JillFlorio

It’s pretty easy to keep betta fish and dogs together when you think about tank placement. The biggest problem with putting fish tanks and dogs together is usually a rambunctious dog knocking the tank over. A playful dog or strongly wagging tail can knock a fish bowl right onto the floor.

Dogs usually don’t pay much attention to fish - not the way cats do. Dogs just don’t notice fish activity that much. As long as you keep the betta bowl up safely on a table or shelf, everything should be fine.

If you keep a lid on the bowl, then you won’t have to worry about a dog playing with a flopping fish who has leaped onto the floor. A lid is just a sensible precaution anyway. Many of the small betta tanks come with lids in any case, but you can be creative with using just about anything for a lid on an open bowl. Make sure the seal is not airtight, so the betta will be able to access fresh oxygen.

Another reason a lid is a nice idea is to keep your dog from drinking from the betta bowl. For some reason, dogs seem to really enjoy drinking from bizarre sources like toilet bowls, houseplant catchpots and fish tanks. When I traveled in my motorhome, my dogs would climb up onto the dinette to drink from my betta bowls. While the bettas survived this unwelcome attention, it was probably stressful for them, and annoying to me.
If you do have a dog that is overly interested in the antics of your fish, you might want to dogproof your bowl as you would if you had a cat. This article is all about Keeping Bettas and Cats.

How to Buy Toys for your Fish
A Better Betta Bowl
Betta Care Quiz

Can you have a betta fish AND cats? Are you just asking for it? Actually, you can generally make it work.

If you have both a betta and a cat, it’s a good idea to think about keeping your little wet pet in a small lidded tank. There are some very nice betta tanks with hoods, and you can feel secure that your cat’s paw will be kept out the danger zone.

It’s also nice that those tanks are usually pretty stable - most are hexagonal or triangular-shaped. So, even if your kitty bats at the tank, chances are it won’t tip over.

If you are keeping your betta in an open bowl, you can also have a lid. I like to place a clear, pretty plate as a lid. I have a few pretty pink Depression glass plates that look nice and allow light into the bowl. A plate does not make an airtight seal, so your betta will still have access to plenty of oxygen.

Another reason for having a lid is to keep your betta from jumping out of the bowl. A desperate fish flipping around on the floor might encourage your cat to play with the poor thing in a cruel game. With a lid, you don’t have to worry.

You can also think about tank placement. You can place your tank on a high shelf, a bookcase or on a table your cat won’t jump up on. Take a look around your home and think about a place where you can enjoy your betta fish that your cat can’t. I have one friend with five Siamese cats who don’t even see the betta bowl that is high up in the bookcase. Keeping a Siamese Fighting Fish with Siamese cats seems appropriate anyway!
To be sure, not all cats are interested in capturing betta fish. If you have a completely disinterested feline, you may not have to worry about tank placement. Some cats enjoy their interactions with bettas in a friendly way. On the fish forum, one member’s betta has a crush on her cat. The cat laps from the betta’s bowl and the betta seems to enjoy it, brushing its little body against the tongue. This is probably an unusual situation, but keep in mind that all animals are individuals and you cannot predict behavior.

Just to be clear, I am not really advocating letting your cat have easy, unimpeded access to your betta tank. This would be the kind of situation you would really want to monitor and make your own judgement call on how you wish to handle things.

Keeping Bettas and Dogs
Betta Care - Adding Companion Fish
Betta Care - Caves and Hiding Spots
Archive of All Betta Care Articles

There are times when it becomes a kindness to help your little betta fish pass on to the great puddle in the sky. This can be a very sad time for both you and your betta, but there are ways to help your betta make a painless passing.

We have talked in the Fish Forum about different methods of betta euthanasia: we agree that placing your betta in a cup of water in the freezer is the simplest and gentlest method. Your betta, who is probably very sick and “out of it” anyway, will just get cold/torpid and drop off to sleep.

Some books recommend dropping your fish into boiling water, hitting him with a hammer while wrapped in a towel, or slamming him into a wall. I personally don’t like those images. I prefer the idea of falling asleep to sudden violence. However, this will need to be YOUR decision - you need to find a method you are comfortable with. Fish do not have the sensitive nervous systems we do and will not feel as much pain as we think, if those methods are used in a quick and decisive manner.

Never flush a fish down the toilet! It’s a torment if the fish is still alive, and you will be adding disease and a dead body to our water systems as a result.

When You Decide To Do It
Gently cup your betta and tell him that you care and will be helping him move on - maybe your betta will feel your loving thoughts. At the very least, saying goodbye will help you feel better about your decision. You may choose to involve your children in your act of kindness - there are many good lessons to be learned in this kind of situation, even if there will be sorrow.

How To Take Care of the Body
At this point you may choose to plant your dead betta in your garden to nourish the soil, or bury deep in a houseplant. You could also double bag your fish and toss him in the trash. It seems undignified but is a legitimate way of handling the situation if you don’t have a garden or houseplants.

Handling Grief
If this betta was special to you, you may choose to hold a simple ceremony to honor his passing. Light a candle or say a few words. Many people have a photo of their favorite betta that they can include in their family scrapbooks, or hang on the fridge/wall somewhere.

It’s okay if people do not understand your mourning the loss of a pet. Most of us feel a little grief. Bettas are little individuals we get to know and they get to know us. There is an active interpersonal relationship. You don’t have to accept people telling you, “it was just a fish!” In the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, at least there is more national awareness that pets truly are family members.

Top Ten Reasons Why Bettas Die
Betta Care Articles
Ebook - Life Lessons from the Betta

These are the 10 most common reasons for “sudden” betta death. Usually bettas will try to communicate with us when something is wrong! They give us warning signs like gasping, thrashing about, jumping from tanks, hiding listless/clamped on their gravel, or by certain visual appearance cues. Read through the betta articles on this site, sign up for my free newsletter, and poke around the many, many useful betta posts in the Fish Forum.

1. Cold Temperatures for Too Long (usually leading to ich and subsequent complications)

2. Sudden, Fluctuating Temperatures (the stress can lead to ich, funguses, or parasitical infections)

3. Poor Water Quality, leading to poor overall health and little resistance to opportunistic aquarium diseases

4. Fin Rot, usually due to #3

5. Dropsy (some bettas are just going to get this one)

6. Tumors (no one knows why these happen in people, much less fish)

7. Swim Bladder Disease and Constipation, due to weak intestinal organs or improper feeding schedules

8. Bowl Jumping, usually a result of sudden accidental poisoning or prolonged toxic conditions

9. Over-Medicating - leading to a toxic situation for a betta who is struggling in the first place. Most meds are too strong for bettas, and many over-eager betta owners poison their fishes with medicine cocktails

10. Euthanasia - we take pity on our poor bettas and help them pass away as an act of kindness

All these “reasons why bettas die” aside, please note that bettas are actually a pretty hardy little fish once their minimal requirements are met. Read up about betta care on this site and learn about becoming a great betta parent.
Betta Care Archive
First Steps with your New Betta
Betta Fish Book Store

How do you know which betta fish to buy in the pet store? Here are some things to look for, so you can bring home a healthy, happy betta pet!

When you are in the pet shop, it’s important to take a good look at all the bettas individually. Are the bettas cups mostly clean and full of living betta fish? Do most of the bettas seem alert? [Note - don't tap on the cups to check for alertness. They are probably stressed out enough from their shipment ordeal anyway!] Are the bettas’ colors bright and shiny, or dull? Do the bettas have ragged fins, protruding eyeballs, scales stiking out or fuzzy growths anywhere?

These are all warning signs of unhealthy overall conditions. One or two sick little bettas in cups is sad, but you can probably just call the sick ones to the store employee’s attention and still find a nice little fish for yourself.

Sometimes all the cups are full of dirty water and sickly, dying and dead betta fish. I have seen this at a few Walmarts, for example. This kind of thing should not be tolerated. Ask to talk to the manager and tell him what you think. Don’t buy one of these bettas to “save” him, even if your heart goes out to him, because this kind of animal mistreatment should not be rewarded with your cash.

It’s also a good idea to scan the pet store as a whole. Is there a bad smell in the store - the smell of dead fish or dog urine? Pet stores do not have to have smells. I have worked in some very clean ones! Is there spilled feed all over the floor gathering cobwebs and dirt? Are the sales people friendly and knowledgable, or is the help indifferent? All these are clues for you to decypher about their degree of proper pet care. You don’t want to buy a new pet who will just end up getting sick once you bring him home.

Back to choosing your betta. If most of the bettas seem healthy and happy, then certainly look for a betta that appeals to you. Some people look for unusual colors, patterns or fins types. Other people wait to find the alert little fellow who waves his tail, looks you in the eye, and begs for a ride home.

If you find a betta you really like, be gentle with his cup or bag. Move him carefully to the checkout counter. Don’t let the clerk scan your betta (radiation is not healthy for tiny bodies). Hold the cup yourself while your betta is being rung up. Then, drive home with care. Go slow around those curves! It’s better to have a friend hold your betta’s cup or bag, but placing him on the passenger seat will probably be fine.

Your goal is to get your betta fish home without too much shaking, so that his transition will be smoother. A stressed betta usually ends up with a case of ich, which is hard to treat. A stressed fish also takes longer to start eating, show good color, or learn to like you.

Your New Betta - Setting up his Tank
Betta Care - Life in a Tiny Bowl

There are a handful of betta fish care books on the market. All are enjoyable and have great betta photographs. However, each of these books is geared towards a different audience within the betta owner pantheon.

If you are looking for a betta book for yourself, you might want an informed opinion before you do any buying - not every betta book is intended for the same betta experience level. There are books written with betta beginners in mind, while others are slanted towards more experienced betta pet owners - call them the intermediates. And some books are written more for the advanced hobbyist and breeder. Anyone can add all of the following books to their betta care bookshelf, though, to increase their own enjoyment of bettas, and to appreciate the fabulous pictures of award-winning bettas.

If you are selecting a book as a gift for your favorite betta-lover, these reviews should help you decide which is most appropriate.

These links lead to my own in-depth commentaries on this website -

• Bettas
  This simple, hardcover betta care book has been around since 1980 - but it’s still the best betta book out there. It is not as slick-looking, however. I highly recommend this book for beginners and intermediate betta pet owners: it provides lots of groundwork and a good start for those wishing to take their interest further. Best overall betta book for the buck.
• Quick and Easy Betta Care
  This slim book of 64 pages definately has beautiful betta photos. White bettas, black lace, butterfly cambodians, doubletail and piebalds are featured, among other lovely color combinations. Very inexpensive, with nice, glossy pages. This one is probably the most useful for the new betta owner just getting her “fins” wet.
• Bettas: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual
  Really, this one is for intermediate and advanced owners, not the “pet owners” beginner level as the title insists - except for the truly great betta photos that anyone will drool over. The best betta book for advanced beginners wishing to learn more about bettas.
• Guide to Owning Bettas
  This book has actually very scant information about casual betta pet ownership, focusing rather on discussions valuable for the breeder /hobbyist. In spite of this caveat, this is a great little betta book - if for nothing more than fabulous pictures of really unusual and desirable betta qualities that are possible in the breed! WOW!

Actually, none of these books has the full array of betta insights that I have found in demand by readers of this website. The tiny, quick questions that every pet betta owner encounters are simply not handled fully, or at all, in the available printed books. As I go through my list of frequently asked betta questions here, I will compile them into a Betta Basics Ebook. The first edition will be available before Christmas; I will make an announcement when this book is live for purchase. Please sign up for the free Fish Newsletter to receive this announcement.

That said, these betta care books are all very inexpensive, and each one has something worthy and different to add to the mix.

Remember to click on the links above for my extended reviews and a picture of each book’s cover, as well as direct links to Amazon for more even more specific book information.

It’s a little known fact that Bettas can change colors. This is normal and really nothing to worry about.

I have had several bettas that started life as pearlescent white or piebald. Over time - years, actually - they developed some patches of color that moved around. My favorite piebald is now completely unrecognizable from the betta he used to be, currently sporting a black face and highly irridescent indigo body.

Any male will also respond to great conditions - proper temperatures, clean water and a safe hidey hole - by coloring up nicely. A male who is brought into breeding form (higher temps, lots of live foods) will shine up extra brightly. A female who is ready to mate usually (not always) develops vertical striping, amid whatever color she has, to at her best.

Female bettas often start out drab little things, but can blossom into some very pretty, bright colors when they feel safe, and are properly cared for. Even so, a usually colorful female can revert back to those brownish lateral strips and lack of pigmentation when scared or unhappy. Even a male, scared enough, might lose color and show fear stripes.

If this occurs, just remove the stressful or frightening conditions (ie - bad water quality, children shaking the tank, whatever), add a drop of slime coat additive or aquarium salt for some extra healing, and leave them alone for a bit. They should recover their color when they are feeling peaceful again.

Lastly, if a betta has damaged fins, they might grow back in clear. They usually color up eventually with proper betta care!
Betta Care - Caves and Hiding Spots
Buying Toys for your Fish
Betta Basics

Barrons’s betta care book looks very nice, starting with a gorgeous closeup of a red male carrying the butterfly trait, right on the cover.

Like most betta books, however, the emphasis is information for the breeding hobbyist - not for the basic pet owner. The small book (95 pages) is divided into roughly three sections.

The first is invaluable for anyone interested in learning about all the “Other” species of bettas…wild bettas, mouthbrooding bettas, fighting strains, bettas from Thailand, bettas from Maylasia - did you even know there were hundreds of bettas besides the popular Betta Splendens we all know so well? Some are pretty and some are drab, but all are within the overriding Genus of Betta. This is interesting background information for the advanced betta fancier, but is certainly more information than the beginning betta owner will desire. Since this section, like the entire book, is chocked full of pictures, it is worth browsing.

The middle section provides the sought-after beginner’s information on betta tanks, feeding and disease treatment. The live food section is informative and provides useful pictures. It’s only a few pages, however and does not offer any in-depth info on actually developing any live culture. This section is useful for someone looking to figure out what the betta-acceptable various live foods are.

I would recommend this book to intermediate and advanced betta owners seeking breeding information, and for those wishing to study the expanded lineage of the Betta Genus. For beginners, the info is somewhat scanty.

A beginner would appreciate the gorgeous photos, though! Some award-winning bettas with glorious and unusual colors are showcased. Often, picures like this are enough to take a betta fancier to the level of hobbyist. At a price under ten dollars, I would pick this book up as a gift to your favorite betta owner.

If your betta likes to swim up to your finger and enjoy a gentle rubbing, this is just fine. You will need to be careful of a few things, however, so you don’t hurt your betta through over-friendliness!

To start with, make sure your fingers are clean, and free from soap, hand lotion, perfumes or cleansers of any sort. While this seems obvious, it’s easy to slip and forget from time to time. Wash your hands in hot water and use the friction of two hands rubbing together to clean them mechanically. Soap is not your friend here.

If you allow dirty fingers or any soap residue to enter your betta’s water, try to make amends right away though a nice water change. Even a tiny amount of soap can make your little pet sick. Think of it this way - if you lived in a small room with recycled air, and someone came in chain-smoking, you’d have to deal with smoke-laden air for a very long time - until your air filters were changed. In the meantime, you’d be second-hand smoking. It’s like that for a fish in a bowl or tank!

Back to petting your betta. You can try gently placing your clean finger in his bowl. Really friendly bettas that know their person will swim right up to that finger! From this point, you can GENTLY rub your finger along his side. He will probably rub you right back! Make SURE you are not using your fingernail, and don’t rub too hard or for too long.

Even using the soft flesh of your fingertip will compromise a betta’s slime coat. It’s just what happens. The slime coat is the protective barrier that all fish need to keep stray microbes from taking residence in a fish’s body.

You can help your pet by putting a few drops of a slime coat additive in your betta’s water after you finish cuddling with him. The best dechlorinators have a slime coat additive in them already, so you can add a drop or two of Stress Coat, NovAqua, or whatever you use.

If your betta is not ready to be petted, leave him alone. Some bettas don’t like it. Don’t scare your friend by chasing him around the tank with your finger. Bettas have good memories - this is how they learn to recognize you as their feeder and caretaker. Give your betta time to come to YOU.

Lastly, don’t let other people pet your betta, unless they know that person well and usually “flirt” with them (you know betta flirting when you see it). It’s really not great to have your fish touched too much, even if he seems to enjoy it. Reserve that treat for yourself!
Betta Care - Caves and Hiding Spots
Buying Toys for your Fish
Betta Basics

Care for your bettas right!

Bettas have tiny stomachs and well-meaning betta parents can be a fish’s worst enemy. It’s important to feed just enough for your betta, to keep him happy and healthy.

Overfeeding bettas can lead to GI blockage, constipation, swim bladder disease (this link is about goldfish, but the information is the same) and even death. This is very common among pet bettas and is incredibly difficult to treat. And then, even when treated, swim bladder disease becomes a recurring problem, diminishing both length and quality of life.

Remember, a wild fish is adapted to eating lots of food when it’s available, and then having long periods of hunger in between. This would be difficult to simulate properly in the aquarium - and besides, we all know we enjoy feeding times. It allows us to interact with our beloved bettas!

Resist the urge to overfeed. Your betta has a stomach the size of his eyeball, and you need to feed accordingly. I like to feed 3-4 pellets a day, usually at once. You could also spread out those pellets across the day, if you want more play time with your little pet. Your betta will snap these up and look for more. It’s up to YOU to be strong and NOT keep feeding!
I also plan for a fast day each week, a day when my bettas are not fed at all. This gives their GI tracts a day to clear out the residual food and is very cleansing.

To ease my conscience I try to incorporate yummy treats in my betta diets, providing bloodworms, brine shrimp, fruit flies and other interesting live foods.

Again, be very careful not to overdo the treats. Betta pellets and flakes are made specifically to meet the needs of a betta’s body and should be his staple food. Treats in excess will also disrupt that intestinal balance and make your betta ill. I provide a treat twice a week.

If you really want to be good to your betta, don’t try to reach his heart through food. There are healthier options: you can make sure his water is crystal clean. You can buy him a new silk plant, cave or interactive play toy as often as you like. Give him the temperature range he craves - in the mid-to-high 70s. And best of all, place his tank or bowl in a location where he will see what’s going on around the house. Curious bettas like being a part of the family, and especially enjoy watching YOU. Don’t delegate him to a corner of the house and overfeed to try and make up for it.
Basic Fish Food and Treats
Fish Care - How Often to Feed Aquarium Fish
Betta Basics

Hikari Betta Bio Gold Pellets