The Beginner's Basics

As I was setting up a new betta tank last night, I got to thinking about this post. I felt like I should make one outlining the very basic needs in betta care. It's a very simple fish, and there are a lot of options, but some people still don't know exactly where to start. That's where this blog entry comes in. :D

Enclosure

Your VERY first step is always the enclosure. What are you going to keep the animal in? There are two options I usually go for. First, a vase. It's pure and simple. As long as you have something to secure the top (in case of a rather high leaping fish), a vase works well. I usually make sure it's fairly sizeable. I like my betta vases to at least hold 4/5s of a gallon of water. Preferably a full gallon. A simple way to secure the top of a vase is a piece of cheese cloth (or other breathable material) and a rubber band to hold it in place. Not pretty, but effective. My second, and favorite option is a one gallon tank from Walmart. They're triangular in shape, and comes with an air pump, hood fixture and light. It costs about $10. You don't have to use the air pump, it's your choice. Bettas do well with or without it.

Decor

Feel free to go with whatever you want! Just make sure it won't rip the delicate fins of your betta. I usually grab a plant (I prefer a live one over plastic) and some gravel for the bottom of the tank. Bettas are easy to satisfy, though the do seem to have a love for Java Ferns. I guess it's a good place for them to rest their fins. :)

Water Treatment

Ahh, the joys of water treatments. Not my favorite part of owning fish, but with bettas, it's not too bad. One of the basic water treatments you can get for bettas is Stress Coat and Aquarium Salt. Yes, salt. Just a few little granules of Aquarium Salt is enough, and it will help reduce the chance of disease in your betta. The second option is a little more expensive, but I prefer it to the Stress Coat as it seems to work better. AmQuel, NovAqua and Aquarium Salt. AmQuel and NovAqua seem to be more potent than Stress Coat and treat the water the way it needs to be. Bettas seem to thrive in their environments even better.

Nutrition

What we all love! Food. One of the best pellet foods on the market right now is Hikari Betta Bio-Gold. Bettas can be picky eaters, but so far I have not had one turn down Hikari. There is something about it that they just love! I usually don't feed them Hikari alone. I like to pair it with Freeze-Dried Bloodworms. In the wild, bettas will usually feed on mosquito larvae. Bloodworms are one of the closest things you can get to that. If you're a little squeamish, yes, you can just stick to the Hikari and they'll be fine. ;) (And as stated by Giovanni in the comments, live foods such as brine shrimp and mosquito larvae improve the diet of said fish.)

Lastly, if you have all this ready and water in the tank, GO GET YOU A BETTA! You're ready for one. Remember to let your water sit for 24 hours before adding the fish, and have fun!