Betta fish are common fish at any pet store and even some grocery stores. It’s easy to see why. They are beautiful fish with bright, vivid colors and majestic, flowing feather-like fins. They’re a popular pet because of this beauty, and because fish are seen as easy, low-maintenance pets. But are they truly?
The truth is, betta fish require a very specific tank set-up to thrive and not just survive. It is very important to keep their tanks clean and at the ideal levels. As a first-time betta owner, this can be a stressful process. So let’s talk about how to set-up your betta tank and how often to clean it.
The History of Betta Fish
Before we understand how to help a betta live its best life, we should understand how the betta fish came to be. The genus betta contains more than 73 recognized species, but the one we are most familiar with is the Siamese Fighting Fish, more commonly known as the betta fish.
The colorful betta fish we know today are nothing like their ancestors though. Wild betta fish originated in Southeast Asia: mainly the northern Malay Peninsula, central and eastern Thailand, Kampuchea and southern Vietnam. They were a dull grey-green color with very short fins, nothing like the flowing ones we admire today.
Bettas are traced back in history to the 19th century, but betta keeping truly began in Thailand approximately 150 years ago. Thai children noticed these aggressive fish in large, heavily vegetated marshes, rice paddies and slow moving streams. After watching their territorial behaviors with other fish of their species, the children collected the fish and placed them together to watch them fight. This is where their name, Siamese Fighting Fish, originated from.
Soon, betting on these fights became a common pastime. The King of Thailand (then known as Siam) caught onto their popularity and took an interest in the new sport. He began to regulate these matches and tax them heavily. Around 1840, he gave some of the betta fish away, those of which ended up in the hands of Dr. Theodore Cantor, a Danish physician.
Dr. Cantor studied the fish closely and began to breed them. This is where many of their unique colors and bodies started to show. He originally named them Macropodus pugnax, but this name was already given to another fish. They were then renamed Betta splendens, which translates to “beautiful warrior”, a fitting name for these beautiful, brave fish.
Betta fish began their international affair in the late 19th century. They breached into France in 1874, when a French fish expert named Pierre Carbonnier began importing the betta fish and breeding several new variations. They reached Germany in 1896 at the hands of a tropical fish expert named Paul Matte.These fighting fish were in Australia by 1904 and possibly entered the United States as early as 1910.
It isn’t exactly clear when betta fish transitioned from fighting entertainment to pets admired for their beauty, but by the 1950’s, breeders across the world had created new variations of the betta fish, noting long, beautiful fins and bright, metallic colors never before seen. People became attracted to them for their beauty rather than their fighting abilities.
Betta Temperament
As mentioned, betta fish are known for their aggressive behavior among their own species, but that does not define their entire temperament. Why do they fight exactly?
It is simply because they are territorial. Their fights are not often to the death, or usually even near the point, unless they are bred for aggression or trapped in a small tank. Their fights are for the most part brief and involve harming their counterpart with nips and thrashing.
Males are typically more aggressive than females, but females can still be aggressive. Males should never be housed together and males and females should never live together either. Females can sometimes live together in what is called a sorority, with proper introductions and management.
Housing a Betta
So now we know not to allow males to cohabitate, or males and females. What else is there to know about housing a betta?
Bettas from a pet store usually are on display in a small, transparent, plastic cup. This is not the ideal living situation for them by any means. There is a myth that because in the wild they lived in shallow waters that they actually prefer small, tight spaces, but this is simply untrue.
Bettas, much like any other house fish, require adequate space and a proper environment to thrive. The bare minimum tank for a betta fish is 2 gallons. Larger tanks never hurt though, and that 2 gallon measurement is for a single betta fish. Some say that 5 gallons is a more adequate number to help your betta thrive. Either one is a far cry from the common round fish bowl or plastic cup they are forced to live in.
Ideally, you want a rectangular aquarium, as that is most similar to their natural environment and allows them more space to swim horizontally, rather than vertically, which is more unnatural to them. Bettas can live up to five years in the proper environment, so providing plenty of space can help them reach their maximum life expectancy. It is important to realize that at pet stores, many bettas are already one year old or so, so take that into account when you consider their lifespan.
While it is very fun to decorate a fish tank, the fish should also be kept in mind. Adding foliage to their tank can help mimic their natural hiding behaviors and produce more oxygen for their tank, but these decorations should not take up the majority of the tank. Most of the space should be open for your betta to swim freely in. Sharp edges of toys and decorative pieces can also tear their delicate fins. Line the bottom of your tank with gravel for your betta as well.
Water temperature is another important factor to consider. As we mentioned, betta fish originated in south Asia, a warm climate. Their water tank’s temperature should mimic that. The ideal water temperature for Betta fish is between 78° and 80° F. To ensure your betta’s health, the temperature should never go below 74° F above 84° F. Much like any other house fish, their water should be conditioned before being added to the tank to avoid exposing them to any chemicals from tap or bottled water. Bettas also enjoy a fairly neutral pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
Cleaning a Betta Tank
You’ve spent so much time creating the perfect tank for your fish, now it’s time to maintain it. Fish are a lower maintenance pet than a dog or a cat, but still require care and commitment. Table top pets are often forgotten about, but still require daily care to thrive.
Cleaning a betta’s tank is essential. A filter is a great idea to help your fish do more than just survive and live its life to its best potential. A filter helps clean the tank every second of the day. Poor water conditions caused by an unclean tank can lead to wounded fins, infections and death for your betta. Stagnant water gets dirty quickly and a filter helps pump new oxygen in and wash out any bad chemicals, replacing them with beneficial bacteria. Essentially, the filter acts as a tiny ecosystem directly attached to your betta’s tank!
How Often Should I Clean the Tank?
Even with a filter, it is essential to clean your betta’s tank. A filter will help funnel out your fish’s excrement, which is full of ammonia and dangerous for them to swim around in, but deep cleans are still necessary. Would you want to swim in toilet water, even if it was processed? Probably not, so neither should your fish.
A good rule of thumb for a 2 gallon tank is to change about 50% of the water weekly. Since this is a smaller tank, waste will build up more quickly and can pollute their water quickly, especially without a filter.
It’s not as simple as just pouring out all of the old water and replacing it with new tap water though.
How to Clean the Tank
Cleaning a betta tank is quite simple. You’ll need: conditioned freshwater (you can buy conditioner, or simply let tap water sit for 48 hours, the harmful chemicals will evaporate out naturally), containers to store your fish and their decorations, a sponge or soft brush and a sink.
It’s important to remember that betta fish are sensitive to temperature changes and need a warm environment. Always test the temperature of the water you have to put in to ensure it’s in the ideal range and will not harm your fish.
Next, remove your fish and all of their plants and decorations. Store your betta fish in conditioned water and their decorations separately in a calm, quiet place.
We’re assuming since we’re doing a 2 gallon tank, that we will be replacing 50% of the water to keep it clean. We can’t replace it all at once, or that will be a shock to our betta. Using any kind of scoop, scoop out 1 gallon worth of water (50% of the tank). You will add this back in when you are done cleaning and replacing the remaining 50% with new water.
The old tank water actually has beneficial bacteria stored in it and it’s what your betta is used to, so we only want to replace some of the water for cleanliness.
Dump the remaining water and replace it with the new conditioned water within the ideal temperature range. Clean the decorations with just water and a soft scrubber, do not use any soap. Don’t forget the gravel at the bottom of their tank! A lot of fallen food and gunk accumulates here, so be sure to run it under water or in a strainer to clear the debris away.
Now, scrub the tank with just warm water and a soft brush or sponge and you are good to go! Put the gravel and decorations back in, as well as your 50% concoction of old tank water and 50% new conditioned water.
Long Story Short
Betta fish make great pets for fish enthusiasts and are beautiful to look at. Keeping their tank clean is absolutely essential for them. Filters are a great addition, but a weekly cleaning for a 2 gallon tank is required to keep them healthy and thriving. You want your betta to live five years, not two afterall. Remember, it’s not simply dumping all of their water out and replacing it. It’s best to operate by a 50/50 ratio of old and new water and to monitor the temperature closely.