22 Apr

Best Betta Fish Tank? Here Are The Facts!

Thinking about buying a betta fish tank? Answer these crucial questions first

As someone with a passion for fish, you might be thinking about investing in a betta fish tank. And that would be a very wise idea – these tanks offer a great place to start for just about any reason you might have in mind.

However, buying such a product means making a lot of changes and adjustments to ensure the tank is perfect in terms of the conditions it provides.

Here, then, are some questions you should definitely look to answer before you commit to any fish tank.

What is the best size tank for a betta fish?

When it comes to raising a betta fish, you want to ensure they have a fish tank that is big enough to suit their lifestyles. The minimum size of the tank that you should look to put a betta fish into, then, would be around 3 gallons in size. However, this can still feel needlessly cramped and limited.

Instead, you should look to invest in a tank that has a minimum volume of around 5 gallons. The bigger the size, the better the results are going to be. The one thing you cannot do, though, is going under the 3-gallon limit. This is simply too cramped, and it would lead to poor living quality for your poor betta fish.

Avoid making that mistake, then, and invest in a betta fish tank that has the right quality of space provided throughout.

What do Bettas like in their tank?

Betta fish tend to love hanging around and exploring their own little world, and you should definitely look to keep that in mind. You want to try and build a fish tank that has plenty of hiding places and opportunity for fun, engaging, and exciting exploration.

Most betta fish will want to have caves to hide in, but the main thing they want to see is plenty of shade. They want to hide in shaded areas, as they tend to just find this a bit more comfortable. however, you should also look to fill it up with silk plants that can offer a touch of faux greenery and life to the interior of the tank.

Live plants are good because they help to keep the water clean, but they can be expensive in terms of upkeep. If you want to give your betta fish tank the best chance of being a success, though, you should definitely look to give your tank plenty of caves and shade.

The more obstacles and natural environments for the fish to float around take on, the better. They love being able to engage with the world like this, so give them what they are looking for.

What colour gravel is best for betta fish?

Typically, the best place to start when it comes to filling up a betta fish tank is to add plenty of gravel at the bottom of the top. However, one thing you want to do is get gravel that looks good, and also makes it easy for the fish to be spotted. As such, you should look to get some kind of black or dark gravel. The natural contrast looks great.

It also allows you to easily spot your betta fish as it floats around the tank. Often, with lighter and coloured gravel, you can find it hard to even spot the fish – thus ruining the beauty of a betta fish in the first place.

That dark flooring, though, also helps to create that kind of shaded, duller environment that you will find almost any betta fish is going to appreciate more than something that is bright and hard to find a moments peace and quiet through.

Coloured gravel is not a good idea – go for something that really accentuates the bright colours of your betta fish. It makes them look better and offers another effective way to add that kind of natural shading that your fish loves.

How do I know if my Betta is happy?

Happiness is obviously something your fish cannot directly communicate, so how do you know if your betta fish is in a good mood?

• They eat a lot. Just like humans, betta fish tend to have a wider stomach when they are in a good place emotionally. If you notice your betta fish isn’t finishing its food, then it could be a signal that something is making it tense or unhappy.
• They move around. While a Betta might enjoy a bit of lounging around in the shade or in their own little ruins, they do tend to jump around and swim a lot when in a good mood. If you notice they appear to be quite sedate, it could hint that something is wrong.
• They have a pattern. Another clear sign that your betta is in high spirits and generally in a good place is they get around the tank and follow an obvious, clear routine. This shows you that they are happy, active, and have a routine that makes them happy day-to-day.
• They react to you. As noted below, a betta fish tends to swim up to the tanks top or the side when a human walks past. If your fish seems to show no real care or inclination for what is going on around it, then this is a clear sign that something is wrong.

Keep these clear factors of ill health or unhappiness in mind and you can readily take care of your betta fish without much worry.

Why does my betta fish stare at me?

The betta fish is a species that takes a real interest in the world outside of its own fish tank. So, you should notice them taking a lot of intrigue in you as you walk past the tank. Part of that reason stems from the fact that they associate you with the bringing of food.

As you approach the tank, they might want to get involved purely because they think you are going to be bringing them some delightful food.

However, there is more to it than this – they also tend to want to learn the patterns of the world around them, so they know what is coming next.

If a betta can get used to the way you move around the place and how you interact, then they should find it much easier to know when food is arriving.

This basic yet important train of thought is essential to their lifestyle.

Do Bettas like light?

This is a confusing one, as betta fish both like and dislike light – it just depends on when the light arrives, basically.

They want to get into a typical sleeping pattern, and most betta fish will find that a change in lighting can impact their ability to get proper sleep at night.

Bettas like light to tell them to wake up, and they light darkness to tell them when to get to sleep. This is why your betta fish tank should include some form of lighting source so that you can keep them happy and engaged.

If you want to try and create a routine that matches your own, then you should set your aquarium lighting to fit in with your own sleeping pattern.

This allows you to more effectively control when they rise and when they sleep, helping to create consistency in their sleeping patterns.

That is why you should definitely always look to get lighting that can be automated from a distance so that you don’t have to worry about shocking your fish by turning the lights on yourself.

Light is good, but only when it suits a sleeping pattern they can adapt to.

Is it normal for betta fish to lay on the bottom of the tank?

One of the main reasons why a betta fish might slip towards the bottom of the tank is that they might be simply resting. Look at the size of the fins they have; this can be a lot of stress and effort for the fish to move around with. During the day, they might simply feel a little tired and fatigued and wish to get a quick, simple rest before doing anything else.

That is totally normal, and something that you should come to understand makes up a general part of their day-to-day existence. Any betta fish that is lying down is simply resting – it is rarely a cause for concern.

Of course, if you find your betta is lying down more than anything else then it could be a sign of ill health, fatigue, or other problems with their mood and conditions.

The more detailed you can be in the creation of a habitat that suits their living quality, the more likely it is that you can keep that beta nice and happy moving forward.

The challenge with building a betta fish tank is getting the conditions that allow for optimal living quality. Use the above questions, though, to ensure your betta is given a lifestyle that is comfortable and understood by you in equal measure.