How to Clean a Betta Aquarium

Cleaning your betta's tank is a vital part of your betta's health, so you must know how to do it. It's a little messy, so you might want to purchase a pair of gloves before beginning.

What you'll need:

• Siphon
• 10 quart bucket (if you have a tank under 2.5 gallons; if you have a larger aquarium, you'll need another drainage system)
• Plastic cups (to place betta in)
• Thermometer
• Fish net
• Water Conditioner
• Aquarium Salt
• Teaspoon
• Clean water source (sink, bottled water, betta water, etc.)

What to do:

The first thing you'll have to do is unplug any filters, heaters, or other electrical appliances. After doing this, take your plastic cup and scoop a cupful of water into it. Then, use the net to add the betta to the plastic cup.

Remove any decorations, plants, etc. before siphoning the tank (this step is optional, but you will do a much more thorough job if you remove them first). Take the siphon and make sure one end is fully submerged in the water in the aquarium. The other end should be in the bucket or other drainage source.

Start pumping the siphon in the water until the water flows through the tube. If you want to do a thorough clean, completely empty the water from the aquarium. If not, pull up the siphon when you reach the desired amount empty.

Empty dirty water. If you are using water from the sink, put the thermometer in your betta's cup. Using both hot and cold water, mix them until you reach the exact temperature read on the thermometer. Differing temperatures can cause shock to your betta fish.

Put water in aquarium. Add water conditioner. You can find how much water conditioner to add by reading the instructions on the labels on the conditioner. Next, add the aquarium salt. Aquarium salt is optional, but I highly recommend it, since it prevents internal diseases and parasites, along with velvet and ick. Add 3/4 teaspoon aquarium salt per gallon of water. Do not put table salt in the betta's water.

To clean and disinfect plants and other decorations for the betta aquarium, run them under hot water for about 1 minute. Add desired decorations to the aquarium. Finally, add the betta fish to his new clean aquarium. Plug in filters, heaters, etc. to complete your cleaning of the tank.

Do not:

• Use soap when cleaning a betta fish tank.
• Add table salt to any betta fish tank.
• Add too much water conditioner.

Do's and Don'ts about Bettas

Betta fish, in the wild, live in the shallow, stagnant water of rice paddies. This is true, but it is no reason or excuse to neglect your betta fish. Bettas are very easy to care for, but they still have likes, dislikes and needs. Here is a simple and easy list of do's and don'ts for bettas.

The Do's of Betta Care:

• DO feed them once a day, as much as they can consume in two minutes. Some references recommend feeding bettas as much as they can eat in five minutes, but do not try this. Bettas can eat a lot in five minutes; much more than what's good for them. Overfeeding is fatal!
• DO clean the betta's tank every few days. Once a week is good, but it really depends on how dirty the water looks. For small tanks (less than 1 gallon), clean them every few days. Use Betta Water (which you can find at a local petstore) for best results. For tap water, condition with Novaqua, Aqueon, or aquarium salt (NOT table salt).
• DO a daily health check of your betta to make sure all is well.
• DO keep a lid over the betta's tank, as bettas are known to jump out of their tanks to their deaths.
• DO place a mirror up to the glass of the aquarium to allow your betta to get excited over "another" betta. They will flare up using their gill covers to make themselves appear to be bigger. However, do not keep the mirror there often or for long periods, as this tires your betta.
• DO provide your betta with enough space not merely to survive, but to be happy and healthy. I don't recommend tanks any smaller than 2 gallons. I tried it, but my betta wasn't happy and as soon as I moved him to a larger space he was much happier (and healthier!).

The Don'ts of Betta Care:

• DON'T use soap when cleaning your betta fish tank! Soap will make your betta die.
• DON'T rely on a plant root to keep your betta fish fed. Betta fish are carnivorous fish and have been known only to eat plants when starving.
• DON'T put bettas in direct sunlight or in a place colder than 62 degrees. Bettas need a water temperature between 62 degrees and 82 degrees.
• DON'T stick to just one kind of betta food. I have never done any kind of worms and my betta has done fine thriving on a variety of pellets.
• DON'T put male bettas with any other kinds of fish, especially not other male bettas. Other fish are known to pick on bettas, and male betta fish will fight until one is the winner.

Your betta fish will live a long and happy life if you follow these simple instructions!

Signs of A Healthy Betta

Your betta may appear to be healthy, but you will want to take this daily health check to make sure he's really doing well.

1. Bright coloration -- your betta should be bright and colorful. If he is drab or dull colored, he is not healthy.
2. Clear eyes, equal size -- betta should have clear, dark eyes that are equally sized.
3. Good body shape -- betta should have a body without bumps, red, bloody or bleeding streaks, bloating, missing scales, or weight loss.
4. Greets you at the glass -- betta should take at least a little interest in you; following or flaring at you or your finger.
5. Alert -- pays close attention to things going on outside his tank.
6. Has a strong appetite -- bettas are usually good eaters, and though they might not always eat everything put in to eat, they should have a decent appetite. Don't worry too much if your betta doesn't have any appetite one day. But if his loss of appetite stretches over two days, you can know something is wrong.
7. Swims actively and easily -- betta should not be struggling when he tries to swim.
8. Finnage -- betta's fins should be whole and flowing. They should not be split, ragged or have stuff hanging from them.
9. Happiness -- Health is important in betta fish. But you also want them to be happy. If they aren't healthy, they aren't happy. If your betta is active, that is the surest sign that he is happy.

Which Betta to Purchase?

Before purchasing your betta fish, there are several things you need to look for. In the petstore, bettas are usually sold in little plastic bowls with lids. This is not an ideal home for your betta, and the betta will suffer from it if he is left in this cramped environment for too long.
You want to look for any signs of disease on the betta fish before you buy him (or her). Read about common betta fish diseases in the previous article titled: "Betta Fish Diseases". Despite what the sales person might tell you, you don't want to purchase a sick betta fish. Here is a brief list of an ill betta:

• Clamped fins
• Rapid breathing
• Fish is leaning sideways
• Fish is belly-up
• Bulging body parts
• Anything unusual in the betta

You want to research before buying your betta fish. Signs of a healthy betta fish are:

• The betta is very active
• The betta has one to zero of the symptoms above
• The betta looks happy

You always want to check over bettas before buying one. Remember, a healthy betta is a safe purchase.

Feeding Your Betta Fish

Betta fish are carnivorous. In the wild, they feed on larvae and small insects that may fall into the water. Variety is a good thing in betta fish's diets. Feed them dry and live food on a regular basis.


Try feeding your betta fish with some of these worms:

• Glass worms
• Tubifex worms
• Water daphnia (available fresh or frozen)
• Blood worms
• Dried blood worms

Feed your betta fish small quantities of live and dry foods twice a day (morning and evening). Try not to stick just to one type of food, as betta fish need a lot of variety in order to keep them healthy.

You must be consistent in feeding your betta fish. Don't feed more one day and less the next. This will cause the ammonia levels to rise suddenly. Also, leftover food needs to be cleaned out of the water quickly as it can produce toxins and ammonia.

How much to feed?

You might think that feeding your bettas a lot will make them big and strong. More than likely what will happen is your betta will eat till he's full and leave the rest of the food, which will sink to the bottom of the tank and rot, sometimes causing serious infection. When you bring your betta fish home, see how much they can eat in two minutes, and stick with that amount.

If you are feeding your betta fish enough, he will have a softly rounded belly (belly is just after gills).

When feeding your betta fish live food, it is guaranteed that your betta will not stop eating his delicious meal until every bite is gone. Overfeeding bettas in this way will kill them literally in 24 hours. To prevent your betta from eating himself to death, feed him reasonable amounts of live food. You are the only one who can control when your betta eats, how much he eats and what he eats.

How long can bettas go without eating?

Betta fish will live for about 14 to 18 days without eating. This is no excuse for feeding your betta fish whenever you remember to. Bettas need a consistent diet, but if you're going on a vacation for a few days and don't want to pay a house-sitter, don't worry about your betta fish.

What to feed?

What you feed your betta really depends on what they were raised on. If they were raised on live food, you can forget ever trying to feed them dry flakes or pellets. If they were raised on dry food, they will most likely still eat live food.

Tank and Aquarium Setup

When you bring your betta fish home, realize that you cannot just plunge him in a bowl of ice cold water. You have to set aside a couple hours in order for your betta to feel at hom as soon as he gets there. Keep in mind that the ride home from the pet store will make your betta feel very jostled and stressed, so you need to keep him as comfortable as possible. Setting up his house properly is one way to make him happy.

What's necessary for a betta tank:

• Gravel, pebbles or marbles
• Betta water conditioner
• Water that sat overnight at a consistent room temperature
• Plants and decoration to put inside the tank
• Filter and light if aquarium is larger than 2 gallons

1. Wash gravel thoroughly in order to remove any dirt, glass or dust that was on it.
2. Lay about one inch of gravel in the aquarium
3. Add water and condition it. 10-15 drops will do for a 1.5 gallon tank.
4. Decorate the tank any way you like, making sure there is enough room for your betta to live happily in it.
5. Install filter and light, if necessary.

Your betta will be very stressed the first couple of days. Don't try to feed him anything for 24 hours after you brought him home.

Betta Fish Diseases

If betta fish are well cared for, sickness and disease should not occur often. But if they are sick, you must act immediately, as some sickness can kill your fish overnight. This topic is so broad that we can only cover the basics. Here are some of the more common sicknesses, their symptoms and how to treat and prevent them.

1. Fin/Tail Rot:

Fin and tail rot is one of the most common, and also the most preventable diseases found on betta fish. It is usually caused by several different types of bacteria, and often occurs concurrently with other diseases. It is easy to diagnose, but once you spot it, you should take care of it as it can kill the diseased fish and infect the others in the aquarium.



Symptoms:

• Fins/tail are frayed or split.


• Fins/tail are discolored (white or brown, with fuzzy-looking growth).


• Bases of fins and tail are enflamed.


• Fins/tail completely decay.

Treatment and prevention:

• Adding some aquarium salt to the fish tank is most likely to help. Use 1/4 -- 1/2 teaspoon for every gallon of water.


• If the salt doesn't work, you must put medicine in the water. You can purchase medicine at most pet stores, but before purchasing anything, ask the sales person what is best for your betta. Mardel is what I have always used and is not an ideal medicine, as it works well for some diseases and not for others.

To prevent your betta from getting tail/fin rot, you must clean the water weekly; two weeks at most. Any more than two weeks is a pretty sure recipe for a floating fish.

2. Popeye:

Popeye is when your betta fish suddenly gets a bulging eye. My betta fish got popeye and it spread to its mouth, preventing him from eating and therefore starving himself. Popeye usually isn't fatal, but was in my case. The cause of popeye is usually bacterial infection, just like fin and tail rot. It can be transferred through the water.

Symptoms:

• Betta's eye(s) double or triple in size.


• Betta may be less active


• Betta may stop eating as much

Treatment and Prevention:
Your betta may lose an eye due to popeye. Immediately transfer him to clean water. Clean every three days. Medicate with correct antibiotic. Continue medicating until eye shrinks back to normal size and for another week after that (just to be sure!). To prevent popeye and other diseases, keep your betta water clean!

3. Dropsy

This is a common and highly fatal disease found often in betta fish. It can be caused by feeding live food, such as black worms. It might also be caused by a kidney failure.

Symptoms:
The symptoms are extremely obvious. The betta's body is bloated and the scales look like pricked-out pinecones. Betta is usually very lethargic.

Treatment and Prevention:
There really is not much you can do if your betta fish has dropsy. Once you notice it, there has probably been too much damage to the internal organs for you to do anything about it. Put some dissolved aquarium salt (1/4 -- 1/2 teaspoon per gallon) in the water. This does not cure the disease, or prolong the betta's life, but it does make your betta fish a little more comfortable. Remember, always keep an injured or sick betta warm. Isolate the affected betta even though dropsy is not contagious and make sure his water is crystal clear. Medicate the water with Maracyn-Two. Prevent dropsy by keeping your betta healthy.

4. Inflamed Gills:

Inflamed gills can be caused by: nitrate poisoning, bacterial infections or a defective gill (he was born that way).

Symptoms:

• If you look at the betta from the top, you might notice that one or both of his gills don't close properly.
• Betta may be gasping for air
• Unable to breath

Treatment and Prevention:

Isolate sick betta and immediately do a full water change. Add Ampicillin medication. Prevent gill disease (inflamed gills) by keeping the betta's water clean!

There are many more less common and more deadly diseases out there for bettas. Some diseases you can't treat at all as there is no cure (such as tuberculosis). Before you add any medication to the water, make sure you know what you're doing. Do plenty of research, as some medication, if not necessary, can be fatal to your fish.