A Betta Care Guide

- A B E T T A C A R E G U I D E -
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

- B U Y I N G A B E T T A -

First step to buying a betta, is to determine exaclty where, How, and When. The most common way is by visiting your local pet store(Petsmart, Petco,Walmart, Other(s) Which tends to get quite the bad reputation, as thsee stores pay more mind twords the money weither then the benefit, health, outlooks, for the desired Pet, expecially when it comes to Betta's or other fish.

Now, now, not all Local Chain's are considerbly bad, but by most, yes, they tend to not have a single clue or even a care in making sure their animals thrive to the fullest before being sent to their new homes.

Betta's, can be found in small cups in such basic stores, Making it easy to be prone to bad disease's, Though, sometimes even a sick fish, as long as you know how to care for him or her, can still make a great pet! I tend to rescue these little one's, bring them back to full health, having done so for over 2 year's.

Some other famous options are:

● Online Breeder/Local Breeder
● Privately Owned Pet Store's

Most if the time, Betta's do not need to be of such high quality if you plan to just keep him or her as a pet, though, if you prefer having a higher bred betta regardless, remember, it never hurts to give them a home no matter the quality of the fish.

Sometimes Betta owners or other fish keepers, just prefer having a specific quality of fish.

Once you have figured out where you want to get your betta, make sure you have done all of your research on the desired little beauty prior to purchase, then have a suitable home for your new friend to thrive in, just like it's own personal apartment.

Most bought betta's are Particularly Male in gender, because of higher color and longer finage, but Female's are also equally good to buy, having able to be kept in a sorority Tank with other Female betta's(Only If compatible) not all female betta's get along with one another, so be warned that you will need a backup tank(s) just In case thing's got ugly.

Males Can never be kept with females or other Males, they will fight to the death and I mean really fight - The destined tank is claimed as their territory! So you never ever want to put any other betta in harms way to just see it for your own eye's, trust me, it's not a pretty sight and you can loose one or even both of your betta's, Female's can get the same way.

So yes, even Female's are just as aggressive as the male's.

Only time a female and male betta can be introduced is through breeding, other then that, don't try it, don't risk it.

Just because betta's have bullying in their DNA, it doesn't mean that all of them are the same, they are just like us, each with a different Perspective on how they view thing's, they are also highly intelligent, they can memorise your voice patters and learn tricks(Avoid teaching them How to jump) so yes, they know who you are, Alot of cases claim:

" My betta comes up to me, but no one else. "

That's because they don't hear the same vocal structure that you have, also meaning they trust you, but no one else.

So when you see this happen, Your betta always happy to be around you then POOF! a new addition in your room pops up then they suddenly show fear or anger, it is their way of saying:

" I don't know who this is, but it's not my owner, so please leave us alone. "

Alot like your drooling canine companion huh.

I like to think of them as swimming Puppies, just easier to manage.

Oh and Make sure, after you get the tank of choice, You set it a few weeks to cycle, depending on your Gallon size, unless you prefer taking the quick route by adding Chlorine Remover, which you would still need to let it cycle just to be on the safe side of course.

Also make sure the tank you have set up is at least 2.5 Gallon's while anything bigger is better, then have a light wattage filter such as a:

Sponge Filter

To keep a steady water flow, otherwise a betta may not swim properly from the force of a higher powered filter.

Don't forget the most important of all and that is a:

Heater

Betta's are often mistreated because of this, they are tropical fish and need heat set anywhere between a highset setting set of 80° to a lowest set of 74°, otherwise your betta may be easy Ill as well as sluggish.

Real Planted tank's are best while plastic still works, make sure it's nothing sharp that can damage their fins or even overstocked.

If you buy at a pet store such as petco and Petsmart, check the overall health of the fish(Unless You To Bring A betta Back to health) As well as the desired gender of the betta, below is a gender chart from a wikI source, just to show you more in depth.

v




^ Betta Males have longer finage while Female's do not, Female's also have a Oviposter - Small white dot on their underside of the belly, which is a egg laying tube, Female's are also smaller while males are larger in overall size.

Petco or Petsmart Baby betta's, Which are also famous - Are mostly too young to identify gender, so please don't go by what the container/Cup tells you, they are just coming out of the fry stage, you don't even know what Tail Types your getting either.




Make sure you have the other nesasary requirements such as:

● Varied Carnivorous Diet(Pellets, Flakes, Frozen or dried Bloodworms, Micro worms, Brine shrimp)

● Stress and Chlorine Remover

● A net

● Any other Compatible fish

Betta's can live with other docile fish species in a community tank, avoid getting guppies because they resemble top much of a betta, you can try Mollies and patties, mystery snails or even Cherry shrimp.

After you get your betta from a trusting source, Bring him or her home, sit the cup in the tank to acclimate(Make sure you had everything prepared beforehand) to help reduce stress of constantly moving around.



^ These are example's of a tank most fish keepers use, Remember to get at least a 2.5 Gallon or bigger and for a sorority Tank I recommend a 20 gallon long or even a 40 gallon, to give a bigger world wide space and make so route you have at least 5 to 6 females or more.

Also note that just because a betta is healthy or any other fish, it doesn't nesasarily mean they really are, so make sure you treat all of your fish first just to be safe.

_________________________________________
_________________________________________
- C O M M O N B E T T A I L L N E S -

1. Bloat - If your betta looks largely bloated with no sign of Scale pineconing, won't eat or release waste regularly or at all, then your betta has Bloat think of it as Fish constipation, to make sure, cook a frozen pea, take it out of the shell, make sure it's small enough to eat then give it to your betta, The pea is a sort of laxative. Causes is mostly overfeeding.

2. Cotton Wool Disease/Mouth Fungus - if your betta has a cottony substance/Growth appearing on his or her body, a lot like the end of a cutip, then you need to act fast, hospitalize, treat, with A fungal Remover, do not be tempted to pull it off, it can hurt the fish. You need to use aqaurium salt as well, to help speed up the process, if there is any other fish involoved then please treat them too just to be safe, I am using Jungle Fungal Fiz Tablets for my female Crowntail. Causes of this can be anywhere from Water Levels to rotting foods, Stress, open wounds and overall amune system.

3. Dropsy - The worst of all, Is the Pinconing of the scales, it's a sort of cancer and very deadly, first it's the obserdity of shifting scales then it gets to Loss of appetite, Lethargy and lastly death. Is treatable, but hard to manage, so please Do tons of research on proper treatment. Causes can be anything, sometimes it's common in koi betta's, hidden down in their gene's till last minut.

4. Tumor - Yes betta's and fish can get tumors, they can be removed and treated, but is also highly fatal.
Causes are similar to Dropsy, it's hidden.

_________________________________________

After you have your betta properly introduced to his or her new home, do you standard water changes, a varied diet, try to keep on a schedule they will love you for it.

If your betta has this type of line:

_________________________

^ It's just a way for them to show your they are stressed out.

This however is common in females:

|
|
|
|

^ that is breeding bars, though it's not the most officiant way of telling, some females variations won't be able to be visable.

Make sure your betta has EVERYTHING and if you want to try to breed, do tons of research, it's not that easy to do and care for, also look out for any Fin damage, Loss of appetite, Loss of stool, the usual, to be safe that your betta is perfectly okay!

Thank you! Wish everyone the best!
__________________________________________________________________________________

 

Not to disagree but a male can be kept with a sorority. Its not recommended but in a larger tank it can work.

 

Not to disagree but a male can be kept with a sorority. Its not recommended but in a larger tank it can work.

Definitely, but it's risky, all betta's have a different personality, that's why I love them so much.

 

“That’s because they don’t hear the same vocal cords.... it’s their way of saying:”
Do you have evidence to back this up or is it just your opinion on how they recognise you? If it’s not an proven thing then I’d suggest saying so.

Also, bettas will be sluggish in 74F water, they’re really meant to be kept around 78-82 for optimal health and activity.

 

“That’s because they don’t hear the same vocal cords.... it’s their way of saying:”
Do you have evidence to back this up or is it just your opinion on how they recognise you? If it’s not an proven thing then I’d suggest saying so.

Also, bettas will be sluggish in 74F water, they’re really meant to be kept around 78-82 for optimal health and activity.

My betta that I have had for 2 year's, ignores stranger's in the room while he comes up to me, if he's sleeping and I say his name he wakes up to come to me, I've seen many posts on several websites with the same thing, owner's saying that it was like they knew who you were.

Temp also varies by betta, one of my male's Percy gets sluggish with the temp at 80° while he moves around at about 75.

Betta's have extrodinary personalities, My Goldie boy can tell the difference from me and twords someone else.

For example, if you have a empty bottle and place your mouth over it to speak, you can hear/feel the different tones in vibrations, the same goes for a betta's tank.

People unable to see rely on sound, They can hear very well, using hearing as a sort of visual guide.

Alot of topics relate to this, Though some people can understand other's do not.

I have 7 betta's, all in which act differently, one of them had been badly beaten up from another male at the petstor, he would not trust anyone not even a pellet of food in his tank, but now he comes up to me when he see's me.

 

I like this care guide. While it goes into details it keeps it simple and easy to understand which is perfect for beginners and people just getting into bettas. Much better then some of the other guides for bettas on here lol

 

I like this care guide. While it goes into details it keeps it simple and easy to understand which is perfect for beginners and people just getting into bettas. Much better then some of the other guides for bettas on here lol

Thank you, I know how it feels when it come's to understanding something important/Vital, I use to have the same issue first starting out, but now I Know everything there is about basic Care.

 

Fair enough on the voices, but that also may not be why they come up. IMO it’s a bit to broad of a spectrum as to why they come up to you and only to say that is the single reason why they come up to you. There are other reasons as well, like the fact they see you. My betta doesn’t just come up to see me when he heard me, but also when I walk in the room. It also doesn’t necessarily mean they trust you. They may simply know your the source of food and want some or do like/trust you personally, perhaps both.

I can’t argue since you have experience with that, but I’ve also had experience with health problems and activity levels being low as low as 76. Wouldn’t suggest anything below 78 IMO.

 

Thank you, I know how it feels when it come's to understanding something important/Vital, I use to have the same issue first starting out, but now I Know everything there is about basic Care.

Haha yes starting out was very stressful since we all knew pretty much nothing other then what we heard from others. The basics is the most important thing to know but also sometimes the hardest to master/learn since it sometimes varies since fish have their own personal needs that is different from the other fish.

 

Fair enough on the voices, but that also may not be why they come up. IMO it’s a bit to broad of a spectrum as to why they come up to you and only to say that is the single reason why they come up to you. There are other reasons as well, like the fact they see you. My betta doesn’t just come up to see me when he heard me, but also when I walk in the room. It also doesn’t necessarily mean they trust you. They may simply know your the source of food and want some or do like/trust you personally, perhaps both.

I can’t argue since you have experience with that, but I’ve also had experience with health problems and activity levels being low as low as 76. Wouldn’t suggest anything below 78 IMO.

It's okay, Everyone has a general area, mine is just mostly basic and slight reasoning for the hearing differences, I agree they do see you as a stable food source too, it revolves around many things and I do agree with the temperature accuracy, To me it's mostly dependant on your betta.

Goldie even likes colored plants while my one female Violet could careless.

 

Haha yes starting out was very stressful since we all knew pretty much nothing other then what we heard from others. The basics is the most important thing to know but also sometimes the hardest to master/learn since it sometimes varies since fish have their own personal needs that is different from the other fish.

Exaclty, I'm the type that respects all sorts of life and Learning, helping, are both what I enjoy most, my main area seem's to be Betta's.