by Rebecca Saint

Created on: May 10, 2009   Last Updated: May 13, 2009

With beautiful, vibrant colours in a wide variety and long, ornamental flowing fins, male Bettas are a wonderful pet and a popular choice among beginner, novice and advanced aquarium keepers. Bettas can live long lives (in comparison to many other fish), up to four or five years and in rare cases, eight or nine years - so long as their environmental conditions are stable and suitable. A male Betta with his aquarium customized for his needs and personality is an expressive fish and will spend hours flashing his fins for your viewing pleasure. Here are some tips to help your male Betta live a long and healthy life.

Yes, it is true that bettas can survive in tiny fish bowls and single gallon tanks, but "survive" is the key word. Male bettas are extremely territorial and like to claim large zones for themselves. Domesticated bettas do very well in 2 1/2 gallon tanks alone, or 5 gallon tanks (minimum) if he is sharing with other non-fin nipping, docile species.

Bettas are very sensitive to the temperature of their water. Native to Thailand, they are usually found in water that hovers around 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the wild. Many breeders say this temperature ages the Betta quickly and keep their aquariums between 74 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures stimulate spawning and fertilization for breeding.

Water chemistry is also very important with bettas. Be sure that the water you are planning to add your Betta to is pH neutral, or close to it. The pH level of a Betta tank should range between 6.4 and 7.4. You can purchase a pH balance reader at your local pet store to assist with this.

While water filtration is not necessary with bettas as it is with many other tropical fish, it is recommended. Bettas are very dirty fish, and a very gentle filtration system will lessen the need to change the water which puts stress on the Betta. Betta aquariums are recommended to be cleaned bi weekly, but a non filtered aquarium will need to be changed weekly to prevent poisoning. Choosing a very gentle filtering system is important since bettas are native to calm waters such as ponds and rice paddies. A faster filter could disrupt his bubble nest and also cause stress. A hint - choose a filter that does not fall into the aquarium from the top, but feeds beneath the surface. If you can see the current, the filter is not gentle enough.

Any responsible Betta owner should take the time to research Betta health and the various illnesses they can fall victim to. In fish-keeping,

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