After all, betta fish have several advantages that make them excellent pets. They come in a range of colors and have wonderful personalities. If the environment is well-maintained, they can survive in smaller tanks and are rather tough.
The primary problem with caring for betta fish is that they have the reputation of being tough fish that can survive in any environment. Like all living things, they eat and excrete.
It is crucial to clean out their tank because of this. A betta won’t need to go for walks or to the vet frequently, but it will need its tank and water to be kept clean to be happy and healthy.
To help you learn everything there is to know about caring for a Betta fish. I decided to write this tutorial. Learn all the methods required to clean a betta fish tank in the next paragraphs, along with some additional tips to help the operation go more smoothly.
How To Clean A Betta Fish Tank Like A Pro?
Get Clean Hands
To avoid infection, clean your hands and prepare your tools. Otherwise, you risk endangering your Betta fish, hurting yourself, and contaminating your house.
Put On Gloves
Bacteria can enter through cuts or sores on your hands and cause problems. If you don’t wear gloves, you risk introducing hazardous bacteria into the tank’s water and poisoning your Betta fish.
Drain The Tank’s Water With A Scoop
Drain between 50% and 80% of the tank’s water with a little cup. Reserve it for the tank. You can’t completely change the water without shocking the betta. You’ll refill the tank with the water you set aside after cleaning it.
Ready Some Fresh Water
You should create fresh aquarium water ahead of time because tap water includes chlorine and other potentially dangerous substances.
As directed on the container, add aquarium water conditioner to a clean bucket of water. Let the water be exposed for 24-48 hours to help undesired substances dissipate.
Disconnect The Lights, Filters, Heaters, And Other Items
Be sure to unplug all electrical devices before cleaning the tank. These items shouldn’t be dropped into a fish tank or submerged in water.
Taking The Fish Out
Using a net or cup, extract the betta from the aquarium. While you clean, you can keep the little guy in a big mug (or something similar) with some aquarium water. To prevent your betta from jumping out of the temporary container, cover it.
Take Off The Tank’s Accessories
You should now take down all the ornaments in your Betta tank. You can clean them later in this manner. Just place them in the designated container for the time being.
Take each ornament out of the aquarium gradually to avoid stressing your Betta fish.
Drain The Tank Fully
Through a sieve, empty the tank’s leftover water into the sink. By doing this, gravel won’t wash down the drain.
The Gravel Should Be Submerged In Warm Water
To pull the dirt, poop, and leftover food out of the gravel, fold it with your palm and shake it from side to side. Use your hands to complete it completely.
Fill The Tank With Warm Water And Rinse The Decor
To clean the glass, scrape it gently. A paper towel thoroughly dries the decor, then sets it aside. Never put soap on the tank or anything else in a fish tank. The leftover substance is probably going to harm your betta.
Top Of The Tank
Before filling the tank again, add some pebbles and plants. After that, top off and clean the tank.
To calculate how much conditioner to add to your fish tank, refer to the conditioner’s label. Mix the conditioner with a plastic spoon into the water.
Give the tank’s original water some room. Add the previously used water after conditioning the fresh. Mix well.
Temperature To Stabilize
The tank’s water should be between 22 and 27 °C or 72 and 80 °F. After you remove the aquarium water, you should add fresh water.
Filtering takes ten minutes. Add your betta if the temperature is appropriate. If necessary, replace the filter cartridge.
Cleaning Your Aquarium’s Exterior
Although not needed, it enhances the enjoyment of watching tankmates. Use aquarium-safe cleaning supplies to scrub your tank outside.
Bring The Betta Back To Its Tank
Place your betta’s cup in the aquarium tilting it slowly. You can carefully remove your betta from the cup. Avoid damaging the betta’s fins at all costs. When it lets go, it will look around the tank. Reposition your tank and watch it swim around.
How Often Should You Change The Water In A Betta Aquarium?
do water changes. Typically, you need to do water changes more frequently the shorter the Betta tank is. Let’s use some samples to help you understand how often you must refresh your specific Betta tank.
Five- to 10-gallon tanks must have 10% to 20% of their water replaced weekly. You typically don’t need to take down any decorations for weekly water changes or more frequent tank cleanings. Bettas shouldn’t be kept in aquariums less than five gallons anyway.
For tanks larger than 10 gallons, however, twice a month is typically sufficient, and weekly water changes are not necessary. Of course, this can change because it greatly relies on your tank’s configuration, size, and population.
How Long Does It Take To Clean A Betta Aquarium?
It is usually easy to clean a Betta aquarium. Naturally, that depends on your arrangement and how thoroughly and frequently you clean the fish tank. It may also depend on your filter, the size of your aquarium, how many Betta fish you have, and other factors.
These elements will affect how frequently and long you must clean your Betta aquarium. It won’t take long if you only have a few ornaments, fake plants, and gravel.
I advise you to clean your Betta tank whenever you conduct a water change. Doing it this way allows you to keep up with the cleaning without having to do it in stages.
Both options are a little water change every week or a large change twice a month. You decide how frequently you want to replace the water in your fish tank and clean it.
Should You Clean Your Aquarium’s Filter At The Same Time?
If the filter needs cleaning, do it. Avoid cleaning the filter and your tank simultaneously because doing so could kill some helpful bacteria. Consider whether it truly must be cleaned or if the cartridges only need to be changed.
The user’s manual will tell you how frequently you should update these. Place your filter back in the Betta fish tank once you’ve finished changing the cartridges or cleaning it with warm water and a sponge. After that, you can switch it back on.
Do You Need To Remove Your Fish From The Tank While Cleaning?
No, you shouldn’t ever have to take your fish out of the aquarium to clean it; it’s not a good idea. You don’t want the fish removed because that will shock your system.
It will be quite upsetting for you and the animals and the fish to move. You must locate a new place to live with similar conditions to the one they had in the old tank. Then, to avoid stressing the fish, you must capture and move them as gently as possible.
It is also necessary to put a filter, heater, and air pump in the new tank and cycle the entire system. The air pump is optional if the filtration system stirs the water sufficiently.
Before attempting to catch your fish, you might need to remove filters and heaters from your old tank. Later, you should also remove your plants, decorations, and rocks.
What Things Should You Not Use When Cleaning Your Betta Tank?
Changing water does not require additional chemicals; it simply requires removing, adding, and dechlorinating water. But when setting up a tank, most novices prefer to clean their tank first before adding water to it.
They wash the tank with soap far too frequently. A dead betta fish will unavoidably result from using soap and detergent. Even trace amounts of soap or detergent can harm your betta fish.
In other words, soap obstructs gill function, causing your fish to drown. It is always advisable to rinse as much as you can with used aquarium water when cleaning an established tank.
When beginning a fresh tank, you might wish to clean it first before adding water. Fortunately, there are a few items that are as accessible and considerably less dangerous than soap. If in doubt, use warm water only.
This is particularly true for fresh installations where you can still dry off surfaces to prevent tap water from getting into your system.
More suggested articles:
- How long do betta fish live?
- Do betta fish sleep? When, where, and how?
- What fish can live with bettas?
- How big do betta fish get?
Which pH Water Levels Do Bettas Prefer?
Bettas prefer calm water with a pH range of 6.8 to 7.5. It is ideal for their general health to maintain a temperature between 76° to 85° F even though they may appear to handle cooler temperatures because they will be passive and more prone to illness. Changing the water at least once a week is important to keep the fish healthy.
Is It Challenging To Clean Betta Tanks?
Cleaning betta aquariums isn’t too tough. Filters require additional actions, such as changing the cartridges, so make sure you perform them.
It’s not particularly challenging, but it is a necessary nuisance. The better and simpler the job, particularly if you have a sieve, gravel vacuum, and some pads for washing any algae build-up.
How Do I Know If Water Affects My Betta?
Betta fish are strong and have vivid colors. Healthy fish have open fins that allow them to float freely when they are still.
If not, they’ll lose their smooth grace, their color will dwindle, their fins will become more taught, and they’ll start swimming more erratically.
It is possible to damage the fins of your Betta in several ways, but swimming in murky water won’t do it. The water must be kept fresh, sanitary, and constantly changed for the fin to recover correctly. Additionally, bacterial infections from filthy water can exacerbate the torn fin.
Final Verdict:
I think the greatest way to get started in the fascinating world of aquarium care is with a Betta Fish tank. Compared to other aquarium settings, a betta tank has a lower entry barrier because it can be compact and requires less upkeep.
There are many ways to keep a Betta, one of its best features. If you don’t think you can keep up with routine tank cleanings, you can also use a filtered tank or install an aquaponics system.
One of the most crucial components of preserving a clean life for your fish to thrive is performing routine water changes.
And it’s not too tough; simply adhere to the clear instructions. Whatever you choose to do, as long as your tank is kept tidy and you have a decent routine in place, your Betta should have a long and happy life.
