How to Raise Betta Splendens
Betta fish, whose scientific name is Betta splendens, might be relatively easy to raise, but they need an appropriate habitat and appropriate care nonetheless. Their reputation for being exceedingly short-lived is not because they have a particularly short lifespan – they should live for two or three years -- but because they are often housed in very small tanks or bowls that are very difficult to maintain. If you are raising juveniles betta fish, bear in mind that their needs, their diet and, crucially, their behavior change as they grow.
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Things You'll Need
- 25-gallon tank or larger
- Gravel, aquatic plants, rocks, filter and heater
- Infusoria
- Live food
- Frozen food
- Betta fish flakes or pellets
- Gravel cleaner and bucket
Instructions
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Create a nursery tank. A 25-gallon tank is a good size for this purpose. Include gravel, plenty of plants (make sure you have some floating ones), rocks, a filter and a heater. Allow the tank to cycle fully before introducing any fish.
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Maintain a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
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3
Transfer the female to another tank after spawning, if you are breeding bettas.
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4
Remove the male once the fry – babies -- can swim by themselves. The male betta looks after the eggs and the newly hatched fry, but there is a risk he might eat some once they start swimming.
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Feed the fry infusoria, a concentration of microorganisms widely available from aquarium suppliers, for the first few days.
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Provide newly hatched brine shrimp, daphnia and finely crumbled fish flakes as the fry grow.
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Transfer the juvenile fish to separate tanks once they begin showing signs of aggression towards each other, usually after a few weeks.
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Feed the adults a diet of a high-quality pellet or flake food and frozen meaty foods such as shrimp, supplemented with live food two or three times a week.
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Conduct partial water changes weekly during all stages. Remove about a quarter of the water with the gravel cleaner and bucket. Replace with fresh, dechlorinated water.
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Tips & Warnings
The minimum tank size for a betta fish is 10 gallons, but the bigger the better. Although bettas can survive in smaller tanks, it is extremely difficult to maintain the temperature and water quality of a small container, which is the main reason so many bettas die quickly. Unless you have considerable expertise in keeping tropical fish, stick to a larger tank.
Dechlorinate tap water by leaving it in buckets for 24 hours. Alternatively, use a commercial dechlorinator from an aquarium supply store. Note that neither method will remove chloramine. If your water supply contains this chemical, ask an aquarium supplier for the appropriate treatment.
Don’t breed betta fish unless you are certain of finding enough homes for them, because you can’t keep this species as a shoal in one large tank. It is possible to house a couple of adult females together if there is enough space and you provide plenty of hiding places. Males, however, will fight to the death. You need to either provide a tank for each fish yourself or have new homes lined up.
Don’t include any other fish in the nursery tank; they might eat the betta eggs and fry. Aquatic snails shouldn’t be a problem.
