You love your betta fish, and you want to give him the best life! But what kit do you need to buy to make your beloved pet’s life comfortable and keep him in excellent health?
Read this guide to the betta products you’ll need when setting up a home for one of these beautiful fish.
Betta aquarium
The first thing you will need is a suitable tank in which to house your betta fish.
Contrary to popular belief, a tiny vase or betta bowl without a filter or a heater is not a suitable container for a betta fish. In the wild environment, bettas establish territories of up to 3 square feet. They spend much of their day patrolling the territory chasing away intruders, looking for mates, and hunting for food.
So, you need to replicate that as closely as you can in captivity by providing your fish with a decent-sized tank that allows plenty of space for swimming. In general, a 5-gallon aquarium is the smallest acceptable tank for one betta fish. However, we recommend that you choose a 10-gallon tank or even a 15-gallon aquarium. A larger betta fish tank gives you much more scope to create a natural ecosystem, including a few peaceful tank mates to keep your betta buddy company.
Here are two excellent 10-gallon tanks that make perfect betta homes.
Dennerle Scrapers 10-Gallon Aquarium
- Executive thru SevenSeaSupply on this order will include Dennerle plant Guide Book (Retail $19.99)
- Perfect for Aquascaping Planted Tank
- Complete Set with Corner filter & Spray Bar, 5 watt LED Light 6500k
This superb 10-gallon tank sells as a complete kit. The kit comes complete with a high-quality glass aquarium, a transparent cover, an LED light, an internal biofilter system, and an insulating mat to put underneath the tank.
The aquarium has a seamless front panel with rounded corners, which offers you an excellent view of your betta fish and his companions. The filtration system works very well, keeping the water healthy, crystal clear, and safe for your fish. The 12-diode LED lighting unit gives plenty of light for most plant species.
The only downside to this tank is that you need to buy a separate heater, which is usual for most aquarium kits.
JBJ Rimless 10 Gallon Tank
- 10-gallon All-in-one Aquarium
- Equipped with Lyra 9w LED 2-color lighting fixture
- Adjustable brightness
The manufacturer designed the JBJ Rimless 10-gallon tank to sit on a desktop, measuring 25.5H x 12.5L x 12.5D inches.
The aquarium comes with a smart Lyra 9W two-color lighting unit that enables you to adjust the brightness of the lights, making this an ideal option if you want to keep a setup with living plants in it. The clip-on filtration system works very well and comes with a few replacement cartridges. This tank doesn’t come with a heater, so you’ll need to buy one separately.
Filters
In the wild environment, betta fish live in slow-moving bodies of water, such as streams, ponds, marshes, stagnant puddles, and rice paddies. Therefore, some beginner aquarists assume that their betta fish doesn’t need a tank with a filtration system.
Wrong!
Unlike nature, an aquarium is a closed environment with no rain, wind, water movement, or natural evaporation to refresh the water and remove toxins. So, without a filter system and regular maintenance, the water in your betta’s tank will quickly become dirty and polluted with harmful chemicals. The water will also rapidly lose oxygen, and your fish will slowly suffocate.
There are many different kinds of filter systems to choose from, which can be confusing for beginners. So, which is best for betta keeping?
Although bettas are very active fish, the sheer bulk and weight of the betta’s glorious finnage make it quite difficult for them to swim in a tank with too much current. For that reason, you want a filter that doesn’t cause too much water movement while still being powerful enough to circulate the water around your tank.
Most tank kits come complete with a filter that’s adequate for the size of the aquarium. So, we recommend that you go down that route and choose a kit with a filter that has an adjustable direction fitting so that you can buffer the water flow if you need to.
Aquarium heaters
Bettas are tropical fish that come from the warm waters of Asia.
Many betta fish owners keep their betta in a tank without a heater, although we strongly recommend that you include a heater in your setup. Even in warm climates, room temperatures can vary, and bettas are susceptible to temperature shock if the water becomes too warm or too cool.
The correct water temperature for bettas is between 75ยบ to 80ยบ F. If the water is too cool, their immune system will slow down, leaving the fish susceptible to diseases. Water that’s too warm causes the betta’s metabolism to speed up, causing premature aging. In extreme cases, bettas have been known to leap right out of their tank in an attempt to escape the uncomfortable environment.
Also, the betta’s labyrinth organ can be damaged if the ambient temperature outside the aquarium is very different from the water temperature.
Here are two excellent heaters that are suitable for betta tanks.
Aqueon Pro Submersible Aquarium Heater
- Adjustable heat setting 68 to 88ยฐF, Electronic Thermostat accurate to +/- 1ยฐ
- Shatterproof and nearly indestructible
- Fully submersible; Auto Shut-Off when over-heats, resets when it cools down
This heater from Aqueon is an excellent high-quality unit that is super-reliable.
The heater is made from lightweight, shatterproof material that won’t splinter or crack. The unit has a power monitor light that enables you to see when the heater is working. There’s also a temperature adjustment dial so that you can adjust the temperature to within +/-1 degrees Fahrenheit. The unit provides a healthy water temperature of between 60ยบ and 88ยบ F, making it ideal for bettas.
You don’t need to worry about the heater overheating your tank should it malfunction, as there’s an integrated auto-shutoff feature and overheat protection function.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Heater
- Electronic thermostat from 68ยฐF up to 94ยฐF, accurate to ยฑ0.5ยฐF
- AUTO SHUT-OFF circuitry prevents overheating.
- SHATTERPROOF outer casing make the NEO-THERM PRO heaters virtually indestructible.
This heating unit provides a stable water temperature and is accurate to within +/- 0.5 degrees. The heater has a handy LED display that shows both the temperature inside the tank and the temperature you’ve set.
There’s an overheat shutdown feature for your peace of mind, and the unit has a virtually indestructible, shatterproof case.
Cleaning products
Once you’ve set up your betta tank, cycled it, and introduced your betta fish, you need the right products to keep the aquarium clean and healthy.
Unless you have a very efficient cleaning crew of shrimps and maybe a few algae eaters, you’ll need to remove algae from your aquarium glass. Although you can use an algae scraper for the job, a magnetic algae cleaner is the easiest and most efficient way to do that.
Aquarium vacuum cleaners
Your fish and other livestock all produce waste. Together with uneaten fish food and plant debris, that waste sinks into the substrate, where it gradually decomposes. As the organic waste rots, it releases ammonia into the water, which is highly toxic to your sensitive betta fish. Now, while your mechanical filter should remove much of the floating particles of waste from the water, a lot remains trapped in the substrate.
Although carrying out partial water changes every week will help dilute the pollutants in the aquarium water, if you leave all that rotting waste in the substrate, the water will quickly become unsanitary again. So, you need to eliminate the solid waste matter by vacuuming the substrate with an aquarium vacuum cleaner every week.
Python Aquarium Maintenance System
- Will not disturb fish or decor during routine aquarium maintenance
- Adapts easily to most faucets
- Complete ready-to-use system
This aquarium vacuum cleaner is not the cheapest product on the market, but it is one of the most popular and effective.
The cleaner is simple to use and comes in different sizes, from 25 to 100 feet, with four different choices. The great thing about the Python system is that you don’t need to carry buckets to and from your aquarium while you’re cleaning it. So, no more worrying about spilling water all over your floor coverings or your feet!
The kit includes a brass adapter, 10-inch, extendable gravel tube, a faucet pump, and hose connectors.
TeraPump Aquarium Gravel & Sand Pump
- TRANSFER RATES - Replaces Water up to 1.5 Gallons per Minute or about 7 Liters per Minute, Empties 10 Gallon Tanks in 7 Minutes - For use with 10 Gallon Aquarium to 20 Gallon - Flow Controller: Control the flow by sliding the included flow control clip to stop or start the flow
- RECOMMENDED - Suitable for Water, BPA-FREE: Safe for all aquarium life - Flexible Discharge Hose of 5.5-inch ( 0.45ft ) for reaching between floor & across rooms - Simple Operation: simply use the suction cup on the side of a aquarium, and clip Discharge Hose to receiving container (ex. Bucket) and begin squeezing the Bulb to begin the Siphon
- REPLACE WATER - Replacing Water from ponds, aquarium, bathtubs, pools, and other water storage structures to keep water circulating - Remove water from window wells, basements, boats, inflatables, trays , washing machines & more
Some hobbyists prefer to use sand for their betta tanks rather than gravel, and you can use this aquarium vacuum cleaner with both kinds of substrate.
The kit includes a short nozzle used for drainage and a long one that you can use to clear away organic waste. As well as cleaning the substrate, the device works well as a rock and ornament cleaner. It’s a powerful cleaner, shifting 1.5 gallons of water every minute!
Betta tank decorations
Bettas are highly territorial fish that quickly mark out their patch in the aquarium. Your betta buddy will spend much of his day exploring his environment, patrolling the perimeters, and keeping an eye on his tank mates.
In the betta’s natural habitat, there are many bits and pieces of fallen wood, rocks, smooth stones, and other detritus for the fish to explore and use as territorial markers. Most of the waters that bettas inhabit are heavily vegetated, too. For your fish to feel safe and relaxed, you need to recreate that environment in his aquarium.
Bettas love to rest inside caves, hide beneath overhangs, and take naps on flat leaves and inside hollow ceramic betta logs. They also like to hide themselves away sometimes. So, you’ll need to provide plenty of suitable decorations to enable your fish to do that.
Betta food
To keep a healthy betta, you’ll need to feed him a correct, well-balanced, high-quality diet.
Bettas are primarily carnivorous, so they need plenty of meaty protein in their diet for them to remain healthy. In the wild environment, betta fish are predators, lurking beneath the water surface. Water-bound insects are a favorite prey for bettas, as well as tiny worms and insect larvae. Bettas are also very talented jumpers, leaping out of the water to snatch insects from the air.
In captivity, bettas do well on a diet of mini betta pellets, frozen meaty foods, and live foods, such as brine shrimp and bloodworms.
Ocean Nutrition Atison’s Betta Food
- Natural ingredient floating pellet food (+/- 1.5mm) for bettas six months and older
- Supplies daily nutrition
- Supports vibrant coloration
Bettas go crazy for these freeze-dried tubifex worms!
This food contains 36% protein derived from krill and fish meal, plus additional fat, fiber, calcium, and vitamins.
Hikari Betta Bio-Gold Baby Pellets
- Daily diet perfectly suited for bettas and their high stress nature
- Premium fish meal provides a superior protein source
- Grape seed extract which has been shown to reduce the impacts of aging
These tiny pellets are perfect for a betta’s small mouth, and they contain everything that your fish needs in his diet.
As a bonus, these pellets are color-enhancing, so your beautiful betta will look even more gorgeous than before!
Betta toys
Bettas are very intelligent fish that need plenty of mental stimulation to keep them happy and healthy. As well as filling your betta’s aquarium with lots of decorations and planting to explore, be sure to provide your fish with a few safe betta fish toys.
Those toys can take the form of ping pong balls to float on the water surface, hollow logs to swim through, and artificial flat leaves to rest on. Bettas are quite interactive pets, so you might want to buy your fish a training kit that includes a soccer pitch and hoops to swim and jump through. With a bit of time and effort, you can soon train your betta to perform simple tricks that your fish will enjoy, and so will your friends!
Read the detailed article and buying guide at this link to find out more about bettas currently available on the market.
Final thoughts
Betta fish are beautiful, intelligent creatures that make wonderful pets for those who don’t want the hassle of walking a dog or vacuuming up cat hair.
You can keep your betta buddy happy and thriving by providing him with a home that closely mimics his natural habitat. All of this guide’s product suggestions will enable you to do that, as well as provide your fish with a nutritious, balanced diet and a healthy environment in which to thrive.