So you have a betta and now need some advice on setting up betta fish tanks. We will explain how you can set up ay our tank so that your betta will be happy, healthy and hopfeully live a long life. 

While many people use a bowl or vase to put there bettas in this is a very bad idea and will drastically affect the health and lifespan of your fish. 

The smallest tank size you should consider is about  2.5 gallons Ideally, but ideally you should aim for a 5 to 10 gallon aquarium.  

Some Items You Will Need

A filter to keep the water clean, a poor dirty enviornent can lead to diseases and drastically shorten your betta's life.. The tank filter should have a an adjustable flow.

Tank decorations to enhance yor bettas enviornment and add visual appeal to your new betta tank. Becareful to use only smooth decorations and be sure to add a cave or two as betta's love to swim through them. Silk or live plants are also a good idea and avoid using any plastic as they may also harm your betta.

Putting Together Your Betta Fish Tank

Ideally you want to place your tank away from any direct sunlight, after finding the ideal spot start placing your sand or gravel on the bottom of the tank and add your tank decortaions. After fill the aquarium preferably with water that has been treated with a water conditioner which you can get at any pet store, after which you may add your plants

Setup and install your water heater and filtering system making sure they are working properly and than finally assemble the hood your betta is now ready for his (or hers) new home!

If you would like more information about setting up betta fish tanks and maximizing your bettas health sign up for our free 12 lesson course that will show you everything you need to know to have the happiest most gorgous betta around!

Dealing with a sick betta does not have to be a heartbreaking experience. Although very beautiful, betta fish are unfortunately very fragile creatures and everyone will at one point or another have to deal with a disease or other problem. 

The first step if your suspect that your betta is sick, is to properly diagnose what is wrong and than determine a proper course of treatment.

The betta fish secrets care guide featured on our main page, is a thorough and complete manual that reveals everything you need to know about raising healthy, happy beautiful betta's.

It was written by Mike Worthington an avid betta lover and experienced breeder who put together his 20 plus years experience in keeping and caring for betta fish into an easy to follow manual that no betta owner should be without.

If you get only one guide on caring for sick betta betta fish, you must get your hands on a copy of this simply amazing step by step guide.

Click Here To Go To The Betta Fish Secrets Main Site

Here are some common symptoms that a sick betta may exhibit.

• Eratic swimming mostly on his side.
• A bloated or enlarged belly .
• Lack of appitite or your betta fish won't eat.
• Large bulged or swollen eyes
• Dull lifeless color -or color is fading.
• White fungus around on face around lips and mouth.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Dark red sores under the scales 
• Ragged or torn fins with pin size holes in them.

If your betta exhibits any of the above symptoms than you are likely dealing with a disease or some enviornmental condition that is causing your betta to be sick. In many cases you can reverse the problem and bring your beatta back to health by making sure that the water conditions in your tank are at prestine conditions.

Make sure that ammonia and Ph levels are at zero and that your water temperature is at a suitable degree. Betta's are native to tropical climates and a temperature of between 74 -78 degrees Fahrenheit is considered ideal. If your water temperature is to cold your fish’s immune system will be weakened and diseases or other problems will begin to occur.

On the other hand if your water temperature is too hot, bacteria will grow and with polluted water you are inviting diesease. Another  thing to remember is that betta fish have an organ that allows them to breathe air directly from the atmosphere, so it is important to make sure that there is sufficient well venthilated space above the water for them to breathe.

Download The Complete Sick Betta Fish Care Guide

Remember prevention and proper care is always the best strategy to avoid having a sick betta fish. But with quick treatment most problems can be easily reversed and your friend can go on to live a long happy life. 

With that in mind here is the list of the most frequent betta diseases:

Betta Fish Dropsy

There are two signs you should look for in diagnosing betta dropsy:  the first is a bloated or unusally large belly. The second symptom to look for are raised scales, when you look at your betta from a top angle the scales will resemble an open pine cone type shape. see image below.

Betta fish dropsy is usually caused by bacteria that lodges in the body of the fish and affects the kidneys causing water retention in the body. Unless immediate treatment is administered, this condition can be fatal for your betta. 

Mouth Fungus

This will resemble a white fungus similar in appearance to cotton that appears around the mouth and lips of your betta. The affected fish may become sluggish and stop eating all together.

Fin Rot

This one of the most common diseases that affect bettas and is rather easy to identify. The fins of your betta will have holes (pin type) in them and have a tattered worn appearance. The cause is usually poor care and seen in new betta's typically because the pet store didn't maintain proper tank conditions.

Fortunately this is an easy disease to treat, by making sure the water in your tank is in perfect condition and using aquarium salt. Be sure that ammonia, nitrite, and pH levels are at zero.

Septicimia

This is one of the worst betta fish diseases you can get and should be treated very seriously. It is an infection in the bloodstream that occurs through an open wound either through fighting with other fish or when you betta injures himself. It can also occur through bacteria in your bettas it is important to keep your water conditions especially clean as to not further aggrevate the condition. 

It usually manifests as redness under the scales and can be localized in one area or appear throughout the body. It may be hard to identify in red or dark colored fish  Assuming you have corrected any water conditions that may hamper your betta's recovery, the open wounds will usually heal quickly. Other symptoms are loss of appetite, clamped fins, sluggishness and color loss.  

While no one likes to be faced with a sick betta the good news is that in most cases the majority of betta fish illnesses can be easily treated if acted upon quickly. In the majority of cases poor tank conditions are the cause and many problems can avoided all together with proper tank setup and cleaning.

If you would like to know more about betta fish diseases, and how to properly treat and care for you betta. Sign up for our free 12 lesson course that will show you the secrets to having the happiest, healthiest, Betta Fish around!