Betta Fish Care - Keeping your Fish Healthy and Colorful
Author: George Best
Despite the fact that betta fish can be successfully kept without a large aquarium or a complicated filter, betta fish care does necessitate a certain amount of work and effort.
This article will provide you with the basics on keeping your betta healthy and happy.
Good betta fish care dictates giving your pet a continer that is large enough for the fish to swim around at least a little bit. While it is possible for bettas to survive in the tiny containers that pet shops often place them in, these containers are hardly a healthy home and bettas subjected to such limited space may become listless and lose color. Bettas don\'t need a huge amount of space, but a little room to swim, and a decent amount of surface area for the fish to get gulps of air in are recommended. As a suggestion, a 1 to 2 gallon fish bowl is a good option.
Betta fish can and will jump, so whatever container you are using, be sure that it can be covered (dont use an airtight cover!) to prevent your fish from jumping out.
The next part of betta fish care that is critical to the health of the fish is to keep the container and water very clean. Part of keeping the container clean is to use care when feeding your fish. Excess food will accumulate at the bottom and cause bacterial growth and cloud the water. I recommend feeding betta food pellets to your fish just one at a time, up to three or four times each day. Not only will this help keep the container clean, it will also prevent overfeeding which can cause swim bladder problems which can kill betta fish.
Another way to make sure the water is clean is to change part it on a frequent basis. The amount and frequency of water changes will depend on the size of the container because smaller containers will accumulate waste products much faster than larger ones. If your fish is in a container with half a gallon of water or less, it is a good idea to change at least a third of the water every 3 days or so. For a one to two gallon or larger container, changing about a third to a half of the water about once per week should be sufficient.
When changing the water, there are various test kits, water treatment chemicals, aging techniques, etc. that can be used to remove toxic substances like chlorine and to establish the preferred neutral pH of the water. There is a much simpler trick to betta fish care with regards to water though. You can buy ordinary distilled water and not have to test or treat it at all. Distilled water is free of contaminants and has a neutral pH - perfect for your betta fish, and much simpler than trying to get your tap water to the right chemical balance! Just be sure to get DISTILLED water instead of spring water, drinking water, etc.,to be sure of purity and the right pH.
Good betta fish care also means keeping the water to a warm temperature. Bettas come from tropical regions and are happiest at temperatures at about the 75 to 80 degree (Farenheit) range.
Betta fish prefer to rest on objects off of the bottom of the container, so some decorations are a good idea. It is important to use objects that are smooth and don\'t have any sharp edges, because the betta\'s fins are very delicate and can be easily damaged. Even artificial plants can damage a betta if the material is too hard.
Using the tips you have just learned, you will be well on your way to keeping a healthy, happy betta fish. The show of brilliant color on your fish will be your reward for your excellent betta fish care.
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