Like any other living thing that eats, your Betta Fish will also produce waste. An excess of waste in your tank or bowl will cause a toxic build up, that in time, will harm your fish. So it is imperative to develop and maintain a strict cleaning schedule, to aid in a healthier fish. Not doing so will most certainly result in a sick fish, which eventually, will lead to their death.
The smaller the tank or bowl, the more frequent the cleaning will have to be, so as not to have a build up of deadly toxins. But it's not that hard and it should only take 15 or 20 minutes a cleaning.
Cleaning the Bowl
If you're using a bowl that does not use a filtration system, you'll want to clean it about once a week. You need to replace 10-20% of the water each time. Simply use a siphon to drain the required amount. Replace the water you removed with treated water (the same treatments when first setting up your bowl to remove the chlorines and other toxins).
Make sure it is within 1-3 degrees of the existing water in their bowl. Because if the water you're adding is to cold, or to hot, it could cause you Betta to develop disease. It's not recommended you replace all the water; doing so can have a stressful effect on your Betta.
If you have rocks, artificial plants or other decorations in the bowl, it's not recommended that you remove and clean them along with your regular cleaning schedule. There are beneficial bacteria that will grow on your plants or decorations that are vital in assisting with a natural biological filter and part of the eco system that is created within your bowl or tank. If there is a build up algae, simply use an aquarium scraper before you clean, and then remove the debris by sucking it out with an aquarium vacuum or large turkey baster.
Tanks with Filtration
If you're using a tank, whether it's 5, 10, or 20 gallons that uses a filtration system, you will want to clean it about 1 time per month. If your filtration is working properly, it will remove much of the waste from the tank, but you still need to clean it. This is a problem I don't think most new Betta owners are aware of. They think that since they have a filtered system working, that it takes care of everything. Wrong. You still need to stay on a regular cleaning schedule to maintain an optimal living environment.
When using an under gravel filtration system, make sure to clean the gravel with your aquarium vacuum. If you find your tank getting cloudy or bleary frequently, check to make sure you filtering system is working.
The smaller the tank or bowl, the more frequent the cleaning will have to be, so as not to have a build up of deadly toxins. But it's not that hard and it should only take 15 or 20 minutes a cleaning.
Cleaning the Bowl
If you're using a bowl that does not use a filtration system, you'll want to clean it about once a week. You need to replace 10-20% of the water each time. Simply use a siphon to drain the required amount. Replace the water you removed with treated water (the same treatments when first setting up your bowl to remove the chlorines and other toxins).
Make sure it is within 1-3 degrees of the existing water in their bowl. Because if the water you're adding is to cold, or to hot, it could cause you Betta to develop disease. It's not recommended you replace all the water; doing so can have a stressful effect on your Betta.
If you have rocks, artificial plants or other decorations in the bowl, it's not recommended that you remove and clean them along with your regular cleaning schedule. There are beneficial bacteria that will grow on your plants or decorations that are vital in assisting with a natural biological filter and part of the eco system that is created within your bowl or tank. If there is a build up algae, simply use an aquarium scraper before you clean, and then remove the debris by sucking it out with an aquarium vacuum or large turkey baster.
Tanks with Filtration
If you're using a tank, whether it's 5, 10, or 20 gallons that uses a filtration system, you will want to clean it about 1 time per month. If your filtration is working properly, it will remove much of the waste from the tank, but you still need to clean it. This is a problem I don't think most new Betta owners are aware of. They think that since they have a filtered system working, that it takes care of everything. Wrong. You still need to stay on a regular cleaning schedule to maintain an optimal living environment.
When using an under gravel filtration system, make sure to clean the gravel with your aquarium vacuum. If you find your tank getting cloudy or bleary frequently, check to make sure you filtering system is working.
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