Betta fish, or Siamese Fighting Fish as they are sometimes called, are renowned for their beauty, grace, and big appetites. Originating from the rice patties of Thailand, these fish do require little care- but not as little as some might think. As with all animals, they need proper care, including hygienic conditions, correct feeding, and a schedule.
Before you get your Betta, it's best to fully educate yourself concerning what you will need, what you might need, what to expect in your Betta ownership experience, and about some of the most common Betta sicknesses. There is much too much information to cover in such a short space as I have here, but there are numerous resources on the 'net for a starting Betta owner.
When you first get your Betta, you're going to want to get all you need to set up your Betta's initial home. You'll need a tank or a bowl, of course. When getting a home for your fish, anything below one gallon is too small. True, the pet shop employees may tell you that Bettas can survive just fine in a little vase. While that may be true (that they can survive), your Betta will be happier and healthier if he has a tank or bowl of at least one gallon, preferably larger. Some Betta professionals even suggest that nothing below two and a half gallons should be used to keep your Betta in. Either way, make sure your Betta will have plenty of room to roam- but not too much room, or he'll exhaust himself patrolling his territory.
If the tank is big enough, say anything above three gallons, you'll probably want to get a heater and filter. Bettas live best in a temperature between 75 and 82 Fahrenheit, meaning you'll need to get a heater that is very precise. Anything below or above those temperatures can either make your Betta too cold, or much too hot. For your filter, get one that won't stir up the water too much- Bettas do live in relatively stagnant environments in the wild, and don't enjoy waves.
Next, you want to get water treatment products. There are numerous water treatment gizmos, all of them of varying quality. First of all, you'll want to remove all the chemicals from his water. You can either do this with a store-bought product, or by going the cheaper way of aging his water. To age, simply get a jug or pitcher, fill it up with water, and set it out for 24 hours. This process will remove the chlorine from the water. This also gives you more control over how much water you can put in. Many dechlorinators and like products are measured by the five or ten gallon, meaning that if you have a one-gallon bowl, it will be difficult to measure out enough. Whatever you do, don't use distilled water. The process of distilling, while fine for humans, removes essential nutrients your Betta must have. You will need to change out their water completely at least once a week for anything under two gallons, when it gets dirty for larger containers. If you keep your Betta in a bowl, do partial water changes twice weekly, then do your big water change.
You will also want to acquire a pH tester and adjuster, and a nitrate and nitrite tester. Some stores, and many online stores, sell excellent testing kits that include everything you will need for your Betta water testing needs.
Food for your Betta is important, as you can guess. There are multiple types of specialized Betta foods on the market. Many of these contain specific vitamins, color-enhancing minerals, and often a mix of blood worms. I buy flakes for my Bettas, but they do enjoy a treat of freeze-dried blood worms now and again. However, too much of these can make your Betta sick, so don't feed them too often. When feeding your Betta, give him two or three flakes or pellets every day. If he's nicely rounded in his stomach area (just below his gills and fins), then know that that is enough for him. If he's eating all that, and still isn't gaining weight, increase the measuring. Whatever you do, don't overfeed. Some people think that if you feed him so he gorges himself, he will grow bigger faster. Not true. All you will do is get a constipated- or dead- Betta.
Your Betta will also enjoy a place to hide. While being incredibly social fish (to humans at least), Bettas still enjoy a place they can hide, especially if they are in a divided tank with another Betta on the other side. Either a grove of live plants, or simply a factory-made 'hidey-hole' will work.
So you've gotten your Betta, gotten his habitat set up, and all that interesting, getting-a-fish stuff. But what about after your fish has been living with you awhile? Fish can get sick, and many ailments that may seem silly to us are downright life-threatening to a creature as small as a Betta. Below is a list of some of the most common sicknesses that may afflict your fishy friend.
1. Constipation. Yes, this may sound odd, weird, and downright tacky, but I've had a fish die from this simple sickness. To treat constipation, you want to get him to...well, make those feces come out. Symptoms for this include: swimming on their side, disinterest in eating, and lethargy. To cure this, you can use a pea. Cook a pea, and peel the skin off. The point is to try to get your Betta to eat that pea, no matter what it takes. You can put it on a toothpick and drag it along the surface of the water to get his hunting instincts going, but be sure he doesn't get the toothpick with the pea. If that fails, you can massage your fish. To do this, gently grab your Betta right behind the gills and gently stroke him from your hand all the way to the base of his tail.
2. Ick. The whole name of Ick is some long technical term I won't bore you with. Ick shows up as small white dots sprinkled all over his body and head- they may even be in his eyes. He will probably be lethargic, be itchy and scratch against whatever is handy. Most pet stores carry cures for ick. You can also get a protozoan or just simple parasite cure.
3. Velvet. Velvet is another parasite. Your Betta will develop a rust gold color all over his body that looks like a fine mist. You can see it better if you shine a flashlight on him. It is incredibly contagious, so don't just isolate your fish. Treat the entire tank if he has fish in the tank with him.
Most diseases and sicknesses have several common symptoms: your fish will lose appetite, his fins will be clamped, he'll be lethargic, etc. These symptoms can be a simple chill from inadequately heated water, or it can be symptoms of sickness. If you think your Betta might be sick, immediately isolate him from any other fish in the tank in a completely different bowl or tank, give him completely fresh water, and look for more information. There are many resources online that can help, including the very comprehensive list at this link: More Betta Disease Information
I hope this article helped you understand how to take care of your fishy friend. Remember, Bettas can be long-living, joyful pets to have around, if you take good care of them.