Ways to Help Betta Fish Adjust to Their New Environment

Betta fish are beautiful creatures that many people enjoy keeping as pets. Like other ornamental fish, bettas require special attention when it comes to their tank, especially when transitioning them from one tank to another. When you first bring a betta fish home (often kept in a small cup or plastic bag when purchased from a pet store), you should not just immediately place the fish into the new tank. Instead, it is important to allow the fish to gradually adjust to its new environment so that it can survive the transition from the cup or bag to the tank.

Choose the Right Betta Tank. In the wild, betta fish live in calm and dimly lit waters. Although they can survive in small, cramped tanks, they thrive better in a more spacious environment. It's recommended to purchase a tank that can hold at least 20 liters of water, giving the fish more room to move around. Do not keep betta fish in a tank with a capacity of less than 4 liters of water.

• Betta fish can breathe directly from the surface of the water, so a filtration system is not necessary. In fact, it is better for bettas to be kept in tanks without filters, as the water movement created by a filtration system can cause stress for the fish.

Prepare the aquarium. Clean the aquarium thoroughly. Rinse the gravel well with hot water but avoid using soap or cleaning agents. Then, carefully spread a layer of gravel at the bottom of the aquarium. Clean all decorations and place them into the tank.

• It is not necessary to use a traditional fish tank; any sufficiently wide container will work.
• The important thing is to spread gravel in the tank. Choose neutral-colored, small-sized gravel. Neutral colors help the Betta fish relax, and bacteria that thrive in the gravel will break down waste and keep the water relatively clean.

Fill the aquarium with tap water. Do not use spring water for the Betta fish, as it lacks the essential minerals that Betta fish need. It is important to choose a tank with a wide water surface. While Betta fish breathe underwater like most other fish, they sometimes rise to the surface to gulp air.

• For this reason, containers with narrow openings, like wine bottles, are unsuitable for keeping Betta fish.

Buy water treatment solution for the aquarium. Water treatment solutions are designed to remove chlorine (which is harmful to fish) from tap water and filter out impurities as well as heavy metals. Read the product instructions and add the solution when filling the tank. You should also use the water treatment solution each time you change the tank water (approximately once a week).

• If you purchase your Betta fish from a pet store, they may provide you with a water treatment solution specifically for Betta fish. If not, you'll need to buy it yourself. This product is available at most pet stores and online.
• The amount of water treatment solution you need will depend on the size of your aquarium. Be sure to follow the dosage instructions on the bottle and wait for the solution to dissolve in the water to keep the fish safe.
• If you live in a rural area and the tap water does not contain chlorine, you may not need a water treatment solution. However, some water treatments also remove heavy metals, so you may use them if necessary.

Place the plastic bag in the aquarium. Ensure that the plastic bag has enough air for the fish to breathe before placing it in the tank. Float the bag containing the fish on the surface of the new tank's water so that the temperature of the water inside the bag matches the tank water.

• This process is also called "floating" the fish.
• Leave the fish bag floating in the tank for about 10–15 minutes.

Mix the tank water with the water in the plastic bag. After floating the bag containing the fish in the tank for 15 minutes, you can start acclimating the fish to the tank's water. Use scissors to make a small hole in the plastic bag and slowly add water from the tank into the bag using a cup.

• You need to hold the bag upright during this process. If you let go or allow the bag to tilt to one side, the water in the bag will spill into the tank.

Leave the fish in the bag for 15 more minutes. The Betta fish needs this time to adjust to the temperature, pH level, and hardness of the tank water. Rushing through this step and not giving the fish adequate time to acclimate can be harmful to its health.

• Repeat the process: add another cup of tank water into the plastic bag.
• Continue holding the plastic bag in the tank during this time. Be sure to keep the hole facing upward.

Release the fish into the tank. After allowing the Betta fish to acclimate to the water for about 30 minutes, gently tilt the plastic bag and let the fish swim out. Your fish may take some time to adjust to its new surroundings, but by this point, it should feel comfortable in the new tank.

• If the water in the plastic bag is dirty, only pour a small amount into the tank. Dirty water is never good for the fish tank!
• Once the fish is fully acclimated, you can use a net to gently scoop the fish out and place it in the tank.
• Do not feed the Betta fish immediately. Your fish may not eat on its first day in the new tank, and some Betta fish may refuse food for up to three days or even a week.

Float the cup containing the fish in the new tank. At this stage, the Betta fish needs to adjust to the water and its temperature. Sudden exposure to the tank water (which is usually cooler) can be harmful to the Betta.

• Let the cup float in the tank for about 15 minutes.

Pour a small amount of tank water into the fish's cup. Use a small cup to slowly add water to the fish's cup, but avoid pouring directly onto the fish – aim to pour the water beside it. The fish's cup should still be floating in the tank at this point.

• The Betta fish needs to get used to the tank water because, besides temperature, the water's hardness and pH level may differ between the two locations.
• Leave it like this for about 15 minutes.

Add a little more tank water to the cup. You need to let the tank water and the water in the cup mix to an almost 1:1 ratio before transferring the fish to the tank. Again, wait for around 15 minutes.

• At this point, you can use your finger to check the temperature of both the tank water and the water in the cup. The temperatures should be almost the same.

Transfer the fish from the cup to the tank. Gently use a net to scoop the fish out of the cup and place it in the new tank. Be gentle, as you don’t want to accidentally poke or harm the Betta fish you just brought home.

• If the water in the fish's cup is relatively clean, you can pour both the fish and the water into the tank.