Betta fish do best in an area where they can breathe plenty of fresh clean air and have reasonably clean water. These conditions are most like their natural habitat, and are what it is like where they originated inEast Asia. Unlike other types of aquarium fish, Betta fish are well-known for their ability to breathe the air at the water’s surface.
In the wild, Betta fish live in areas where patches of vegetation can be found. The vegetation tends to keep the water clean by absorbing any excess food or waste, and provides a shady place to rest for Bettas and other fish. When you place your Betta fish in a bowl that is any smaller than a beach ball, the solid waste and excess food tends to build up rather quickly, and can become toxic to the Betta fish in a few short days.
Most Betta fish health problems can be completely avoided if you keep the fish tank clean, if you do not over feed your Betta, and if you keep the water temperature constant around 78 degrees.
Your Betta fish will grow up happy and healthy is you decide to keep it’s water clean. For a smaller fish bowl that is the size of a beach ball, you should change the water at least twice a week, or the possibility of your Betta fish getting sick will increase. In fact, poor water conditions are the number one reason why Betta fish have health problems.
If you have at least a 3 gallon tank, you can usually get away with changing the water just once a week, as long as you are not over feeding the Betta fish. If you happen to over feed the Betta, the water will get murky very quick, and will require cleaning more often.
Over feeding a Betta is a common problem. This is because Betta fish like to eat, and will continue to eat after they are satiated. The most negative aspect of over feeding your Betta is that it will tend to produce much more solid waste than if it is fed the correct amount of food. Any excess solid waste must be removed, along with any excess Betta food, on a daily basis. If you leave any food that is not eaten in five to ten minutes by your Betta, the uneaten food will likely become rancid and will quickly make the water too dirty for the Betta to live in.
Having a larger aquarium that can hold 10 gallons of water or more will give you more latitude regarding how often you will need to change the water for your Betta, and once a week is usually just fine for a 10 gallon aquarium.
