The Siamese Fighting Fish or Betta fish make excellent pets because of their beautiful colors and ease of care. Unfortunately, this ease of care is often exaggerated. While the betta is a durable little fish, it’s not invincible and does need to be cared for properly. By knowing these five common myths about betta fish you can ensure that your betta will live a long and happy life.
1. Betta Fish need small containers.
This myth comes from the betta’s natural environment in Asian rice paddies. Because the water is shallow, most people think that smaller is better. However, these rice paddies can stretch for miles so the betta is never really confined. The small tanks that are supposedly “meant” to house betta fish are also way to small for your betta to live in happily. The recommended tank size is five gallons, but never be afraid to go bigger.
2. Betta Fish must be kept alone.
This myth is partially true. Male betta fish should not be kept with other betta fish (male or female) or an aggressive fish of any kind. Betta fish are very territorial and will fight each other if housed in too close quarters. However female betta fish may be housed together and there are many peaceful fish that do make good tank mates for betta fish. In general, ghost shrimp, zebra snails, and tetras all make good tank mates for your betta.
It is very important to note that some bettas are too aggressive to be housed with other fish and may fight with anything you put in there, for this reason you should have a back-up tank ready in case you need to separate them.
3. Betta Fish food myths
There are plenty of myths surrounding how you should feed your betta fish. Pellets made for betta fish are usually pretty inexpensive, but you can also feed your betta brine shrimp. You can even mix the two, but keep in mind that a betta fish’s stomach is roughly the size of its eyeball so two or three pellets is the recommended amount of food. Feed your betta fish this amount twice a day and he should thrive.
4. Betta Fish don’t need a heater or a filter.
Just because a betta fish can survive without a heater or a filter doesn’t mean it should. If you don’t have a filter, weekly 50% water changes are a must as is a full water change about once a month. A heater is definitely a must if you want your betta fish to flourish. Keep in mind that the natural habitat of the betta fish is in the very warm waters of Asia, so the temperature of your tank should be about 78 degrees. A stable temperature is also very important as change in temperature can be stressful to your betta fish.
5. Betta fish are not active.
This myth perpetuates the myth that betta fish do not require a large amount of space. Betta fish are very active and will swim all over their tank. Most betta fish even respond to their owners and flare their fins. A happy betta fish is an active betta fish so if your betta isn’t happy, you’re doing something wrong.
I bought my first betta fish two year ago and he’s still very happy. It’s fun to watch him swim around in his tank and show off his bright colors. Being such a betta fish fan, I’m disgusted when I see people putting betta fish in flower vases or tiny half gallon tanks. While the betta fish is hardy and low maintenance, it’s not invincible and no-maintenance. Do your research and take care of your fish properly.
