How to properly house betta fish @ home

Betta fish are some of the most mistreated fish in the world. In this instructable i will show you how to properly care for them.

Step 1 Housing your betta

To give your betta a good life don't use any tank smaller than 10 litres (2.5 gallons). Bettas come from large rice paddy fields and dont like small spaces. The tank also needs to have a lid because bettas jump.

Comments

[momma_bear_R]

I have a 45 gallon tank and have both my male and female betta in there all the time! They seem to get along just fine! They enjoy the space and deeper cleaner filtered water. They both have places to hide and ample access to the top of the tank for air and food!! They are happy and healthy fish! Even the people that we got them from are impressed with the fact that we can keep them in there without damage! It can be done but again bettas are like people and depends on the fish I guess we just got lucky!!

[komecake]

I actually walked in a Petland a couple of months ago and found Betta's in old ALCOHOL BOTTLES. There was an advertisement that said, "Buy one drunk betta, get one drunk betta free!". HORRIBLE! Not just because of that, but mostly because the air hole at the top of those bottles is TINY. How would you like to be stuck in a closet with only that air to breathe for the rest of your life?! Ugh!

[harrycarry250]

I agree 100% that betas are the worst treated fish on the planet and if you go to petco and see the betas in those itsy bitsy containers of like 2 cups of dirty de oxygenated water and I kinda of feel sorry for them eventhough they forgot they were in a tiny cage every 2 seconds :) this Instructable I great for anyone who is uncertain or just doesn't know how to care for fish. -Thanks

[AmyLuthien]

Betta's are what are called "Labyrinth fishes".  They do not breath the same way as other fish you may be familiar with, those rice paddies they originally came from (where they evolved) are stagnant, low-oxygen environments, so Betta splendens is right at home in low oxygen environments.  When you see them "gasping for air" at the surface, it's normal and nothing to worry about.  That is how they breath.

Don't worry about those little cups either.  As long as it's a reputable pet store (one that specializes in fish, unlike Petco and Petsmart, which I tend to avoid) the water should be clean (it literally takes a couple of seconds to change the water in those cups.)  But even the best of the aquarium stores keep their Betta's in those cups.  Betta's do not do well in large spaces.  I don't recommend keeping them in those cups when you get them home (because you need to change the water every day or two), but they are perfectly happy and healthy in a 1 gallon bowl, even a half gallon is sufficient for them as long as you make sure to keep on top of the water quality.  I do not recommend using a filter on a Betta bowl however!  They do not like any water circulation at all.  Just do your water changes and they will thrive.

And this is how I've been raising and breeding Bettas for a good 30+ years now.

[WhyHello]

I wanna rescue them all now =( ....If my house was cleaner i could do that.

[Euromongrel]

thank you for the excellent synopsis. I've been raising them for 25 or so years (haven't bred any in a long time, though) and it's just unbelievable how ignorant people are about bettas.

[AmyLuthien]

Oh I agree! There is too much mis-information out there about them being passed around, generally being spread by people who try to place human emotions on them . . . a human would not be happy or healthy in a small space, so they think a Betta would not be either.

[komecake]

  I have to disagree. I got my Betta a 5 gallon tank with a very low water cycle and he loves it. He purposefully swims into the current and then back around. The current is also low enough that he can "sit" still in other places in the tank.

 He seemed happy in his half gallon that he was given to me with, however, it became dirty VERY quickly. I also feel that people spend more time and take better care of their pets if they give them the best that they can.

[Euromongrel]

A slow current is fine for bettas, especailly if there are areas where they can get away from the moving water if they want to. Occasionally you'll find one that likes to ride faster currents, but that's not common.

[WhyHello]

Were did you buy that tank =)

[komecake]

Petsmart. It's a Hexagon tank. Should be $40 or so wherever you find it. :)

[AmyLuthien]

You're welcome to disagree if you want to, but bear in mind I've over 30 years of professional experience dealing with this species of fish before you call me wrong. 

It is good however that you've got places for him to get out of the current, they just are not physically capable of dealing with it 24/7.  Good luck with your fish keeping! :)

[komecake]

  I am simply disagreeing because I see how my Betta likes it. You stated that they didn't like any current at all and this obviously isn't true. However, I also think it depends on the fish/animal. Each one is different and as they get older they may change what they like.

 And thanks! It was an unexpected gift, but I like him!

[AmyLuthien]

They are a fascinating little fish, I've always enjoyed them myself :)

[timjelly]

how come you posted this in the future? i mean, seriously! time travel?

[Dameventh]

It must be because of Chuck Norris. And the fact it says March, not may. :P

[timjelly]

............................. got me... ...dang it!..........

[Dameventh]

Lol

[harrycarry250]

Because i magical!! Oh...and i have a DeLorean!!!!!!

[timjelly]

.............

[agdollison]

(removed by author or community request)

[tukmol]

they do. when i was a beginner, i housed two males in a small tank divided with a clear glass to keep them flaring. i've noticed that everytime i come back to see them, two are together and one's always badly injured. until i caught it in the act.

here are some youtube samples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPvrjY8pmvg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwfPYJQsoHg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_cz-O4p8pU&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RvnYjA_9ps&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEbXj3-k6ow&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csSIQbwreYE

[Euromongrel]

I've had them do that, too, although not very often. Generally speaking the jumpers will eventually take themselves out of the gene pool, so to speak.

[Aqua-Man]

yup cool vids

[Aqua-Man]

i have heard tons of storys about them jumping out of the tank most survived because bettas can actually breath air with an organ called a labyrinth

[tukmol]

not for long. they eventually die in a couple of minutes, then dry up.

[Aqua-Man]

i have heard story's of them surviving the whole night

[Euromongrel]

Unless the humidity's hovering around 100% I wouldn't believe that at all. They can breate atmospheric air but their bodies will dry up anyway, and so will their gills and labyrinth organ.

[pyro13]

Woah really?! where did you here that?

[Aqua-Man]

what about bettas breathing air

[Csstein]

I've been breeding bettas for 11 years. They can jump out and survive on the floor for quite some time. Any betta of mine who managed to dry up overnight has only lasted a few days after being 'brought back'. But I do have a female currently who was knocked off a table by my cats and survived in a crack in the flooring for 4 hours. (I know it was this long because I heard a loud bang downstairs and assumed the cats were fighting, never thought they'd knock one of the fish down. First time in 11 years!) She was totally dry and her eyes were cloudy, but I put her back in the remains of her tank water and she started to move after about 10 min. She has some scale damage on her side and lower fins, but she's fine. This is an adaptation for when their natural habitats dry up. There are stories of bettas living in the puddles made by ox hooves in the mud. They can apparently dry up for days n mud and 'come back to life' when the rains come. As for breathing, bettas have what is called a 'labyrinth organ'. This allows them to breathe through their mouths. The gills are functional, but only minimally so. If a betta cannot reach air it will die.

[timjelly]

is the fish still alive? the one that dried up?

[f.serrano94]

I like it

[manro76]

Are the pictures yours. If so you should make an Instructable on how to take pictures of fish.

[jupeter5]

It is actually not such a great idea to have a filter for a Betta tank. The bubbles created by the filter can irritate and burn the gills of the Betta. So, it is better to just use a plant to help aerate and filter the water. You will just have to change the water more often. But your Betta will be happier.

[HanyouKit]

Never heard of air burning a betta's gills, especially since they go to the surface and pass air through their labyrinth organ and gills to breathe. They do however dislike strong current as it can shove males around. Strong current is especially bad for heavy-finned males who may resort to biting their tails off to reduce drag.

[wildstar]

Betas don't have it as bad as you think. In the wild, they live in tiny, shallow, muddy puddles. They are territorial (put two males near each other and see why they are called Siamese Fighting Fish) and will defend their little puddle in the hopes that a female will lay her eggs there. The little cups in which they are sold in pet stores are about the size of their territory in the wild. The best habitat in captivity is the combo fish/plant bowl. You can find them in most pet stores, and they include a larger bowl, a beta and a plant. They live in a symbiotic relationship where they help feed and oxygenate for each other.

[Felicity the Ghost]

I would add that although a plant may be good, floating plants may block too much of the surface. Bettas go up to the surface of the water for air and need enough room to do so. Which isn't a lot of room, but I'd hate to lose a fish over a new leaf that I didn't notice soon enough.

[animal lover 1112]

OK I can tell you know some about beta also known as Chinese fighting fish but they actually live in little crevices in rocks where they are originally from plus you should tell people never to house then near a mirror cause they will try to attack them selves in the mirror and kill them selves from hitting the side of the bowl so much

[krissilion]

My bettta has never tried to attack him self of the tank from seeing him self. He swims around looking and admireing him self.