Setting up your Betta fish tank
Once you have purchased your Betta fish tank, you may be anxious to get your new pet in place soon, but it is important to ensure that the tank is properly set up to create the ideal environment for your fish to thrive.
Step 1: Clean your tank
Before you set up your Betta fish tank, it is important to clean it with warm water and reduce impurities in the tank when you fill it.
Step 2: Clean your gravel
Gravel is an integral part of any aquarium, but often when packed for pet stores, dust will settle in the gravel. It is therefore important to wash it thoroughly before placing it in your aquarium. Gravel can be easily cleaned with a small perforated sieve or colander. Place the gravel in it and let the water flow through it.
As you allow water to pass through the gravel, use your hand to move it to ensure that everything is thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. Once it has been cleaned sufficiently, the gravel can be placed in the bottom of the tank.
Step 3: Add decor and plant life
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It is important to add plants and decoration not only for decoration, but also to provide space for your fish to feel like they are in their natural element. Excellent additions to your tank are "caves" that your Betta fish can swim in and use for protection if they choose to "hide" and tall grass plants that your fish can hide inside.
You don't have to fill your tank to the brim with decor and plant life. When you place your decor, remember that your Betta fish MUST have access to the water surface to breathe. The fish breathes air not only through the water but also from the surface. A Betta fish tank that is too crowded will make it difficult for your fish to reach the surface of the water to breathe.
Step 4: Fill your Betta Tank
The best way to fill your Betta fish tank is to put tap water in a container and let it sit out for 24 hours. This helps for several reasons: to reduce the chlorine content of the water and bring it up to room temperature.
Tap water has usually added chemicals to make it safe for humans to drink, but some chemicals can be harmful to your Betta. Depending on the water quality in your community, it may therefore be a good idea to use a water treatment or water purification product to ensure that it does not contain elements that could be harmful to your fish (e.g. chlorine).
Another option is to use bottled spring water, where the chlorine has already been removed, but you should ensure that the PH values are between 6.5-7.5 (see next step below).
Step 5: Check the pH of your tank water
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Betta fish have special requirements when it comes to the pH value of the tank. To keep a healthy tank, try to keep a pH value between 6.5 and 7.5. Most communities maintain the pH of the water between 6.5 and 8.5 based on EPA guidelines. You can buy pH test kits that allow you to test your water and adjust it if necessary.
Step 6: Filter your Betta Tank water
Every healthy fish aquarium needs a filter designed for the specific size of that aquarium (check the size before purchase). Before you put your Betta fish in your tank, it is best to have water filtered for a day or two and test the pH of the water to ensure that your fish are not stressed by the pollutants in their new environment.
Step 7: Heat your tank water (optional)
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Not everyone decides to heat their Betta fish tank. However, if you do decide to add a heater to your aquarium, it is important to make sure that you also put a thermometer in the tank to monitor its temperature.
Important:
A faulty heater can quickly produce water that is too hot, possibly killing your Betta fish. You do not need to heat your Betta fish tank, but it is recommended that you keep the water temperature between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also place the tank away from all HVAC vents.
Step 8: Add your Betta Fish
Last but not least it is time to register your Betta fish in its new home. It's important to remember that simply throwing your new fish into his fish tank will most often cause a shock. So you should always adapt your fish to his new environment. When you buy your Betta fish, it will come with its own water, which will probably be very different from the water you have set up in your fish tank.
Acclimatize your fish to its new home
When you bring your new Betta fish home, leave them in their original water and swim them together in your aquarium. This will allow the temperature of both waters to reach the same temperature so that your fish will not be shocked when they are placed in their new tank.
Once the temperature of the two water sources is the same, you should start adding a little of the new tank water into the original fish tank to adapt your fish to the new water. Once most of your fish's water is new tank water, you can release your Betta fish into their new home!
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