Q&A for How to Acclimate Your Betta

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  • Question
    How can I tell if my betta is happy?
    Craig Morton
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Doctor Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. With over 30 years of aquarium experience, Craig specializes in creating custom aquarium designs along with aquarium installation, service, and maintenance.
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Expert Answer
    Its eyes will be clear, and its fins will not be tethered. It will also be actively eating.
  • Question
    How do I tell if my male betta fish is stressed?
    Llp33
    Community Answer
    Frequent flaring, distressed breathing, swimming abnormally, change in appearance, and loss of appetite are all signs of stress.
  • Question
    Is there a certain temp for a betta?
    Caeiia
    Top Answerer
    They are tropical, so 76 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Question
    Do you haft to put rocks in the tank for your betta?
    Community Answer
    It's important to have aquarium gravel in the bottom of your betta's tank, yes. The gravel should be neutral colored, which will keep the fish calm. Bacteria that build up in the gravel help break down the fish's waste, so it's important to have gravel in the tank.
  • Question
    What is the best type of betta fish?
    Community Answer
    It depends on your experience with these fish. If you're new, a veil tail is a good choice. If you have some experience, go with a crown tail or any variety of other "fancy" finned betta. Certain fin types need different water parameters. For example, crowntails need their water quality controlled near perfectly or else they'll run into serious problems.
  • Question
    Do you have to wait the 24 hrs with the water in the tank before putting the fish in for a new tank?
    Community Answer
    The process doesn't have to take exactly 24 hours, no. But it is important to properly acclimate your fish to the tank water, otherwise the fish may die from the stress.
  • Question
    I just bought a new beta (baby) and I have been successful moving adult betas from the cup without floating the betta. But since this is a baby, is it safe? I checked the ph levels and they are fine.
    Community Answer
    No. float the bag and use the drip method. It's what we do for stingrays. Slowly fill the container with water from your tank by using a 5mm air tube as a siphon. This will help.You should always acclimatize your fish before introducing them to your tank.
  • Question
    How long does it take to acclimate a half gallon tank?
    Community Answer
    A half gallon is too small! The absolute minimum size for a betta is 2.5 gallons.
  • Question
    What type of food do I need to get my new Berra fish (Hagrid) and do I need conditioner for him?
    Community Answer
    All fish need conditioner to take harmful chemicals like chlorine out the water. Betta fish vary in which foods they like, but I have found that either flake foods or small pellet foods are best, supplemented with freeze dried bugs like bloodworms.
  • Question
    Can a 1.5 gallon tank with conditioner go through a 2 hour cycle instead of like 24 hours.
    Community Answer
    No. There are multiple problems with this situation. Bettas need 5 gallons or more to feel comfortable in a tank situation. That's not enough time for a nitrate cycle to go through for any size of tank. Because of the size of the tank, water quality would always be an issue. This means you'd have to cycle your tank every time you did a water change, which would be almost every day.
  • Question
    Is a 2 gallon tank too small for a betta?
    Community Answer
    No, but I would recommend bigger if you're going to keep more than one. 2 gallons is large enough for a single betta.
  • Question
    I had to do a full tank water change (for a 2 gallon tank), what is the safest way to acclimate the betta?
    Community Answer
    The best way to acclimate your betta is to put it in a clear plastic container with a lid, and fill it with original water from the tank, or water that is around the temperature of the tank water, then put the filled plastic container with the betta in it and the lid on in the slightly drained tank to prevent overflow. There are several videos on YouTube that will walk you through the process.
  • Question
    Is it okay if my tank doesn’t have a filter?
    Community Answer
    Totally. As long as you have a single betta, you do not need a filter. A filter is needed for a large tank for several fish. Make sure when changing your fish's tank water (about every 3 days or so) that you place him in a separate container with some of his old water. If you do not, he will die, because he needs his natural bacteria that he has always lived with.
  • Question
    How long dose it take for a Betta fish to get used to its new home?
    Emily Greenslade
    Community Answer
    Bettas are very curious fish that love exploring! It normally only takes them a day or two to get used to living in their new tank.
  • Question
    I just got a bitty bitty betta and I just got a bitty bitty call and I'm trying to transfer them but I don't have the conditioner is there something I can use at home but I don't have the conditioner.
    Community Answer
    No, you can not use anything else in the home. You must buy dechlorinator and kickstart. I use API kick start. A simple dechlorinator is sodium thiosulphate, it removes chlorine and breaks up chloramine (you have to get rid of the ammonia released with something else), but you need to measure the correct amounts. If your tap water is treated with chlorine only, you can stick an aerator in a bucket of water and bubble air for 24 hours for the chlorine to evaporate.
  • Question
    How much and how often should I feed my betta?
    Community Answer
    Once a day. If you use pellets, use four of them. Bettas will over-eat if given the chance.
  • Question
    Can I keep stones instead of gravel at the bottom of my tank?
    Junie Herman
    Community Answer
    Gravel and stones both work. Just make sure the gravel and/or stones aren't too small, or your betta may try to eat them.
  • Question
    Can we use a 1 gallon tank for baby betta fish?
    Mel K
    Top Answerer
    Temporarily, yes. But as the fish gets bigger you'll want to upgrade the tank to at least 2.5+ gallons. Be sure to do daily 100% water changes with the 1 gallon tank.
  • Question
    My betta fish was extremely happy in his 1 gallon tank.
    Mel K
    Top Answerer
    Even though it may seem that your betta was happy in a 1 gallon, he most likely was not. Even if he was, a bigger tank would make him even more happier! It’s just like if you were to live in a closet since you were born. You wouldn’t know what it felt like to live in a bigger space, so you would be content with your surroundings. But if you finally walk out of that closet and see that there is a whole world to explore, you would definitely be much happier!
  • Question
    My betta isn't a baby but still pretty young. I've been trying to figure out which tail type he is for a while but he looks like he could be a rosetail but he also looks like a delta tail.
    Mel K
    Top Answerer
    Rosetails have very flown, feather looking fins as deltas don’t. If you got your betta from a pet store, he most likely isn't a rose tail. Most popular pet stores don’t sell real rosetails, yet they label them as rosetail.
  • Question
    My 5 gallon betta tank had foam all over top of water I empty the tank and washed everything with hot water then refilled it with conditioner and it foamed again, now he’s in a little over a gallon tank?
    Athena
    Community Answer
    This means you betta is happy and healthy, this also means it can breed. If you are interested in breeding read how to selectively breed a betta fish.
  • Question
    What if my Betta fish is scared of venturing out of the cup it came in?
    Junie Herman
    Community Answer
    You can try to lure it out with food, live or not live. If your Betta is hungry, he or she will go after the food.
  • Question
    How long should I let the water sit in a 10 gallon tank before adding my betas back in after cleaning?
    Athena
    Community Answer
    I would wait 15-30 minutes after adding conditioner so the water can settle. And always remember you can't overdose conditioner.
  • Question
    Should I add the water first and then the decor including gravel or the other way around?
    Community Answer
    Add gravel, then the decor, then water. The decor might not sink if you put the water first. Also, with the decor, cover the bottom part with gravel to keep it in place when water is added.
  • Question
    How do I tell the type of my baby betta?
    Community Answer
    Check the fins. Baby veiltails usually have the long anal fins adults have, while rosetail babies still have the big tail.
  • Question
    How do I know if my betta is happy?
    Reepicheep
    Community Answer
    If it is a male, he might make bubble nests. Happy bettas swim and explore a lot, swim up to the tank to get a good look at you, eat as much as you'll let them, are healthy, and might do a little wiggle dance when they see you.
  • Question
    How much eye popping is normal for betta fish? How do I cure it?
    Community Answer
    A healthy betta doesn't have eye popping. Consult Prevent and Treat Popeye in Betta Fish .
  • Question
    How do I know if I overfed my betta?
    Community Answer
    Your betta will have a bigger belly than normal if overfed. If you overfeed it, it is okay to skip feeding once a week until it returns to normal.
  • Question
    Do I have to continue pouring the tank water for 15 minutes to acclimate my betta?
    Community Answer
    No, you add a little bit of water and then wait 15 minutes. Don't add too much water, because that can cause the fish to go into shock.
  • Question
    Can I give my betta a couple of grasses?
    Ng Yan Kiu Corinne
    Community Answer
    Yes, and you definitely should because they need hiding places. Do not put the tank in sunlight or else the fish will die because of poor water conditions.
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