Beta Fish Care – What We Learned
In order to have a healthy beta fish we found out the hard way how important it is to know the proper beta fish care techniques. Once we found out the real scoop, caring for beta fish turned out to be fairly simple. And now that we know what we are doing, we are spending a lot less time with the maintenance part and more time with the enjoyment and entertainment part. As you probably already know, beta fish can be quite the little entertainers.
Anyway, here are our “Top Ten Tips For A Happy, Healthy Beta Fish!”
1. The bowl or tank size should be big enough, shallow enough and contain non-toxic aquarium approved gravel or rocks and live or plastic plants for hiding.
2. The temperature should be kept at 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. The water should be distilled or properly treated tap water. Be sure the PH is 6.8 to 7 and check the chemical balances often.
4. The water should be kept fairly still. Strong aquarium filters or air pumps may create too much water movement and stress out or injure your beta.
5. Change part of the water often. New water to be added should be made in advance so it can be treated properly and the temperatures match.
6. Practice tank cycling and keep enough of the old water to preserve the good bacteria that helps keep your beta’s environment healthy.
7. Feed your beta fish the right foods to help its little body function properly. And don’t overfeed.
8. Provide the proper lighting. Live plants need light. Too much light can cause excessive algae growth.
9. The bowl or tank should be kept clean without using soaps or chemicals.
10. Never add fish that aren’t compatible, especially another male beta. They are not known as the Siamese Fighting Fish for nothing.
As we’ve had it to do over again, we found an “ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.” Learning about beta fish care was definitely worth it. Knowledge can prevent beta fish diseases. We could have saved ourselves a lot of time, money, and heartache if we’d known all this stuff with our first beta, Boo. Anyway, we know now and our Sparkey is a happy, healthy little guy.
