Ultimate Betta Fish Tank Setup Guide – Quick and Easy Steps

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Betta is beautiful fish. They are full of bright colors and fantastic fins and are an excellent choice for beginners and advanced aquarists. Despite their popularity in the fishkeeping hobby, many aquarists are not familiar with their care. Providing your Betta with a suitable tank will allow him to flourish and lead a healthy lifestyle. This detailed article explains how you can set up and create the perfect Betta Fish Tank Setup.

Get the Perfect Betta Fish Tank Setup

Setting up your first Betta Fish Tank Setup can be intimidating, but it should not be frightening. This article covers the essential steps to take when projecting a betta fish tank.

Betta Fish Tank Setup

Get to know a little about Betta fish

The “Siamese fighting fish” is undeniably unique. For over 150 years in Thailand, children have collected them in rice paddies in the rain and put them to watch them fight.

As the popularity of these competitions grew, the emperor began to control and tax the fish. Fish began to be exported to Europe in the 1890s, being an immediate success.

Betta Fish Tank Setup: Comparison Table

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What makes your pet unhappy?

Betta fish tanks require filtration, warm water, enrichment like plants and caves to explore. They won’t be healthy or happy living confined in a vase with no plants and unstable water quality.

While it is common to find and obtain Betta fish in pots and micro spaces without filtering or heating, this practice is abhorred by experienced aquarists.

Researchers have identified the three most common welfare problems for Betta fish kept as pets; Tiny tanks, poor water quality, and fungal and bacterial infections are the leading causes of severe problems for Betta fish.

Those causes can all be solved with a well-designed and well-maintained aquarium. Fish are smart enough to experience boredom and depression, so working to improve your pet fish’s well-being is critical.

In 2016, a study on fish cognition found that fish perceive and have more cognitive abilities than other animal populations; because of this, animal enrichment and a stable environment are prerequisites for maintaining any animal.

The most common myth

the ideal betta fish tank setup

It is also believed that Betta can thrive in tiny tanks. They will not survive for long. If you are thinking about purchasing a small tank, you’d better reconsider.

A Betta can survive this small but won’t last long enough. To avoid animal suffering, you should obtain a nice tank set up with everything your Betta fish needs.

Betta fish temperament

Male bettas tend to attack each other. Betta fish are highly territorial among them, but they coexist well with other fish species. Male betta fish are known to attack even their mirror image.

Known as the “Siamese fighting fish,” male bettas instinctively show off and fight other brightly colored fish they encounter. Betta fish must not be kept with any other Betta (even females).

Should Betta fish have tank mates?

It is possible to keep Betta fish with other fish; some Betta fish even show a lot of interest in being among tank mates, but you must take precautions.

Males are desirable targets for aggressive fish, thanks to their long fins and bright colors. Even small schooling fish can be a constant annoyance on a Betta fish. The compatible option is small, gentle fish such as corydoras, endlers, rasboras, and khuli loach.

Feeding Betta Fish

Betta fish are carnivores that feed on insects and larvae. In some places, you can provide them with pellet or fish flakes, explicitly formulated for them.

These foods may contain protein and everything else that satisfies their needs. Betta fish also love live or fresh snacks such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, micro worms, and suchlike.

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How much to feed a betta?

It would be best if you fed your fish several times a day in small amounts. Provide an amount to be consumed quickly, with no leftovers; leftover feed degrades water quality.

Betta fish tank setup: Size Matters!

It’s a myth in aquarium hobby that betta fish are happy in tanks as small as a gallon or in glass bowls, with no equipment to ensure stability and good water quality.

Ideally, your betta fish tank setup should have a storage container of at least 5 gallons. Wild Betta fish can have a territorial space of up to three square meters, so larger tanks will closely mirror their natural environments.

In a large tank, pH and temperature fluctuations are less frequent, and you won’t need to change the water as often. A large tank makes it easy to add many plants similar to those found in natural fish habitats.

The bigger the tank, the happier the fish will be, as it will have a much better quality of life, environments to explore and hide.

 With your betta fish tank setup, choose length over height

As long as your tank has a minimum volume of 5 gallons, they will be satisfied with a filter and heater. Betta fish are not keen on having a very high water column, preferring more lateral space to swim and explore.

A wider tank than a taller one is a great choice, as it will provide your fish with much greater well-being.

Clean the tank and check for leaks

The first thing you should do when setting up your Betta Fish Tank Setup is to check for leaks. Fill the tank with water and carefully rub the inner side to remove dust and packaging material.

Do not use any products or cleaning solutions; these types of products can poison your fish. When cleaning is finished, attach the necessary equipment and fill the aquarium with water.

Please make sure the aquarium is stabilized on a properly leveled support; otherwise, it can lead to leakage or break the bottom.

Pick the right place

The most crucial factor you should place in a tank is where to put it. If you place your aquarium in direct sunlight, a little extra bright light can create overgrowth algae and lead to hot spots in the overall temperature of the aquarium.

Keep the tank away from windows and heat lamps somewhere out of direct sunlight and away from drafts; you can position the tank in indirect natural light without significant problems.

Decor: Plants, Hides, and More

A habitat that looks as natural as possible is perfect for displaying your Betta’s natural behavior. Tank decoration is vital to them!

Choose large plants, caves, or natural logs to simulate your fish’s wild home. They like to lie on a sheet and need comfortable spaces to hide, swim and sleep. Also, choose soft-leaf artificial plants over hard or sharp plastic ones that can hurt your fish.

Stay away from any sharp or rough decoration or anything that could damage your pet or ruin your fish’s tail. Use decorative objects to provide hiding places and shaded areas for your Betta.

Live plants, in addition to giving more natural air to the assembly, help in the nutrient cycle and gas exchange in the aquarium.

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Bettas do need a heater

The water temperature in the Betta’s water tank should never drop below 69 F. Ideally; the water temperature should remain between 77 to 84 F, which is the average for most other tropical fish.

The heater always needs to be used because Betta fish are highly susceptible to thermal shocks, and in case of parameter fluctuation, they will be exposed to various diseases.

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Do Bettas need lighting?

Your Betta has the exact lighting requirements as you. He needs to know how to distinguish between day hours and night hours.

Without distinguishing between day and night, the fish will end up losing track of space and time; you will not know the times to eat, rest, etc.

The ideal is for the tank to have lighting that can have its intensity controlled and programmed, but any lighting will do the job.

Betta fish do not like too much light, keep the light at medium to low power and set up shaded areas in the aquarium; open spaces can be shaded using decoration or plants, especially floating ones.

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Do Betta fish need a filter?

Filtration works by pulling water and debris through different sponges and other materials. The filter flows water through the tank to prevent it from stagnating.

If you choose a filter that has a powerful flow, the current generated will throw your Betta around the tank, and it will be stressed. The ideal filter will have an adjustable flow so you can provide the right environment for your fish.

Betta likes very low flow. Even if you use a filter, you will still need to do weekly water changes to maintain safe water quality for Betta fish. Bettas live in the still waters of flooded forests in their natural environment. Without a filter, water will have a high load of pollutants much faster.

A filter is necessary for the maintenance of any aquatic animal, being a vital and central piece in any aquarium, mainly in a Betta tank.

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Install your filter

Not all filters are the same – therefore, different types require different installation methods. Ask your trusted fish store for advice on the best type of filter for your aquarium and how to proceed with the installation; carefully read the product packaging.

For smaller Betta’s tank, a Hang on type filter is generally used, which hangs on the tank’s back wall and is considered an external filter.

We also see internal sponge-type filters, which use a piece of sponge attached to an air outlet. In larger aquariums, we have external filters such as sump and canister, as the most common.

Biological filtration

Biological sponges encourage beneficial bacteria to grow in your tank. These bacteria make up the nitrogen cycle that breaks down decayable material and protects the water from getting too polluted. The biological filter is the most crucial part of an aquarium.

The nitrogen cycle

For the nitrogen cycle to work correctly and efficiently, you will need a filter system with a biological medium (sponge, ceramic, etc.) that will harbor many beneficial bacteria.

Biological media allow a high water flow and a large contact surface, allowing beneficial bacteria organisms to grow and flourish inside.

The nitrogen cycle is crucial to the health of Betta aquariums. You must have a biological filter system that provides a wide area for organisms to live and grow for best results.

Chemical filtration

Activated charcoal is the most popular medium for chemical filtration in the Betta tank and does the job very well. Activity charcoal has the capability of eliminating some chemicals responsible for unpleasant colors and odors in water.

Mechanical filtration

Mechanical filtration in Betta’s tank is used to remove particles from your water columns, like debris and uneaten food from your fish.

You must change or wash the mechanical filter cartridges every month or so, depending on the size of the tank and the filter.

Every week after a water change, you can pass a vacuum filtered bucket through the cartridge to remove debris from the tank that blocks the filters and interferes with water flow.

Picking A Substrate

When choosing a substrate for a betta tank, you have to be sure it is not too sharp or rough. It’s all your problems before your Betta is stuck in the ground or injured on the substrate.

Large gravel can trap some debris that will end up polluting the Betta’s tank water, producing more ammonia. If you add plants, it will be more productive to avoid the sand.

Although it’s not essential, it’s always nice to also pick a natural-looking substrate. So it feels nice and natural. And as a positive benefit for you, he will make the colors pop!

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Other supplies for an ideal betta fish tank setup

Some of the best staple foods include betta pellets or freeze-dried worms. Water tests are necessary to ensure a healthy and stable aquarium; have good tests for accurate results, low-quality tests are not enough to assess accurately.

Keep a maintenance routine up to date. Purchase a water conditioner to remove chlorine and other toxins from tap water and a cleaning siphon to facilitate water change and substrate siphoning.

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Should your Betta’s tank have a lid?

Your Betta’s tank should be tightly capped; Bettas are excellent jumpers; in nature, they jump from puddle to puddle. In the aquarium, they won’t hesitate to take giant leaps towards the ground.

Wild bettas are incredibly even jumpers! They use this ability to move from puddle to puddle during droughts, which means your goldfish isn’t afraid to jump out of their tanks.

Fill it up!

Your Betta can breathe the same air like you and me, using an organ known as a labyrinth. The labyrinth is an adjunct breathing organ, sometimes used by fish; this is one of the reasons for the myth that bettas do not need filters and live in any quality of water.

Don’t fill an aquarium to the top, as your fish could drown, as strange as it sounds. Remember that bettas are excellent jumpers, leave the lid closed with a breathing space.

Finally, introduce your Betta to its new tank

The final step to set up your aquarium is, of course, adding your new fish. If he’s the only fish in the tank, there’s no need to use a quarantine.

Your Betta will arrive in a bag with water from the store. Float the bag with the fish in the future aquarium until the temperature equals; This takes about thirty minutes, be patient.

After the temperature stabilizes, open the bag and, little by little, put the water from the aquarium inside the fish bag; when the water volume has doubled, discard the water from the bag and place the fish in its deficient aquarium.

Never put water from the pack in your aquarium; this water may be carrying pathogens and other things you don’t want in your aquarium.

Final Thoughts – Betta fish tank setup

Betta fish are fantastic animals that deserve proper treatment. Follow this guide, and you will have a satisfied Betta Fish Tank Setup who will be a loving companion for many years to come.

Have a water change at least once a week to keep the environment healthy. Be sure to monitor pH, ammonia, nitrate levels and properly clean your tanks.

I hope this simple tutorial helps you create a great, stress-free, fun environment for your new flaky friend.

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