by Kyla

Created on: May 10, 2007   Last Updated: May 15, 2007

I have a Siamese Fighting Fish/Betta. He is very pretty, a red in some lights, purplish in another. One of the first challenges I ran up against picking out a Betta was: "Which one?". I mean, they are all so pretty.

Finally, I settled on Tormey. He looked healthy and happy, so I bought him. To get one of these fish I think everyone, young and old, should research the subject thoroughly. But, from experience and research, here are a few pointers.

1) You will need to change out your Betta's water every week (all of it) and 1/3 of it once every 3 days. (Not so much if you have a big tank)

2) Feed your Betta 3 pellets of food 2 times a day.

3)Talk to your Betta- they love people, and if you are nice they will even come to the glass when they see you!

4) To get his water correct, you will need to age it. You do this by filling a container (I use an old water jug) full of water, then set it out for 24 hours. You will also need to get a pH testing solution, along with pH adjuster. Their pH should be 7.0

5) ~VERY IMPORTANT~
Never use soap on any of your Betta's equipment. It can make him very sick, and can potentially be fatal. Use hot water and a scrubbing brush.

6) Just a note- Betta's are called Fighting fish for a reason. If you put another Betta, even another female in with your Betta, he will kill and eat it. You can put Guppies or Tetras (algae eating fish) into his tank though.

I am not an expert, but I do know that all these things have helped me and my Betta adventure!

Learn more about this author, Kyla.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.