Eantok
Legacy Name: Eantok

Betta Background

Siamese Fighting Fish, commonly known as 'bettas', are a species of fish ranging from 2cm to 13cm called gourami. Gourami are somewhat flat fish that are colorful and typically have very long feeler-like fins on the start of their bellies. You may have seen them before, as they are very popular in home aquariums! Bettas (like other gourami) are native to Asia. Bettas live in the warm, shallow pools of rice patties. While they pose as protection to the farmer's crops by eating insect larvae, they are considered invasive species in other areas like Australia. Their life expectancy is 5 years.
They are named 'Siamese Fighting fish' for a reason - they are naturally very aggressive little guys! It isn't just the males, as you may have once thought; the females can be just as aggressive as well. The vast rice patties typically provide each fish with a pretty significant territory. Though if one should happen to find himself in the territory of another, it usually doesn't end too badly. Most of the time, the fish will spar for a few moments before one decides it is just best to back off. Sadly, many domesticated bettas have actually been bred to fight and will fight to the death. This is why it is important never to house two bettas together! But we will get to that later.

Bettas in Cups?

When you go to your local pet store and see these little beauties, how often are they in little clear cups? Nearly all of the time I'm sure. While you may think this is cruel, it is actually quite the opposite. Think about the purpose of a pet store: Is it a place to get all of your pet supplies, pets included? Or is it like a zoo, where you go to see the animals who are the same after each visit? Should it be a permanent home for any animal? Most animals are kept it habitats far too small for prolonged housing. This is the point. Ideally, no animal 'sits on the shelf' for very long. What kind of person would work at a pet store, anyway? A person who loves animals- right? I can't imagine why else! The animals' temporary care takers want them to find good, permanent homes, and in the meantime, they will do their best to ensure the future pets are happy and healthy - bettas included.
So why cups? They are far too small, right? Yes and no. For a prolonged stay, this could be bad for bettas; especially when not properly cared for. Yet, for a temporary stay (think 'hotel'!), it is great! The smaller space and cooler waters curb their natural aggression. Cups are usually fogged or kept far enough away from other bettas to avoid provoking each other.
Water in the cup is typically changed several times a week to ensure the bettas' homes are fresh, clean, and have plenty of air. They should be feed once or twice a week in these cups, but not too much! They will not expend very much energy in a small and cool environment, so overfeeding will do nothing but make the cups dirty or possibly make the lil' cuties sick.
Notice how the water in these cups remains very still. This is another benefit of the cup! Other than a variable stir in the rice patties or a mild breeze, a betta's natural environment doesn't have significant movement or flowing water. Now, unless you are grabbing the cup and swirling the water (don't do that!), the water will very rarely move! Too much movement, such as a powerful filter or aerator will stress out the fish and damage it's fins. What makes a betta so beautiful? HIS MARVELOUS AND COLORFUL FINS! Now, why would anyone want to destroy those?
If you are concerned for a betta's health or well being (dirty water, tattered fins, white slime on his scales, etc.) DO NOT HESITATE TO MENTION THIS TO A PET STORE EMPLOYEE! You could save his life! Small cups with no filters make it very easy to treat them, but they should be taken into a special quiet room with no added factors of stress to ensure a speedy recovery (we will get to common diseases and treatments later).
Another kind thing you can do, if you are still concerned about cupped bettas is ask an employee which has been at the store the longest. Of course, he probably will not be the prettiest betta. Those get picked over quickly. But sometimes, when bettas are put into a very nice aquarium just right for them, they develop new colors and may surprise you! Also, you'd be making him quite happy!
I hope I have given you a bit of insight as to how a cup may benefit a betta. Not many animals do well with drastic changes in environment, so the cup acts as a safe and temporary vessel for the betta. They are not quite like your average fish!
And now that we have covered all there is to know about a betta's temporary housing, let's get into permanent housing!

Setting Up Your Betta's Aquarium!
Okay, so we know a small cup isn't proper housing for our bettas long term - so what is? You've seen the small 'goldfish bowls' or tiny and adorable little betta specific aquarium set ups. Those are good, right? WRONG! Let me tell you what those are good for: .... cricket chirp ... Yeah, pretty much nothing! Those bowls are insufficient for any fish. It actually would make a very pretty aquatic plant set up or something for, oh I don't know, maybe snails? Otherwise, they are practically useless. Think of it this way: You'll just be putting your betta in a bigger cup! Larger space = more territory = more aggression = more stress. No thank you!
Now, you don't need a huge tank to keep your lil guy (or gal!) happy and healthy. A five (5) gallon tank is the minimum recommended tank size, and there really is no need to go over ten (10) gallons. Tanks can come in many different shapes, but the best for a betta will be a tank longer than it is tall. Bettas are'high' swimmers, meaning they hang out towards the top of the tank. No point in having a deep tank your betta won't really explore, right? Bettas will still adventure mid-tank, or even to the bottom if your tank is shallow enough for them. Most importantly: YOU MUST HAVE A FITTING LID FOR YOUR AQUARIUM! Betta fish are notorious jumpers and WILL jump out of their aquariums given the chance!
Bettas are considered tropical fish and require a little extra heat source. This will come in the form of a heater. Get an aquarium heater that is appropriate for the tank you have chosen. Don't get a heater that will heat a 50 gallon tank for your little 5 gallon - you could fry the lil' guy! Bettas require a temperature of 76F-82F with MINIMAL TO NO fluctuation. Invest in a thermometer for your aquarium (they come in little stickers!) to ensure your tank is the proper temperature.
Another piece of equipment you may want is a filter. Betta's aren't particularly dirty fish (like a goldfish, for example), so a great (or any) filter isn't SUPER important. If you're maintaining your betta's tank properly, you shouldn't even need a filter. Remember, you don't want a lot of movement in your betta's environment, so don't go wasting money on a high-powered filter that will just blow your new betta all around his tank! If do not chose to add a filter, just do water changes more frequently (see 'WATER FOR YOUR BETTA' below). There are a couple of other options if you do chose to go down this route, and we will go over that in the 'Other Fish for your Betta' section! Otherwise, just get a filter that is typical or somewhat small for the aquarium. Most brands will say right on the box their range. You may want to use decor to sort of buffer the flow of the filter if it is too powerful for your betta.
Now that you have the basics, it is time to discuss decor! Firstly, you have two common options for the aquarium's floor. There are the very typical pebbles coming in an array of wondrous colors and then there is the not as frequently used 'sand' substrate. They both have their own perks and flaws. Pebbles are very easy to clean with scrubbers and gravel vacuums and can come in any color and size! Pebbles can get stuck in a fish's mouth; however, it is more common with bottom feeders (which your betta is not). Substrate gives you a very natural look in your tank and it is preferred when using living aquatic plants. Gravel vacuums can not clean this sand very well, as it is too fine, and can make your tank murky when attempted. Another option you have is larger aquatic 'stones' that are typically used in bowls as the surface area of the bowls is very small. It may end up costing you a bit to get enough to cover the bottom, though they can be combined with either the sand substrate or pebbles. Cleaning them will prove challenging, as you may need to remove them from the bottom of the tank and scrub each individually (depending on the size). There is always the option of not using any substrate or gravel, which does not affect your betta in any way. What you chose is entirely up to you!
There are so many neat options out there for tank decor- it may be hard to choose! Betta's are not shy fish. They are actually very curious and adventurous, so you may go just go nuts with decorations if you please. Caves, bridges, fake plants, smooth stones, and glass (or other smooth material) decorations are all great options. Something for them to rest on is a must. Choose decorations that are soft (such as silk, avoid plastic) with no sharp or jagged edges, as bettas' fins are very delicate and will tear on hard decor. There are suction cup leaf hammocks, silk plants, and floating logs just for bettas that are very popular and safe. Feel free to grab around at the decor offered at your local pet or fish store to ensure it is safe for your betta. Too much decor is rarely a thing with betta aquariums - unless there is so much, there is no space for him to move!
A great option for decor is live aquatic plants. If you have the green thumb and motivation, it is arguably the best option. Bettas may nibble at your plants, but it is mainly for enrichment as they do not actually eat plants. Plants add oxygen to the water, which means you may be able to avoid aerators entirely (which will increase the movement in the aquarium). Bamboo is possibly the easiest option and is a favorite of bettas. Another option, which doesn't require planting or maintaining, is a floating moss ball. Here is a small list of live plants that are easy to maintain:

• Water Wisteria: fast-growing cover plant, small and fern-like, require medium lighting and temperatures of 74F-82F.
• Lilaeopsis: fast-spreading cover plant, looks like thick grass about 2" high, require medium lighting and temperatures of 74F-85F.
• Amazon Sword: very popular in aquariums, may grow up to 20" tall so best kept in the back of the tank, require minimal lighting and temperatures of 72F-82F.
• Cryptocoryne Beckettii: very hardy plant, green with reddish steams, can survive in no or high lighting and temperatures as low as 60F and as high as 90F.
• Anubias Nana: dark green, round leaves can grow up to 6", require minimal lighting and temperatures of 72F-82F.

Some of these plants require minimal lighting and bettas are not particularly fond of light. Having plants may require you to get a bit creative. You may, for example, keep the light towards the back of the tank and grow Amazon Swords against the back. A tall plant will cover some of the lighting and offer shade for the betta. Lights should always be shut off at night. Only fluorescent lights should be used, if any at all.
While fish live in the water, they still breath oxygen. Their gills are special organs that pull the oxygen out of the water. Bettas are labyrinth breathers, which mean that they filter the water for oxygen as well as breathe air from the surface of the water. What this means for our aquarium is that bettas do not require aerators in their tanks. It is good for them, because it means less movement in their tanks. However, your tank will not have any bubbles or be able to use any decor that attaches to an aerator. If you REALLY want to add some bubbles, use the lowest power aerator you can find and be sure to use decor or live plants as buffers to absorb/block water movement. Air in the betta's water is still important, but you will be able to provide that with water changes.
Lastly, but most importantly, is the water in the aquarium. Thankfully, water is pretty easy to come by nowadays. Tap water is fine to use but you WILL need to treat it. There are many different brands and variations of water treatment for fish aquariums. Regardless of what water you use, unless it is bottled AQUARIUM WATER, I would recommend treating it just to be safe. Treat your water with water conditioner to neutralize heavy metals and remove chlorine. Failing to skip this step may kill your betta! Many water conditioners also have aloe or something similar to aid in a fish's natural slime coats. These slime coats are VERY important to fish because they are almost always covered in microscopic parasites. A break in the slime coats allows the parasites to latch and feed on the fish, causing disease such as ich. These fancy water conditioners are great to help your betta maintain its coat. The second thing you need to do with your water is just as important. Allow the treated water to sit out for about 24 hours. This ensures any nitrogen that is in the water can come out. This nitrogen forms naturally in cool pipes when warm water flows through them.
These two important steps are very important in both setting up your aquarium and preparing water for cleaning the betta aquarium. I mentioned water changes earlier: this means removing a percentage of the water already in the tank and replacing it with new, clean water. It is up to debate, how much water should be exchanged in a water change as well as how often. It all depends on the tank and its residents. If you opted to use a filter in your betta setup, water changes need not be as frequent - maybe once a month or every other month. With no filter or air flow, you may be doing water changes of 100% weekly. This is entirely up to your discretion, so make an educated guess until you get a feel for your aquarium. Water can be removed using a gravel vacuum or other siphoning device, but with a tank as small as five gallons, you would be just fine using buckets or cups. Speaking of cups: if you are doing a large change such as 90-100%, put the betta back into the cup it came with! That's right. Save that little cup, as it may come in handy! If you do need to remove the betta, do not use your hands or a net to remove him. That slime coat we talked about earlier is very thin on bettas in particular and it strips very easily on untreated nets and oily hands. Nets, treated in a net soak or not, can still catch on the betta's fins and rip them. The best strategy is to remove a good portion of the aquarium's dirty water, and catch him with your old betta cup (or another cup/container if you tossed it).
As stated earlier, temperature is very important to these tropical fish and it can not fluctuate. Be sure to test your tank's current water with the water you are using for the change. There should be no more than a 1F degree difference. You can microwave your clean, treated water if it is too cold, or stick it in the fridge if it is too warm. Having a thermometer for this will be very handy. Eventually, you may be able to just naturally get a feel for how your water will need to be prepared to match the aquarium!

Here is a set up in ~7g plastic tubs. One | Two (with labels)

Feeding Your New Betta
Soon! (mention vaca feeders)

Other Fish to Keep Your Betta Company?
Soon!

Betta Types and Color Variations
Images of many betta types you can own! Soon!