Setting up a Betta Tank

It's no secret my view on small tanks. I hate them. Betta vases ...grrrr. The only thing that looks good in a Betta vase is a flower. Certainly not a beautiful fish, such as a Betta.

Here are my suggestions for a good betta tank.
Minimum tank spec: 5 gallons as a minimum, preferred spec is 10 gallons +. UK or US gallons, either is fine.

A heater appropriate to the tank size. This must be good quality. Submersible is preferred as this allows more even heat distribution, and it should have a thermostat. Bettas prefer their water to be around 78-80 degrees F (25-27 degrees C). This will pay dividends if your betta is ever unfortunate enough to develop ICH, as being able to raise the tank temp is one of the main weapons in ensuring its speedy departure.

Filters are always an essential piece of kit for bettas, and there are many suitable makes. The filter should be set for little more than a trickle, as bettas don't like white water rapids. I can recommend the Fluval 1 for 5 gallons and the Fluval 2 for 10+ gallons, but anything that doesn't whip water around like a washing machine should be good. The filter is needed to allow the bacteria colony plenty of surface area to colonise on so that it can take care of the ammonia and nitrites. Bettas are not especially messy fish, so water polishing is not necessary.

Plants are also an essential part of betta tanks. Bettas use plants as a defensive strategy to avoid contact with predators and other male bettas. If they get nervous or feel threatened they will squeeze through tight plants to escape. My preference is live plants, as these do you a favour by taking care of some of the harmful by-products such as ammonia and nitrite and nitrate. The plants should be soft and bushy so as not to damage the betta's scales if he or she squeezes through a tight bit. I like Hygrophila Polysperma 'Rosenvarig', Hygrophila Difformis, Ludwigia Repens, and a great plant with breeding is Nymphaea Lotus 'Tiger Lotus' as it puts out a stalk with a leaf like a lily pad on the surface and is ideal to build his bubble nest under. If live plants are not to your liking or you don't feel comfortable maintaining plants then fake are OK, but these must be silk plants. Plastic plants in my experience are far too jagged and cause scale damage when squeezed though.

Substrate is an interesting one and is dependent on a couple of different things. If you plan on keeping the betta alone, it's not an issue, choose what you like. Neutral browns and blacks work well with bettas. Why chose a brightly coloured betta and have the substrate compete for the most attractive thing in there? The gravel will lose . If you chose live plants, you will need the gravel about 3 inches deep to cover the roots of the plants. For fake plants you can use less. I mentioned if you are planning on keeping them alone, what if you want another fish? After all, 10 gallons may seem like a lot of tank for one fish. The common recommendation for companions for a betta is corydoras, and here where thinking ahead pays dividends. Corys look for food in the substrate so need a soft substrate that will not damage their barbels. So if you can, plan ahead and make sure you use a fine soft substrate. Either way, the betta doesn't care although even male and female bettas will scour the gravel for worms and planaria, so make it easy on them.

If you go down the live plant road, you will need to invest in a good light for the hood, but having this is good even with fake plants as it shows your beautiful fish off in all his/her splendour. I use a pink light, as it doesn't strip the colour out of the fish. This is a personal preference and not a requirement!

Ornamentation, in my opinion, is vital in a betta tank. I prefer more practical things like a hollow log or little castle. Here's where the fun is if you go for a bigger tank for your betta. Bettas love swimming through things. Like cats you'd be amazed how small a gap they can get through. They really aren't very big under all those fins.

Things like bubble bars and bubble wands are not necessary for bettas. As anabantoids they breathe at the surface, so additional oxygenation by these is not required. However, if you want one, the bettas will play in the bubbles just the same as any other fish. Have fun with your tank décor; it's your tank.

There are a couple of other toys (shall we say) that are also personal favourites of bettas. Mirrors. Male bettas love to flare at other male bettas, so get them a small mirror and they will spend a great deal of time puffing themselves up and making themselves look mean in front of it. Note a mirror should not be a permanent ornament in the tank. The betta can easily become so occupied by his own reflection that he forgets to eat. I find that a mirror in there for an hour or two every day or other days works a treat in keeping the betta pretty and confident. This is a tried and tested method in helping bettas achieve confidence, as they will never lose a fight to the mirror and you will take it away again in an hour so in his head he won the fight and is king of his castle once again . Another toy suggested to me, (credit to Jsimon) is an ordinary marble. Bettas, for some reason I still don't get, enjoy pushing a marble around the substrate with their nose. It's very funny and a bit puzzling.

There you have it, my suggestions for a beautiful tank for a beautiful fish. Many fish can live in a smaller tank, but few can thrive. In a 5-gallon they can be very comfortable and live long and happy lives. In a 10-gallon they can truly thrive. With the cost of tanks and kits nowadays, 10-gallon tanks are not expensive and you will make a betta a very happy and contented fish in a tank like these. Bettas are still the most mistreated fish in the hobby. You can make a difference. Please treat your betta to the biggest home you can. He'll love you for it!

Editors Note:

Sadly Fishbert lost his fight against a systemic bacterial infection and died on the 30/09/2003. Although he is now gone, I will continue to get people to keep their bettas in tanks befitting such magnificent fish and will not recommend anything less that 5gallons.