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Prepare new home

There are things that are very common and obvious for those who “know” how to look after betta, fighting fish, so you might say “you don’t need to talk about that because it’s so common!!” However, those “things” may be difficult part for beginners or they simply may not know anything at all and just came into this great hobby.

So, if this is the very first time you will be keeping betta, FIRST thing you need to do is to set up fish tank where your pet betta will dwell into.

WHY???

If you purchase beautiful betta because you don’t want anyone to take it so you purchase it before setting up fish tank. Now you come home and put new water into aquarium, use water conditioner to condition new water and throw heater in so you think that’s good enough but NOOOOOOOO!!!!.

Doesn’t matter what fish you keep, water needs to be prepared beforehand to establish good bacteria. Also, temperature needs to be adjusted to certain degree. Betta do not accept rapid change or rapid fluctuation of temperature.

This is why you don’t purchase betta first and set up fish tank when you go home. There is no point to risk betta to suffer.

Another things to consider is filtration. Many people keep betta in a bowl or small aquarium without filter but it is essential especially if you’re not familiar with cleaning & changing water and/or would like to have minimal maintenance. Otherwise, you’ll be changing/cleaning every 2-3 days.

Make sure that current is not strong that it will blow betta. betta prefers stagnant environment so adjust flow rate so that it doesn’t bother them.

Set up aquarium before purchasing betta

As mentioned above, aquarium should be set up before purchase. At least one day before purchase.

• Decide where you will have your aquarium
• Check the place you’d like to locate aquarium is stable, not wobbly.
• Make sure power board is securely placed or covered to avoid contacting water spill.
• Wash aquarium to make sure it’s clean.
• Introduce new water to aquarium.
• Add water conditioner to remove chlorine if using tap water.
• Set heater. Plug into power and turn it on AFTER you set it up. PLEASE READ INSTRUCTION
• Make sure “READING TEMPERATURE” is set to around 26 degrees Celsius. NOT setting temperature on heater.

Now it’s ready to house betta to new home.

Reminder at point of purchase of betta

Colouration of your preference is important but it is also important to choose young, healthy and active betta. There are many types of betta that you can choose from such as veil-tail, crown-tail, delta-tail, super delta-tail, halfmoon and plakat.

When you decide which betta you like to keep, ask shop staff to give you their water extra. Most shop, we believe, are happy to put more water. This water is crucial as it is already establised and has enough good bacteria in there.

Now that you have bought betta, go straight back home and don’t stop somewhere to have good time for many hours….

DO NO FEED ON DAY OF PURCHASE

Its environment changes from shop to your home when you purchase betta.

This event is stressful to betta and sometime it doesn’t digest properly and encounter with digestion problem. So, to avoid this concern, leave betta with no feeding on day of purchase to let it settle down to new environment.

Acclimate water condition

Now that you purchased your beautiful betta and are so excited to have it into your aquarium, right?

There is 1 more step you need to do before introducing and that is to acclimate “temperature” and “environment”.

As mentioned earlier, betta doesn’t like rapid change but don’t worry, this step is not difficult.

1. Float fish bag onto your aquarium water. This will gradually adjust your aquarium temperature and temperautre of water that your betta is in at moment. Leave it about 10min

NOTE: This is why you need to set your aquarium to its deisred condition (including temperature) beforehand.

2. Open fish bag and pour your aquarium water SLOWLY into fish bag. This will adjust your environment and other environment so as to minimize the risk of betta being shocked. Wait about 10min.
3. Now that you adjusted temperature and environment, you can let it go into you aquarium.

ALL DONE!!!

Please take great care of your new pet betta and enjoy!