First Betta Care Taking Tips

[TanaBabye]

I just got my First Betta !(:
I'm Excited
Any CareTakeing Tips ?

[bettafish15]

Water changes about 50-70% once a week in 5g and up, twice a week (1-50% and 1-100%) in anything smaller, water temp 77-82F.

[chicagojo]

I would recommend reading through some of the sticks in this forum especially the "your new Betta day one" and the FAQ one. That is where I learned most of my Betta info and it has helped me to ask more specific questions when issues arise

[Myates]

Originally Posted by bettafish15

Water changes about 50-70% once a week in 5g and up, twice a week (1-50% and 1-100%) in anything smaller, water temp 77-82F.

The 100%s are only if you don't use a filter, and that goes for any size tank- just different amounts of how many you do.

What size tank do you have?
What food do you have for him?
Is your tank heated?
Do you have water conditioner?

Weekly water changes are a must- but the amount depends on how big your tank is, as well as if it is filtered.

They like plenty of plants/decorations in their tanks (tall and medium sized ones), as well as most love a cave of sorts. They really like being in a room where there is a lot of activity- they are social fish and enjoy interacting with us if they don't have another fish to see nearby.

They should be fed 2+ meals a day- for pellets 2-3 pellets per meal, "mini" pellets you can do 3-5 per meal. Freeze dried anything is a treat of once or twice a week- persoak (1-2) them in a bit of tank water before feeding them as they expand in their stomachs and could cause bloating. Flakes you only feed a small amount- always remove any uneaten food within 5-10 minutes after eating. Frozen is great for them a few times a week- 3-4 per meal (normally it's blood worms or shrimp, will have to adjust the amount depending upon the sizes). It's best to make sure fish/meat meal is the first ingredient, and a high crude protein % is what you are looking for, along with fiber, etc.

They need the day/night cycle like us- so make sure they get plenty of time to rest at night with the light off.

Keep the cup they came in (can always get a replacement at Petsmart/Petco) and use that for water changes- scoop him out with it is the easiest on their fins. When replacing him after a water change float the cup in the tank for 15-30 mins, allowing the temps to adjust, as well as every 10 mins or so you can remove a little bit of the water from the cup and replace it with water from the tank- that way it decreases the chance of going into shock from a change in temp/chemistry too quickly.

If there is anything specific, please feel free to ask :) And congrats on your new little buddy!