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bettas only show their fins just before they fight, but this is not true. A betta who is happy and healthy loves to show his fins off and spend his time swimming around his tank gracefully. A male betta will also spend a lot of time flaring his fins when he is ready to spawn, and when this occurs, a vast bubble nest should be visible in the tank

Bowls are not acceptable for Betta homes. Bettas require stimulation to really thrive. There must be plants and ornaments in the aquarium for your Betta to swim around and interact with frequently. Bettas are not decorations and require care just like any other living creature. Lily pads and aquarium ornaments with large holes and gaps make great additions to a Betta tank with a thick layer of gravel on the bottom.

Bettas are extremely dirty fish. Because they are not in their natural environment, the nitrate cycle (where poisons and excrement are removed from the water and replaced by nutrients by a naturally occurring cycle) does not occur to the same degree in a domestic tank. As aquarium keepers, we have to clean our Bettas tanks out on a weekly basis if we leave them unfiltered. However, a very gentle filter that does not cause current, or causes very little current, will reduce this requirement to once every two weeks.

Live foods are on the favorites list for your little pal. Most commonly, Bettas are fed freeze dried bloodworms and colour enhancing plant flakes. While part of a healthy, balanced diet, for a Betta eating these two things is like if we were to eat nothing but Shepherd's Pie and Lasagna. It's healthy, it's balanced, it has everything for us to survive - but after a while we get pretty sick of it and want something new. Brine shrimp or plankton as a weekly treat for your Betta will enhance and brighten his colours, and also offer him additional nutrients only found in live food.

As a fresh water fish, many Betta owners don't consider adding salt to their aquariums. Salt can be very beneficial for Bettas, but we're not talking about Sodium Chloride (NaCl2) - also known as table salt - here. Magnesium Sulfate, or Epsom salt, is great for treating and preventing body bloat and Popeye. Rock salt and aquarium salt are extremely helpful as well, keeping parasites and fungus in the tank minimal. Treatments range from 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons to 5 tablespoons per 10 gallon. Rock salt is inexpensive, and if your home water supply is run from a well, chances are you have rock salt floating around somewhere.

Finally, it is important to remember that Bettas breathe oxygen from the surface. They will jump out of the water to catch a breath, or they will perch on top of a leaf of lily pad that is partially submerged. Be sure that you have a few clear areas in the surface of your aquarium where your Betta can reach the surface with ease for breathing and eating. Also, covering the tank is a good idea if he decides to jump out after a tasty and plump mosquito.

Armed with these commonly confused betta facts, you should now be able to adjust or build your bettas home to help him thrive happily for the remainder of his days. Remember to always research your fish before making any changes and know how it will affect all aspects of your aquarium.

Learn more about this author, Becka Chamaillard.
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