Bettas are renowned for their ability to survive in a tiny bowl. However, surviving and thriving are two different things. Water quality is critical to the health and wellbeing of your betta. One way to keep up on water quality is to perform regular water changes, and use water conditioner correctly. You'll either want a single water conditioner that removes chlorine and a stress coat, or two separate products. Dechlorinator removes the small amount of chlorine added to tap water, while stress coat replaces the slimy coat fish use to protect their skin from infection.
Step 1
Decide how often to clean your betta's bowl or aquarium and stick to the schedule. A fish tank with a filter can go several weeks without a water change, but smaller bowls should get weekly changes.
Step 2
Siphon water out of the bowl or aquarium. You don't want to remove more than fifty percent of the water. If you have an aquarium with gravel, you'll want to use a gravel vacuum, a special siphon available at pet shops.
Step 3
Discard the old water.
Step 4
Fill a clean, unsoaped bucket with new water from the tap. Make sure it's roughly the same temperature as the aquarium water.
Step 5
Add the prescribed amount of stress coat and dechlorinator. The label will tell you how much to add. Do not add the water to the tank until you have added the water conditioners to it.
Step 6
Stir the water within the bucket to mix the water and the conditioner.
Step 7
Carefully pour the water into the bowl or tank. You might need to only prepare half the water at once so the bucket is not too heavy.
References
Tips
- Keep your betta in as large a bowl as possible.
- Use both a decholorinator and a stress coat.
- Follow the labels of your water conditioners exactly.
Warnings
- Keep water same temperature, otherwise you can shock the fish.
- Use caution when handling water and electronic aquarium equipment.
- Soap is toxic to fish.
- Bettas love to jump, so keep a lid on their bowl or aquarium.
Photo Credits
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