detergent.
Most people enjoy adding a decorative piece to their betta's tank, if you wish to add a decor than make sure it doesn't have any sharp pointed edges that'll scratch your betta. Wash it the same manner as the gravel.
When choosing plants to add to your betta's home, they can be either plastic or live. They each have their pros and cons.
Plastic
-Doesn't need light.
-Doesn't need Co2
-Doesn't need any special substrate or fertilizer
-Doesn't need trimming
-Doesn't provide oxygen
-Doesn't remove ammonia, nitrates or nitrites
-Most don't look very natural
-May rip your betta's fins, so silk plants are better suited
Live
-Does need strong lighting
-Does need Co2
-Does need a special substrate or fertilizer
-Does need trimming every now and then
-Does provide oxygen
-Does remove ammonia, nitrates and nitrites
-Is natural
The Tank - Your Betta's Home
Bettas are labyrinth fish, meaning they can breathe directly from the surface of water. Therefore they don't need air pumps to provide them with oxygen like most fish do. You often see bettas at pet stores in small bowls without any type of filtration at all, as bettas do not like fast currents because of their long fins. And most pet store owners advise their customers to keeps bettas in such small spaces because they seem happier. Well how would you like it if you lived your entire life in a 2 x 3 ft room? Bettas need a minimum sized aquarium of two gallons. Although bettas can easily be kept in a two-gallon aquarium, the bigger the better. And that's because when there is more water volume, there is less pollution caused by fish waste and the betta would appreciate the extra space as well. Make sure the aquarium contains a lid or hood, as bettas are excellent jumpers. I highly recommend the minibow aquarium kit, it includes almost everything you need in order to keep a betta. (Image 2)
Betta Tankmates
Although bettas are aggressive to each other, they can still have tankmates. But every betta has its own personality, they might be aggressive to its tankmate or it'll just leave it alone. The tankmate can't resemble the appearance of a betta, at least for the male. But tankmate can't be too aggressive or else it'll stress or even injure your betta fish. And yet the tankmates can't be too small that the betta might eat it. These are the tankmates I recommend for the male betta fish:
1) Corydora (Image 3)
2) Pleco (Image 4)
3) Apple Snail (Image 7)
4) Medium to Large sized Tetras (Image 8)
5) Otocinclus Catfish (Image 9)
Despite the fact that these tankmates are appropriate for most male bettas, some will react differently to its tankmate. Like I said before, every betta has its own personality.
Aquarium Decor - Fake or Live Plants?
For aquariums larger than one gallon, I recommend getting gravel. This is so there is a place for the biological bacteria to grow on. But for aquariums that are smaller, I don't recommend using gravel because it'll just make it difficult to clean the aquarium. The color of the gravel does not matter, just make sure it doesn't have any sharp rocks or pebbles so it won't injure your betta. Before adding gravel to the aquarium, make sure to wash it with lukewarm water without soap or detergent.
Most people enjoy adding a decorative piece to their betta's tank, if you wish to add a decor than make sure it doesn't have any sharp pointed edges that'll scratch your betta. Wash it the same manner as the gravel.
When choosing plants to add to your betta's home, they can be either plastic or live. They each have their pros and cons.
Plastic
-Doesn't need light.
-Doesn't need Co2
-Doesn't need any special substrate or fertilizer
-Doesn't need trimming
-Doesn't provide oxygen
-Doesn't remove ammonia, nitrates or nitrites
-Most don't look very natural
-May rip your betta's fins, so silk plants are better suited
Live
-Does need strong lighting
-Does need Co2
-Does need a special substrate or fertilizer
-Does need trimming every now and then
-Does provide oxygen
-Does remove ammonia, nitrates and nitrites
-Is natural
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