re: #27 prairiefire

Hey, Fozzie, we bought a male Beta this past week and I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of questions?

Well, fresh water, tap water is fine if dechlorinated, room temperature (70-75F), close to neutral pH.

Bettas are labyrinth fish, which basically means they can breathe air, and often do. They are often found in rice paddies. They do NOT need very clean water, and will actually fare less well if you change too much of the water, too often. Filters are also unnecessary if you only have a Betta. While males are extremely aggressive with other males, they are easily bullied by other species. Thus, they are best kept alone. Also, the males make neat bubble nests at the surface of the water if the water is still enough.

That’s about all I know about Bettas. I know much more about corals, frankly, than I do about freshwater fish.