bettafishcare3's Journal

Betta fish care
A few Tips for Choosing A Content, Healthy Betta splendens

Betta fish care
Seeing as you're reading through this article, it's most likely safe to presume you're thinking about getting your own Betta fish. Which I'm pleased to hear, because even though Betta fish care has been growing as a pastime each year, there is always going to be room for more of us!. Keeping a Betta is incredibly rewarding but it's vital that you start out on the right foot! In this article, I will go over three very significant steps you'll want to take in your pre-pet care planning to make certain that your initial encounter with Betta fish care is a successful one!

Step 1) Picking A Betta

Betta fish care
Even though this step could look like an unimportant one, numerous newbie Betta owners hurt their odds of having a long-lived betta by being unsure of the things to look out for, and choosing a sick or Betta that's on its way out from the start. Seeing as you, just like the majority of first timers, will likely be taking home your Betta from a pet store rather than a specialized breeder, you will need to do a modest amount of additional inspection work to make sure you get a hold of a good pet. Your first image of your new friend will most likely be of him crammed into one of a few little synthetic containers with a Betta just barely fitting into each of them on a shelf. In essence, your very first assignment as a Betta owner is to choose a pet that is healthy, free of disease, and (to top it all off!) aesthetically pleasant to you.

First things first, take a look at the fins of a potential contender and ensure there are no tears or noticeable damages, as fin rot is one of the most frequent pet store conditions. After that, take a look at the fish's eyeballs for muddiness or glossing, they both ought to be see-through and seem alert. Finally, lift up the container of a pet you like and observe what it does, it ought to move around at least a bit; if it does not, the fish may be ill or excessively tired and should probably be left for a more advanced betta keeper. When you come across a betta that looks the way you want, and is also in tip-top shape, then you've found your new finned friend!

Step 2) A Proper Voyage To a new home

Most places are willing to give you a plastic sack to take your new betta home in, and this is okay, but if you can ask for a bag that is colored rather than see-through as it will reduce anxiety for your betta fish during his voyage home. One more item to note is that you really do not need very much air in the bag you're transporting your fish in. While Betta fish can breathe at the surface, they also have normal gills and can utilize the disolved oxygen in water just fine. Furthermore, a bag with a lot of air in it allows for water sloshing and movement, which is extremely stressful for a Betta that is already being taken from one home and placed in a new one.

Step 3) Have Your Tank Ready to go

Proper tank setup is really the only place where Betta fish care can become difficult. This is largely due to a process referred to by aquarium owners as 'cycling'. Cycling involves growing a healthy ecosystem of bacterium and suitable chemical levels in a tank before you actually add any betta fish to it. By doing this by the time you ever put a fish in your aquarium you won't have to worry about water quality issues.

For more information about cycling a tank and general betta fish care tips and tricks, take a look at http://www.caringforbettafish.org/

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