Betta Basic Care Sheet

Betta Splendens (pronounced BET-uh)  Temperature: 75 to 82 degrees  Housing: . A heated 2.5 gallon tank is recommended for a single betta, though the bigger the better. Because they originate from the slow moving water of rice paddies, a strong current, either from a filter or a bubbler will blow their long fins around and cause them unnecessary stress. As they take oxygen directly from the air, the width of the container is more important to the fish than height. Your fish will also appreciate at least a couple of hiding spots, such as caves, rocks, and other décor, and hardy live plants such as java fern, which also look great in a tank setup. Depending on the size of the tank, water changes will have to be done weekly. For a 2.5 gallon, 100 percent of the water should be changed weekly. In a bigger tank, such as a cycled 5 or 10 gallon, 20 percent water changes can be done weekly.  Diet: Bettas are carnivores, and should be fed mainly on a pellet diet, which can be supplemented by a variety of other foods, such as live/frozen/freeze-dried brine shrimp, daphnia, blood worms, as well as live fruit flies, and fruit fly larvae.  Tankmates: Bettas should NEVER be kept together, as they are highly territorial and will fight each other. However, they can be kept with other peaceful species, like cory cats, ottos, white cloud minnows, and African dwarf frogs. They should not be kept with large or aggressive fish such as cichlids, angels, and danios, or coldwater fish, like goldfish.  Lol, thats my first attempt at writing a caresheet, and if you see something wrong or want to add something, please let me know!  Article written by Bettaholic