Hsieyun
Fish Fanatic
Here's my paper (started today, due tomorrow)
How to Take Care of a Betta
Supplies: Betta (duh)
Tank/jar, at least a ¼ gallon
Betta food
Some type of stress coat enhancer
Melafix/Betafix/other all around disease cure (optional, but highly suggested)
Net, preferably small (optional, but very useful)
Heater (optional, but also useful)
Filter (optional, some bettas don’t like them)
Lighting (optional)
Gravel (optional)
Plants, fake or real (optional)
Bettas, or Siamese Fighting Fish (betta splendens), are type of fish native to South East Asia. They first arrived in the U.S. in 1910, and have increasingly grown in popularity ever since. Years and years of breeding have produced many different varieties of bettas.
There are many kinds of bettas, such as the wild plakat, or the crowntail/combtail, or the half moon. The most common type is the veiltail, which is the kind you will generally find in your local fish store.
Bettas are fairly easy to care for, but I suggest you do your homework.
1. Setting up your betta’s home - Before you buy your betta, you should set up your tank. Please do not keep your betta in that plastic cup forever. Do you really think it’s healthy for the betta to live their life in a midget sized cup?
Your tank should be at least ¼ gallon, preferably 1 or 2 gallons. Some bettas may get nervous in tanks larger than a ½ gallon. Others prefer to have lots of space to swim around in. Remember, every betta is different. Also, bettas probably will not live as long in exceptionally large tanks, so you don’t want to get a tank too large. I wouldn’t suggest anything much more than 5 gallons.
Do not put male bettas in a tank together without some form of separation. Even with a divider, be aware that diseases are more easily spread this way. Also, have at least a ¼ gallon per betta. The same goes with a male and a female. Females can usually be placed together, but preferably in groups. If you really want to have a male and some females together, it is suggested that you have at least three females to the male. The one betta per tank method is best, though.
You will probably want a cover on your tank/jar. Bettas can jump. I learned this the hard way. Make sure that the cover has holes in it, so your betta can breathe. Your betta does not need aeration. Bettas are labyrinth (antabloid) creatures, so they take their oxygen from the surface.
Make sure your tank is clean. If you need to clean it, don’t use soap. Soap can hurt your fish. Clean your tank with water and baking soda.
After you have cleaned the tank, fill it with gravel and whatever aquatic/plastic plants
you want to put in. Gravel and plants are not necessary, but they’re so pretty.
Install your heater, if you have one. Bettas prefer temperatures 74-82 degrees Fahrenheit. You should not keep your betta in temperatures below 68 degrees.
Filters are good. It means you’ll have cleaner water. They aren’t necessary, and some bettas don’t like them.
Lighting is also nice, and it helps keep the temperature up.
Treat your water with aquarium salt and/or betta stress coat solution. These you should be able to get from where you bought your betta.
Make sure you de-chlorinate your water or leave it out at least 24 hours before exposing a fish to it. Many stress coat solutions have de-chlorinator chemicals in them.
Fill your tank with the water, and you should be set to go.
2. Buying your betta – There are many different varieties of bettas, but most people will get a veiltail. These are the kind they sell at Wal-Mart. Make sure your betta appears healthy, and choose one in a clean cup, or be prepared to deal with infections.
Take your fish home as soon as possible. You may also wish to keep that cup; it is very useful.
3. Acclimating – Don’t just dump your poor fish into his/her new home! Fish are very sensitive to rapid temperature/pH changes. First float the cup in the tank/aquarium for a while, so your fish gets used to the temperature. Then after a while slowly add the water in the tank to the cup. After you have got the cup filled with tank water you can then let your fish loose.
4. Feeding – Your betta probably will not eat for the first few days. That’s perfectly normal. If, after 5 days or so (s)he still has not eaten anything, you might want to make sure (s)he is not sick, or maybe try a different variety of food. Some prefer flake to pellet, some prefer pellet to flake. The water might be too cold for them, as well. If your betta still will not eat, try feeding them a shelled pea, or some live fish food. Live fish food increases your betta’s chances of contracting a disease, though.
Be sure that you do not overfeed your fish. Bettas will stuff themselves tell they burst. Follow the feeding instructions on the food.
5. Changing the tank water – Many sources will give different answers as to how often you need to change your tank, but if you have an unfiltered tank under 2 gallons, I would suggest completely changing the water at least once a week. Larger tanks and tanks with filters need to be changed less frequently, but if your tank water smells, or looks dirty, change it as soon as possible.
Use your net (if you have one) or that plastic cup to catch your betta. Make sure that you do not injure him/her. Use the plastic cup to temporarily house your betta.
Don’t forget to treat your water, and when you have cleaned out your tank (no soap, usually a rinse will do) use the acclimation process to return you betta to his/her home.
6. Sick Bettas – Betta sickness can be caused by many things: poor water conditions,
multiple bettas in one tank, frozen/live foods, and other reasons. The general all around cure is melafix. This can be purchased at most fish stores. That’s why it’s suggested that you have some. However, it does not cure all diseases. Go to this site: http
/www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm for some common betta diseases, and/or talk to your local fish store. They will generally sell you a cure.
7. Breeding – I’m not an expert on this subject, but if you do decide to start breeding, get some high quality bettas, and research this topic well.
Well, that’s it! Have fun with your new little guy. If you take good care of your betta (s)he should live a long, happy prosperous life.
Resources: www.bettatalk.com
www.fishforums.net
Thanks to: My dad, for buying me bettas and betta supplies
d_chia, for helping me out with some betta problems
fishy411, f250fisherman, richardpereira, and temptuousfury
feedback before I have to go to be in 5 minutes?
How to Take Care of a Betta
Supplies: Betta (duh)
Tank/jar, at least a ¼ gallon
Betta food
Some type of stress coat enhancer
Melafix/Betafix/other all around disease cure (optional, but highly suggested)
Net, preferably small (optional, but very useful)
Heater (optional, but also useful)
Filter (optional, some bettas don’t like them)
Lighting (optional)
Gravel (optional)
Plants, fake or real (optional)
Bettas, or Siamese Fighting Fish (betta splendens), are type of fish native to South East Asia. They first arrived in the U.S. in 1910, and have increasingly grown in popularity ever since. Years and years of breeding have produced many different varieties of bettas.
There are many kinds of bettas, such as the wild plakat, or the crowntail/combtail, or the half moon. The most common type is the veiltail, which is the kind you will generally find in your local fish store.
Bettas are fairly easy to care for, but I suggest you do your homework.
1. Setting up your betta’s home - Before you buy your betta, you should set up your tank. Please do not keep your betta in that plastic cup forever. Do you really think it’s healthy for the betta to live their life in a midget sized cup?
Your tank should be at least ¼ gallon, preferably 1 or 2 gallons. Some bettas may get nervous in tanks larger than a ½ gallon. Others prefer to have lots of space to swim around in. Remember, every betta is different. Also, bettas probably will not live as long in exceptionally large tanks, so you don’t want to get a tank too large. I wouldn’t suggest anything much more than 5 gallons.
Do not put male bettas in a tank together without some form of separation. Even with a divider, be aware that diseases are more easily spread this way. Also, have at least a ¼ gallon per betta. The same goes with a male and a female. Females can usually be placed together, but preferably in groups. If you really want to have a male and some females together, it is suggested that you have at least three females to the male. The one betta per tank method is best, though.
You will probably want a cover on your tank/jar. Bettas can jump. I learned this the hard way. Make sure that the cover has holes in it, so your betta can breathe. Your betta does not need aeration. Bettas are labyrinth (antabloid) creatures, so they take their oxygen from the surface.
Make sure your tank is clean. If you need to clean it, don’t use soap. Soap can hurt your fish. Clean your tank with water and baking soda.
After you have cleaned the tank, fill it with gravel and whatever aquatic/plastic plants
you want to put in. Gravel and plants are not necessary, but they’re so pretty.
Install your heater, if you have one. Bettas prefer temperatures 74-82 degrees Fahrenheit. You should not keep your betta in temperatures below 68 degrees.
Filters are good. It means you’ll have cleaner water. They aren’t necessary, and some bettas don’t like them.
Lighting is also nice, and it helps keep the temperature up.
Treat your water with aquarium salt and/or betta stress coat solution. These you should be able to get from where you bought your betta.
Make sure you de-chlorinate your water or leave it out at least 24 hours before exposing a fish to it. Many stress coat solutions have de-chlorinator chemicals in them.
Fill your tank with the water, and you should be set to go.
2. Buying your betta – There are many different varieties of bettas, but most people will get a veiltail. These are the kind they sell at Wal-Mart. Make sure your betta appears healthy, and choose one in a clean cup, or be prepared to deal with infections.
Take your fish home as soon as possible. You may also wish to keep that cup; it is very useful.
3. Acclimating – Don’t just dump your poor fish into his/her new home! Fish are very sensitive to rapid temperature/pH changes. First float the cup in the tank/aquarium for a while, so your fish gets used to the temperature. Then after a while slowly add the water in the tank to the cup. After you have got the cup filled with tank water you can then let your fish loose.
4. Feeding – Your betta probably will not eat for the first few days. That’s perfectly normal. If, after 5 days or so (s)he still has not eaten anything, you might want to make sure (s)he is not sick, or maybe try a different variety of food. Some prefer flake to pellet, some prefer pellet to flake. The water might be too cold for them, as well. If your betta still will not eat, try feeding them a shelled pea, or some live fish food. Live fish food increases your betta’s chances of contracting a disease, though.
Be sure that you do not overfeed your fish. Bettas will stuff themselves tell they burst. Follow the feeding instructions on the food.
5. Changing the tank water – Many sources will give different answers as to how often you need to change your tank, but if you have an unfiltered tank under 2 gallons, I would suggest completely changing the water at least once a week. Larger tanks and tanks with filters need to be changed less frequently, but if your tank water smells, or looks dirty, change it as soon as possible.
Use your net (if you have one) or that plastic cup to catch your betta. Make sure that you do not injure him/her. Use the plastic cup to temporarily house your betta.
Don’t forget to treat your water, and when you have cleaned out your tank (no soap, usually a rinse will do) use the acclimation process to return you betta to his/her home.
6. Sick Bettas – Betta sickness can be caused by many things: poor water conditions,
multiple bettas in one tank, frozen/live foods, and other reasons. The general all around cure is melafix. This can be purchased at most fish stores. That’s why it’s suggested that you have some. However, it does not cure all diseases. Go to this site: http
/www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm for some common betta diseases, and/or talk to your local fish store. They will generally sell you a cure.7. Breeding – I’m not an expert on this subject, but if you do decide to start breeding, get some high quality bettas, and research this topic well.
Well, that’s it! Have fun with your new little guy. If you take good care of your betta (s)he should live a long, happy prosperous life.
Resources: www.bettatalk.com
www.fishforums.net
Thanks to: My dad, for buying me bettas and betta supplies
d_chia, for helping me out with some betta problems
fishy411, f250fisherman, richardpereira, and temptuousfury
feedback before I have to go to be in 5 minutes?
Maybe talk about how that is a commen misconception and that usually someone will end up dead 
He's got the longest tail I've seen on a petstore veiltail, and it's serrated, along with his fins. He's got a pale pink/purple body with his fins and tail being crimsonish on the inside and opaque on the outside, with slight bits of iridescent blue at the edges. 
). Tell me if it makes sense, preferably within the next... 20 minutes? 
) 
