Three Steps To Bringing Home A Content, Healthy Betta

Betta fish care

Alright, so given that you are reading through this article, I'll assume that on some level you're considering getting a Betta fish. Which is awesome, because even though each year more and more pet enthusiasts get turned onto this fun pet keeping, there is always room for more of us. Caring for a Betta fish is very rewarding but it's imperative that you start out on the right foot! Within the next few paragraphs, I'll walk you through a few super vital guidelines for picking out a healthy Betta from the get-go, ensuring that your first Betta fish rearing experience is a positive one!



Step 1) Picking Out Your Betta



This step has always been one disregarded by new Betta owners, not that they don't select a fish (they obviously do!) but that they don't recognize what to look out for when choosing. Seeing as you, similar to many first timers, will likely be taking home your Betta from a large pet store instead of a specialized breeder, you will need to do a bit of additional observation work to make sure you obtain a good fish. Your first sight of your new friend will probably be of him crammed inside one of 25 tiny synthetic cups with a Betta barely fitting into each of them on a shelf. Essentially, your primary task as a Betta owner is to pick out a pet that is fit, without disease, and (last but not least!) visually agreeable to you personally.



One of the most frequent kinds of diseases you'll see in fish stores is fin rot, so one of the first things you must look out for is tattered or broken looking fins. Next, make certain that your betta's eyes aren't murky, as they must be transparent and appear alert and active. Next, lift up the cup of a pet you are thinking about getting and see what it does, it should move around at least a small amount; if it does not, the fish may be ailing or excessively tired and should likely be left for a more advanced betta keeper. Once you come across a fish that looks the way you want, and is also in tip-top shape, then you've found your new finned friend!



Step 2) Having A Safe Journey Home



Most pet stores will provide you with a plastic bag to take your betta home with, and this is perfectly fine, but if it is possible to request a bag that is colored instead of clear as it will decrease stress on your betta during his journey home. Additionally, despite popular belief, you don't want to have a large bubble of air in the bag. Bettas have both a labyrinth organ that makes it possible for them to take breathes at the surface of water as well as traditional gills for submerged respiration, and there is plenty of dissolved oxygen in the water for a short trip home. Furthermore, a sack with too much air in it allows for water sloshing and movement, which is very stressful for a Betta that is already being taken from its old home and placed in a whole new environment.



Step 3) Have Your Tank Ready to go



Tank setup is really one of the few places that Betta care gets complicated. When you are getting your tank ready you'll want to complete a process called "cycling".Essentially all cycling does is use bacteria to create a natural ecosystem, safe for your Betta, before you actually add any fish to the tank. In this way by the time you actually put a betta fish in your aquarium you won't have to fret about water quality issues.



For more about the tips mentioned above and general betta fish care tips and tricks, check out http://www.caringforbettafish.org/