Does not eat at all or eats reluctantly Is inactive; stays in a corner of the tank, lays at the bottom, or is always at the surface Purposely runs into objects, as if in an effort to scratch itself Looks pale, grey, or generally dull in color Tail and/or fins are clumped, closed, stiff looking, or falling apart Body has open sores, white cottony patches, red spots or white spots, or lumps Eyes are excessively protruding or swollen looking Gills don’t close all the way and stay half-open; they may look swollen or red Scales are raised like a pine cone Belly looks either hollow or extended and swollen
Fungal infection: look for white cottony patches on body and head, closed up fins, pale color, less activity Tail and/or fin rot: look for fin and tail getting shorter, falling apart, having a darker color, less activity, and reluctant eating Ick: look for small white spots (like the body was sprinkled with salt), less activity and eating, and attempted scratching against rocks or plants Velvet: look for less activity, loss of appetite and color. Velvet (a parasite) can be hard to spot so use a flashlight and look for a fine gold or rusty mist on the fish’s body Dropsy: look for a big, extended belly and scales that are raised and look like pine cones. Unfortunately, this is one disease for which there is no known treatment; it is thought to be a bacteria that causes kidney failure and may be linked to feeding live worms to a betta.
Be sure to always check that your heater is working properly because a heater that makes the water too hot for your fish (over 82 degrees Fahrenheit) is also bad for the fish and can harm him. A filter is necessary. For smaller tanks, get a special low-current one. A regular filter in a small tank may create too much current for the fish. Gentle sponge filters are the best as they do not pump water out to powerfully unlike most filters. Do not aerate your fish’s tank, as this might create too much movement in the water for your betta’s likings. Betta fish like mostly still or very low current water.
A 50% water change means that you remove 50% of the water and replace that amount with clean water. Many people use distilled or spring water, but dechlorinated tap water is better, as drinking water lacks some minerals that are good for fish. Contrary to some beliefs, betta do NOT survive in tiny puddles or filthy environments. Their natural environments are large rice paddies and slow-moving streams. In most cases, the bigger the betta tank, the better.
The types of food made for betta are usually pellets or flakes made up of whole fish meal, shrimp meal, whole dried krill, and some other vitamins and soybean and/or whole wheat flour. Betta are carnivores, so they need a varied and high protein diet. If you can spare the extra expense, you can feed bettas mosquito larva, live brine shrimp, live worms, or frozen and/or freeze-dried live food. Be extra cautious when feeding betta live food, however, for the reasons explained in step 3. Also, be sure that live food is fresh (not rotted) and clean (rinse it with clean water first) or you risk giving your betta an illness such as Dropsy. [5] X Research source
Male bettas most definitely CANNOT live with other male bettas. They will attack each other, which is why bettas are nicknamed “Siamese fighting fish. ” A male betta can be in a tank with a female betta ONLY for breeding purposes, but you should leave this to professional aquarium breeders, or when you get more experienced with fish-keeping. Some females can be kept together, but you need a minimum of 20 gallons and at least 5 females. Having a sorority can be very dangerous and risky, so please do not try it if you are not an experienced betta keeper.
Make sure to avoid colorful, aggressive and fish with long fins such as a few types of guppies as tank mates. Also, while neon tetras are usually okay, some other types of tetra are “fin nippers” (such as serpae tetras) so be sure to research what type you’re thinking of getting if you want to get tetras as company for your betta. [12] X Research source
