the betta

So, are you interested in buying a Betta or other tropical fish? What makes you consider the Betta?

Are you buying Betta simply because you see them in small round bowls and think they look like an easy fish to bring home as a pet?

If that’s the only reason, I’d like you to stop right now and reconsider your choice of pets. While most pet stores stock the Betta in a small bowl, in real life most Bettas would probably love a larger enclosure. After all, how would you like to be trapped in a small bowl where you can practically touch the walls from anywhere in the bowl? Would you want to be a prisoner in such a small place even if you had water to swim in?

Take a look at the natural environment of any fish; Take a good look at it. You’ve probably never seen a fish hatch or raise or live its entire life in a small betta bowl, except in pet stores.

The reason they are in those bowls is because they can’t let the Betta in with other fish, especially their own kind of fish, the male Betta. They are called “Siamese fighting fish” and that should give you a clue as to the personality of said fish.

So let’s be realistic. The real reason all those fish are in small bowls is because that’s the cheapest way fish stores can keep fish. There are no filters or filtration cartridges to buy when using a small bowl as a fish tank. The store wants you to believe that this Betta fish care is simple, easy, and inexpensive.

If pet stores were forced to provide proper housing for Betta fish, they would have to give each Betta a ten or twenty gallon fish tank. That would be too expensive, so all stores house Betta fish in small glass containers that are inexpensive for stores.

I personally had a Betta in a ten gallon tank and that Betta was the happiest fish in the world. So be prepared and be nice to your Betta. Give your Betta a larger living space. You can put some plants in there and some small decorations and you are ready for your new Betta’s environment.

While you’re at the library, grab a few books on tropical fish and pick up a book on Bettas, but read carefully. The book will tell you how to take care of the Betta. It will tell you where to locate Bettas and Betta supplies.

Another suggestion:

Before you buy your Betta, or before you buy any fish, do the right thing and buy everything you need for the fish before you even look at it. The idea is that the setup will fit where you will keep it in your home or office. Set up the tank, water, filter, and anything decorative you want inside the tank, and then let the filter run for a day or two before you go shopping for fish.

Consider putting in some live plants in addition to the plastic ones you’ve chosen. Mixing live and plastic plants in an aquarium can give it a very interesting look.

Consider buying a larger filter than necessary, just because. Most of the time, people are looking for small, inexpensive rigs to fish with.

Personally, for me, I had always gone a little bigger. You never know. Sure you’re starting out with one fish, but a few months or a year from now, you may have a whole community of fish living in that same tank. Thinking big at first will save you time, trouble, and money later in your hobby progress.

Accommodation?

Do your research if you are considering raising fish. Find out which fish are friendly and which are quite aggressive. There have been more than one hobbyist who has brought home a predatory fish only to find his other fish dead after a day or so.

And then there are those fish that like to nibble on each other. Some of the Angel Fish varieties will sometimes nibble on the ends of other Angel Fish. And they will nibble and nibble until they can’t nibble anymore. Therefore, you can do a lot of research on Angel Fish before buying them.

If you want to breed fish and are a true beginner, the Guppy might be the perfect fish to start with. But remember, the bigger Guppy will most likely try to eat all the babies, so have a separate tank ready for the baby fish OR get one of those dividing particles for your tank and you can divide almost any tank into two separate tanks . If you look at fish or aquarium stores, you will see that they also make small side tanks that hang from the top of larger aquariums. They will catch the fish but in that smaller tank and then take the tank to the cash register for you to buy your fish. So there are plenty of options when you are thinking of buying or breeding fish.

Food?

Buy the recommended foods. And if you can find a no-frills brand that works too.

You may not want to do this, but I’ll share a secret with you. I ran out of fish food one day a long time ago in winter and I didn’t live near a pet store. I went to the cabinet and pulled out the box of Cheerios and proceeded to crush the Cheerios into a fine grain. Yes, I fed this to the fish and they ate like this for ten or more days, until I was finally able to go buy fish food. Yes, they survived!

Some fish love live food. And pet stores will sell live food for reptiles and some fish. For the most part, they always have a feeding tank, a huge tank, that has feeding fish. If you have a huge fish like an Oscar fish, that fish sometimes as big as 12 inches, it can and will eat fish. I am not suggesting that you feed fish to fish. I’m just sharing ideas here.

Do only what is healthy and safe for your own fish. Read, read, read, and research about fish issues, fish diseases, and other water-related topics.

That’s the bottom line, knowledge is power and knowledge of the fishing industry, and the details of how fish live and reproduce, is a wonderful thing when you’re ready to really jump into your aquarium hobby.

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