Bettas, or Siamese fighting fish can make wonderful and surprisingly social companions.
They are interactive, playful and can be your best friend for up to 4 years with the right home and care. Read on to follow the story of Fernando our Betta and learn how to pick out, care for and create the perfect home for your Betta.
Making your Bettas home
It is important to have your Betta’s home ready before you bring home your new friend. The less time you have it outside its tank the better.
Although you can keep a Betta in a small bowl, this is not ideal to keeping it happy and healthy. In the wild, Bettas live in rice fields where the water level is low, but their space is vast. They are most happy when they have room to swim, play, hide and interact with their surroundings.
The Tetra Waterfall Globe is a great choice! It is spacious enough, but it easy to maintain and clean. It also has a filter (which means you do not have to clean it as often), LED lights and a waterfall for movement.
The next step is to furnish their new home. Smooth rocks are the best option for the base, as anything too sharp will tear their fins. Bettas often like to rest on the bottom of their home. Avoid using sand as this can get messy when cleaning and can clog the filter if it gets stirred up. Plants are a great addition and will not only make it look great, but your Betta will love playing and hiding in them. Avoid buying plastic plants and choose silk instead. The hard plastic will hurt and tear the fragile fins of your Betta. The last thing to include is a hiding place. Bettas get a lot of joy out of going in and out of hiding places.
For Fernando we choose a silk plant, some grass and a hollow log for his furnishings. The base is Spectrastone aquarium gravel which is eco-friendly also, its coating is made from 30% plant products. We also added a “Betta Bed” for him to rest on, and from experience they do use and love this leaf bed!
The last step is the water! Use regular old tap water in the bowl. Distilled water is missing many of the minerals that they actually need and find in our tap water. Unfortunately, we do add things to our water they don’t need. Make sure to add a water conditioner to make it safe for your new pet.
Choosing your Betta
The home is ready and waiting, now it is time to pick your fish. There are important factors to consider when picking your Betta.