Is A Betta Fish The Pet For You? Find Out With This Introduction To Being A Betta Owner!
So you think you want to be a Betta fish owner, huh? While fish are generally low maintenance pets,these pets require a bit more looking after than your average gold fish, and it's good to make sure that this pet would be a good fit for you before going out and purchasing one.
Caring for these little guys is one of the topics I'm passionate about, so I like to make sure fellow pet owners are informed, read on to find out if a Betta is the right pet for you! First of all, there are a few things you should know.
For starters, Betta fish come from Eastern Asia and as such are used to different climates and environments than most US and European pet owners are used to.
What this means is that you'll need to take special care to make sure your tank's temperature is regulated by a heater and kept at 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
This isn't too difficult though, and is generally accomplished by a cheap heater, depending on the size of your tank...
Which brings us to our next topic: tank size.
There is nothing worse to me, when it comes to Betta fish care, to see various forum posts and articles online in which Betta owners recommend small tanks.
And we're not talking small as in your 5 gallon tank, I mean that these people are recommending those silly little cubes, or even putting your Betta in a vase with flowers.
Honestly, it's not hard to understand why this misinformation spreads; pet stores do sell those tiny little containers but anyone who wants a happy Betta fish should really be looking for a 5-10 gallon tank, which means you need to have a place to keep this tank where it will have light during the day, and dark at night (just like you would like for yourself).
If you've gotten this far and you're still in the game, then good for you, because most other considerations are minor, for example the cost of the fish/food, and buying a filter/monitoring water quality, so let's talk about the good stuff now.
For example, one of my favorite things about Betta fish care is how closely bonded you will become with your pet.
Betta fish associate feeding time with seeing their owner early on, and will get excited and dance around at the sight of you home from work, school, etc.
Furthermore, those who are around more (for example someone working from home or typing up an article on his computer like me), will notice that Betta fish often begin to stick to the side of the tank closest to you and keep an eye on you while you are nearby, they take an interest! They are a very rewarding pet for such a small investment and it's no wonder so many people own them nowadays.
As with all pets, there are considerations to be made and I commend you on taking the initiative to find articles like this one and prepare yourself.
Caring for these little guys is one of the topics I'm passionate about, so I like to make sure fellow pet owners are informed, read on to find out if a Betta is the right pet for you! First of all, there are a few things you should know.
For starters, Betta fish come from Eastern Asia and as such are used to different climates and environments than most US and European pet owners are used to.
What this means is that you'll need to take special care to make sure your tank's temperature is regulated by a heater and kept at 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
This isn't too difficult though, and is generally accomplished by a cheap heater, depending on the size of your tank...
Which brings us to our next topic: tank size.
There is nothing worse to me, when it comes to Betta fish care, to see various forum posts and articles online in which Betta owners recommend small tanks.
And we're not talking small as in your 5 gallon tank, I mean that these people are recommending those silly little cubes, or even putting your Betta in a vase with flowers.
Honestly, it's not hard to understand why this misinformation spreads; pet stores do sell those tiny little containers but anyone who wants a happy Betta fish should really be looking for a 5-10 gallon tank, which means you need to have a place to keep this tank where it will have light during the day, and dark at night (just like you would like for yourself).
If you've gotten this far and you're still in the game, then good for you, because most other considerations are minor, for example the cost of the fish/food, and buying a filter/monitoring water quality, so let's talk about the good stuff now.
For example, one of my favorite things about Betta fish care is how closely bonded you will become with your pet.
Betta fish associate feeding time with seeing their owner early on, and will get excited and dance around at the sight of you home from work, school, etc.
Furthermore, those who are around more (for example someone working from home or typing up an article on his computer like me), will notice that Betta fish often begin to stick to the side of the tank closest to you and keep an eye on you while you are nearby, they take an interest! They are a very rewarding pet for such a small investment and it's no wonder so many people own them nowadays.
As with all pets, there are considerations to be made and I commend you on taking the initiative to find articles like this one and prepare yourself.