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Betta Fish Care - Keeping Your Fish Healthy And Happy
Because Betta fish can be kept in relatively simple containers as opposed to large aquariums with complicated filtration systems, many people are attracted to them as easy to care for, yet beautiful tropical fish. But Betta fish care does require some frequent work to keep the fish happy and healthy.
The first key to betta fish care is to give your fish at least a little space. Yes, they can be kept alive in those little jars they sell them in at the pet stores, but imagine how happy you'd be if confined to a space so small you couldn't move. Bettas kept in very small containers often grow listless and may lose color over time. While your fish does not require a tremendous amount of space, you do want it to have enough room to swim around a bit. A one to two gallon fish bowl works nicely. In addition, since Bettas do breathe at the surface from time to time, you want to make sure there is sufficient space at the surface for your fish to do that.
It should be noted that bettas can jump, so it is important to put some type of cover over the top of your container (as long as it is not airtight!) to keep your fish in the water.
Keeping the water clean is essential to good betta fish care. One way to do this is to be conservative when feeding your fish. Any uneaten food can cause bacterial growth and cloudy water, so be careful with how much food you put in. I suggest using beta pellets and feeding just one or two at a time, two to three times per day to prevent overfeeding. Not only does overfeeding create the potential for bacterial growth, it can also produce swim bladder difficulties, which can be fatal in bettas.
Another way to make sure the water is clean is to change part it on a frequent basis. How much water to replace and how often is largely dependent on the size of the container, as waste products build up much more quickly in small containers than in 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 larger containers of one to two gallons or more, a once per week schedule changing out a third to half the water should work just fine.
A simple way to change your betta's water is to simply buy bottled distilled water. Distilled water is free of toxic chemicals like chlorine and has a neutral pH, which is favored by betta fish. This is a much simpler approach than using chemicals to neutralize toxins and/or balance pH.
Good betta fish care also involves keeping the water warm - about 75 or 80 degrees. Bettas come from tropical regions and do not like it when the water temperature is too low.
Smooth objects without sharp edges make good decorations in the betta fish container because bettas like to rest on objects above the bottom. Bettas have delicate fins, so anything with sharp edges must be avoided, even artificial plants that are particularly rigid.
The tips you now have will give you the basics to keep your betta healthy. A bright, active fish will be the outcome of good betta fish care.
Article Source: ArticleZones.com
About the Author
George Best is a betta fish enthusiast. For detailed tips from a true expert on bettas who has actually travelled to Southeast Asia to learn from the masters of caring for and breeding bettas, George recommends you visit the expert's site on betta fish care. Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
Comments
Dec 19th 2007, by Carla HinseyThanks George, that was a great article. I love fish and have had many aquariums in my life time. I've always loved looking at betta's but never brought one home because I didn't know how to care for one.
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"All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." Chief Seattle 1854
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