Water adjustments should be made regularly for all aquarium fish. The common misperception among fish keepers is that bettas are durable and don’t require frequent water changes. This is wholly incorrect. No matter how tough a fish seems, it cannot withstand a continuous buildup of ammonia in a small area. Does Betta Require Constant Water Changes? Your betta fish will eventually perish if you don’t change the water frequently.
You must change 40% to 50% of the water in a tank of fewer than 5 gallons every week. You must replenish 20% to 30% of the water in tanks larger than 5 gallons each week. If the aquarium has adequate filtration, weekly 15% water changes are sufficient.
There is a lot more to understand regarding fish tank water changes. The regularity of water changes is influenced by a variety of factors.
Why Changing Your Water in Your Betta Tank Is Important?
Even though Bettas can be tough, their health can start to deteriorate if they are kept in subpar settings for an extended period. They can breathe oxygen from the surface, so they’ll live for a while, but they won’t exactly thrive. This is because, over time, nitrogenous wastes build up in the tank and begin to affect the health of the Betta.
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are three examples of wastes that should be of the most concern. These wastes typically come from decaying plants, fish wastes, and uneaten fish food.
Ammonia is currently the most dangerous chemical. Fortunately, though, it is quickly converted into the less dangerous nitrite by the helpful bacteria found in your tank filter. The nitrogen cycle is the process in which nitrite is converted into nitrate, making it even less hazardous.
Unfortunately, nitrate will build up in the aquarium until it approaches levels that are dangerous to your fish unless you have a tank that is densely planted. The fish will start to become lethargic and ill because of the high nitrate levels, which will also make the water more acidic until it becomes too much for the fish to handle.
How To Change Betta Water?
Thankfully, if you have the correct equipment, changing the water in a betta’s tank isn’t that difficult. Some examples of these are a clean-up siphon, a water conditioner, and a tank thermometer. You only need to add these items to a few buckets to be ready. So let’s examine just how to replace the water in your Betta:
Partial Water Change In The Betta Tank
You will need to remove some of the water from your betta’s tank and replenish a few of the freshwater supplies to perform a partial water change. Remove 25% of the water from your betta’s existing container using a sanitized scoop or a comparable tool. As you drain the water, keep your betta within the container.
Taking Off The Tank Cover
You should first remove the tank lid. You should be sure to turn off the heater, lighting, filter, and other appliances before replacing the tank cover. If you intend to clean the décor pieces, you can also do so separately.
Discard Water
You should use an aquarium siphon to drain 25–30% of the water. Drag the siphon throughout the gravel or tank substrate. The suction siphon opposite end allows you to drain the unclean water.
Make The New Water Ready
Take a second clean bucket after that. You must first prepare your new water in this bucket before putting it in the aquarium. Keep in mind not to fill the tank with tap water.
You must remember to use a water conditioner while utilizing tap water. Additionally, you ought to set the new water at the same temperature as the unfiltered water. Don’t forget to verify yet if the new water meets the requirements for the optimum betta water parameters.
Top Of The Tank
The tank can be filled with freshly prepared water in the final step. Pour the fresh water gradually. Additionally, set all décor materials and things that have been removed for cleaning. The tank lid should then be used to close the tank.
Full Water Change In The Betta Tank
Full water changes are just what they sound like. You’ll deplete the tank, thoroughly clean every component, and then put it back together.
Knowing that your betta’s water is always of the highest caliber is an advantage. Of course, the drawback is that taking your fish out of his comfortable habitat and placing him in a cup, and afterward returning him to it frequently can stress him out.
Make The New Water Ready
You should get the freshwater ready in a sizable bucket before beginning the process. Take the same water volume that you plan to empty from the betta aquarium.
Make careful to maintain the water’s warmth at the same level as the betta tank’s water. However, a betta prefers a temperature of 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Additionally, you need to make sure the water’s properties are still optimal. Dechlorinating the water first is recommended if you’re using tap water.
Publish Your Betta
Before beginning to clean the tank, you should move your betta right away. Use a fishnet to relocate your betta towards the bucket of freshly made water. You should initially adapt your betta here to new water before keeping it.
Discard The Old Water
The old water must then be poured out of the tank. Use an aquarium siphon to accomplish this. Alternatively, you could remove the water in what seems like a tiny mug or bowl.
Tank Cleaning
You must carefully clean your betta aquarium before adding more water. Even just a gentle sponge and water should be used to clean the tank’s surface and walls. Additionally, you should clean the pebbles and other decor.
Remove the gravel to thoroughly clean it. Fish excrement, leftover food, debris, as well as other waste should all be removed. However, you shouldn’t clean your betta tank with soap or detergent.
Prepare The Tank
Set up the container once again after you’re finished cleaning. Before assembling the tank, you can also cleanse the filter media.
Refill The Tank Halfway
The betta tank can then be filled up again. Fill the tank to about halfway so that your bettas can swim peacefully.
Bring Your Betta Back
Bring your betta back to the tank that is only partially filled at this point. As you move your betta, remember to be kind.
Fill The Rest Of The Tank
The excess prepared water should then be poured into the remaining tank space. This time, as there are already betta fish inside this tank, you can pour the water slowly. To add the water, you may also utilize a siphon hose.
Balancing Water Changes With Tolerance For Betta
When you treat your fish, food scraps sink to the bottom as well as decompose. In the meantime, food consumed is excreted or excreted as urine into the water. This waste buildup causes the tank’s nitrate and phosphate levels to rise, which encourages algae development. Your fish will become anxious or perhaps ill as a result of the tank’s declining oxygen levels brought on by its growing filth and odor.
Additionally, over time, minerals and trace components in the water are depleted or filtered out. The pH of the aquarium will decrease, helpful biofilter bacteria might expire, and your betta fish will become weaker if an inflow of fresh water does not supply them.
Why It’s Important To Change The Water Often
Large volumes of waste, notably ammonia, which is poisonous to the majority of living organisms, are frequently produced by fish.
While a decent filter can assist in maintaining the quality of your water, regular water changes provide the most effective approach to keeping your tank clean and preventing your betta fish from becoming unwell.
Water changes bring a significant amount of fresh, healthy water in which your betta fish might flourish in, so they can even assist your betta fish recover from illness more quickly.
Smaller Adjustments Can Be Tolerated Better
When possible, aquarists advise making smaller modifications more regularly to maintain constant water quality.
Nothing is more crucial for the majority of fish than stable water quality. As soon as the quality of the water is constant, most fish can even endure mildly unfavorable conditions.
Factors That Affect The Frequency Of Water Changes
Regular aquarium maintenance should include regular water changes. However, the frequency varies according to the size and quantity of the aquarium. More regular water changes are needed for smaller, densely packed tanks than for larger, sparsely stocked tanks.
Changing 10 to 15 percent of the water every other week is a good rule of thumb. Increase that by 25% each week if your container is overstocked. Water changes may only be necessary every 2 to 4 weeks for a sparsely stocked aquarium, but you should still keep a close eye on it.
In an aquarium, there is such a thing as too many water changes. One water change per day should be the maximum frequency. To prevent upsetting the biological balance of the tank and stressing your fish, if you decide to make daily water adjustments, be sure to only cover half of the tank’s water.
Size of Tank
The size of your container will affect how quickly water evaporates as well as how frequently water additions and changes are required.
Because a larger tank can carry more water, waste will occupy less of the water, enhancing the water’s quality. On the other hand, smaller tanks may carry less water, which makes the tank fill up more quickly.
Your betta fish’s excrement will have fewer options to go in a smaller container with less water, become more concentrated, and cloud the water, making the environment more harmful for your fish.
Other Tank Inhabitants
The level of waste produced within your betta tank depends on how many creatures are there. Thus, additional water changes can be required.
Even though smaller invertebrates like snails and shrimp don’t produce a lot of garbage, they might nonetheless add to a tank’s waste if one of them passes away. Other fish will produce far more trash, though. Betta fish have often been kept alone. However, some individuals choose to keep them in a tank with other fish, like guppies or tetras.
In sorority aquariums, which frequently include a large number of female fish, some people keep female betta fish. The abundance of fish will result in greater waste production, requiring more intermittent water changes.
Filter Usage
If you have a filter, you might need to conduct fewer water changes. Filters are often rated for various-sized fish tanks. Therefore, using stronger filtration in a smaller tank will maintain the tank’s quality to a better standard.
However, a stronger filter will frequently also have a stronger pump, which will increase the water movement in the tank.
Since ponds and puddles are their natural environments, betta fish do not like rapid movements. Consequently, a bigger tank will not make your betta fish happy, demanding smaller filtration and more regular water changes. In either case, filtering is far better than not filtering.
Betta fish are frequently kept in filterless aquariums by their owners. This is not advised and requires very regular water changes, often daily.
The number of water changes you require can thankfully be reduced with a filter. You might only need to make a water change every two weeks if you have filtration in your tank!!!
You can choose from the following:
- Hydro Professional External Canister Filter
- Eheim Classic External Canister Filter
- Aqua Clear Power Filter IIO
- Fluval FX6 Canister Filter
Adding Water
If you’ve recently added fresh water, unanticipated evaporation may mean that you need to change the water less frequently.
People who live in hotter climates will have higher rates of evaporation, requiring more frequent water infusions.
Although water has been extracted by the sun rather than by hand whenever you add new water, which serves largely the same purpose as a water change.
Different Types Of Water That You Might Use For A Betta
How can we obtain the “appropriate” water for betta fish? When learning how to tend for a betta, you may come across a limited number of water sources. What you need to know about them is as follows:
Tap Water
Before adding the water to the aquarium, it needs to be treated. Your fish will perish if you expose the bettas to tap water without somehow treating it. This water should be handled properly and be fine.
Because it is a consistent and inexpensive source of water, tap water is dependable.
The pH and mineral content of tap water is typically adequate for a betta. Before utilizing it for your aquarium, it is advisable to evaluate these parameters since, if necessary, you will need to modify the mineral as well as pH levels from your tap water. Even though you should always do this before introducing your fish, you probably won’t need to.
Bottled Water
In pet stores or online, you could occasionally see bottled water marketed as “betta water.” We don’t see this as a viable source of water for your betta; rather, we see it as a cheap strategy. We advise using just tap water.
The water might be described as “mineral water.” While bottled water may contain healthy natural minerals, the pH of the water can change depending on the supplier. It’s preferable to use a pH testing kit to check the water’s pH. Even though you can add your betta towards this water without somehow treating it, doing so will quickly cost you more money than just purchasing freshwater conditioners to add to clean water.
Pet Store Water
Preconditioned aquarium water is occasionally sold in specialized aquatic and pet stores. Since it’s simple and only requires patience to prepare aquarium water with freshwater fish, this isn’t commonly employed for freshwater fish. Enquire in an aquatic retailer if you want a quantity of water prepared for your betta, especially if the aquarium isn’t very big. But it’s not the most inexpensive way to get water.
Water That You Should Not Be Used For Your Betta
Without the right understanding, betta fish can die from any water, including distilled, spring, and tap water. However, distilled water is by far the worst kind of all water.
Distilled Water
Don’t use distilled water. For aquarium water, this is a poor option. Pure H20 initially doesn’t seem like a horrible idea, but it’s not the best choice for your fish’s health. Minerals are necessary for the health of bettas. Minerals won’t be present in distilled water. Additionally, distilled water is frequently rather pricey, so it isn’t worth it if it won’t help your betta.
FAQ
Can You Use Tap Water for Betta Fish?
Yes, you can always use water from the tap for your betta fish as long as it has been treated to remove any potentially dangerous contaminants. Because it is more readily available and less expensive than spring water, tap water is frequently utilized for betta fish as well as other fish tanks.
But keep in mind that tap water can even be regarded as being inappropriate for human consumption; you must treat it to make water safe for you. Therefore, you shouldn’t assume that your betta fish would be safe in untreated tap water. It contains heavy metals, chlorine, and many other toxic substances that must be highly hazardous for your betta fish.
How Often Should You Change The Water Of Your Betta?
The short explanation is that once every 7–10 days, minor water changes of 10–20% are optimum for your betta’s well-being. Additionally, this assumes that a filter is being used. Although smaller water changes are preferable for stable water conditions, water changes of 20–30% can be made once every two–three weeks.
How Long Can You Go Without Changing Betta Water?
Generally speaking, you should replace the water in your betta tank each week or so or every 7 to 10 days. In addition to allowing fish waste, uneaten food, & decaying plants to leave your tank, this will prevent unclean water from becoming the next problem.
Do Bettas Like Dirty Water?
Make sure the fish in the tank have clean, healthy water at all times. Although betta fish can live in dirty water, they are known to perform much better in clean water.
Conclusion
Once a week, you should replace around 20% of the water in your bettas’ huge, filtered tank. This will ensure that your Betta stays content and healthy. Every few weeks, larger adjustments of roughly 30% can be made, but the Betta fish will find them more stressful.
However, if your unfiltered tank is on the tiny side, you’ll need to remove these significant volumes more frequently. However, you may always utilize a water testing kit to determine the parameters you’re dealing with and then choose how frequently to change the water for your Betta fish.