How To Set Up A Tank For Betta Fries?

Who doesn’t want to breed and raise exquisite betta fries at home? But it’s important to fulfill its need for a proper tank and other things. That’s why you need to know how to set up a tank for betta fries properly. Otherwise, you may not ensure the proper environment to breed betta fries.

Many people ask us what do they need to set up a tank for their betta fries. Also, people often seem confused about the decoration, plants, filtration, etc of a tank. Are you also one of those confused fellas?

Then, this article is for you. We’re going to enlighten you on how to set up a tank for betta fries. Let’s check out the list.

Things You’ll Need

Firstly, let’s know what’ll be your necessities to set up a tank for betta fries:

1. 3+ gallon tank or bigger (size-wise)
2. Tank’s cover
3. Heater
4. Filter
5. De-chlorinated, clean water
6. Siphon for changing water
7. Decor
8. Plant
9. Light
10. Food

These are some basic things to set up a tank. But you can add other things that make your betta fries happily healthy.

When setting up a tank for betta fries, it’s crucial to include certain essentials, as highlighted by Mary McCauley from Mary’s Magic Bettas.

A 5-gallon minimum tank, preferably 9 or 10 gallons for certain bettas, is necessary. She also recommends a gentle sponge filter, an adjustable heater with a thermometer, and various décor and enrichment items like betta hammocks and silk or live plants for a safe and stimulating environment.

Size of Tank

Generally, people can’t decide the proper size of tanks for their betta fries. Some experts think that if the tank’s size is small, you can easily monitor everything.

Again, some experts suggest buying a big tank or aquarium. The reason is that the betta fries tend to survive more in a bigger environment.

So, the experts have given an ideal tank size for betta fries.

To ensure healthy breeding and growth of betta fries, tank size mustn’t be less than 3 gallons.

If you want my suggestion, I’ll recommend to start with a 10 gallon tank. You can find a good deal here.

Tank Cover

Have you ever heard that any betta owner happened to find an empty tank without betta? To reduce your wonder, you should know that bettas are fantastic jumpers. So, there is a great risk of putting your betta fries without a tank cover.

Also, the tank cover makes the tank warmer keeping the heat. This is helpful for the betta fries and eggs. If you don’t want to add a tank cover, you must put your betta fries in a lidded aquarium or tank.

For seeing some good deals on aquarium covers, you can click here. You’ll see a large selection of different sized tank covers at a very good price range!

Heater

Many people want to know if they need to set up a heater in a tank! It depends upon your environment. Betta fries need a warm temperature of 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, you don’t need to set up a heater if you live in a warm place. Otherwise, the betta fries may fall sick in cold water.

When choosing a heater, you need to be careful because heaters have a bad reputation of malfunctioning. I even heard stories about malfunctioned heater electrocuting the tank inhabitants.

If you want my recommendation, I’ll suggest Freesea Submersible Aquarium Thermometer. You’ll find 5 different wattage options to choose from. It also received the “Best Seller” tag on Amazon.

Add DE chlorinated Water

Water is the most important part of an aquarium or a tank. Many people want to know what kind of water is good for the betta fries. So, we’re going to discuss it in detail here.

Tap Water Okay For Betta Fries?

Yes, you can use tap water in the tank certainly if it fulfills all conditions. Its pH has to be around 7. You can check pH yourself by picking a pH test kit.

But, tap water can be risky for your betta fries. Cities supply safe, drinking water adding chlorine to kill bacteria. Thus, these chemicals in the tap water become a threat to betta fries.

That’s why you need to neutralize the tap water before adding it to the tank.

How Can You Dechlorinate Water?

Dechlorination is quite easy. You can simply boil the tap water before adding it to the betta fry’s tank. Boil it for at least 25 minutes to remove all chlorine. Don’t forget to cool it down before adding it to betta’s tank.

Further, you can use a UV sterilizer. Carbon filters can also be an easy option to dechlorinate water for the tank. Again, you can put a spoon of ascorbic acid into each gallon of water.

If you don’t want such trouble, you can just let the water set. Put the tank of water under direct exposure to sunlight for 20 hours. By following any of the above-mentioned ways, you can add dechlorinated water to the betta fry’s tank.

Is Distilled Water Okay For Betta Fries?

The answer is a big NO. You mustn’t put distilled water in the tank of betta fries. It doesn’t have any minerals or nutrients which is important for the survival of betta fries.

Also, the pH of distilled water is controlled. So, distilled water can’t be okay whereas the slightest change of pH swing can be deadly for betta fries.

Décor And Plants

We perhaps don’t know that bettas love to hide under plants and decors. You need to ensure that these decors or plants are not harmful or unsafe to betta fries.

There are plenty of options for decors and plants. For example

1. Lava rocks,
2. Marimo Moss Balls,
3. Sinking Ceramic Betta Log,
4. Cattapa Leaf
5. Betta Leaf Hammock
6. Driftwood,
7. Silk Aquarium Plants
8. Floating Plants or Aquarium Plants

A nice decoration in the tank helps betta fries be stimulated. Also, this makes them active and improves their immunity. Make sure that betta fries have enough place to swim in the tank.

Filtration

It’s better to place a filter in the setup of betta’s tank. Just like other fish or plants, betta fries release ammonia into the water. To deal with ammonia, we need bacteria that we can get through filtration.

Although betta fries can survive without a filter, filtration helps keep water safe for betta fries. There are varieties of suitable filters for the betta tank, such as – sponge filter, corner filter, internal power filter, etc.

For a 10 gallon betta tank, I’ll suggest a good Hang-On-Back Filter. Hang On Back filters don’t take up any space inside the aquarium and they are perfect for small to moderate sized tanks. My recommendation will be the Penguin model from Marineland.

Lighting

Lighting is equally important as warmth in a tank for betta fries. When you set up a tank for betta fries, try to place it close to a window.

In this way, betta fries can easily get natural sunlight. But, you shouldn’t keep them under direct sunlight for a long time. This puts risks of UV radiation which can hurt betta fry’s eyes.

Otherwise, you need to arrange lighting in the tank artificially. You can prefer plain white LED light or an aquarium light.

Don’t forget to turn off the light at night. This helps create a schedule for betta’s sleeping pattern. After all, they’re tropical fish.

Fry Tank Maintenance

It’s really beautiful to nurture betta fries and see them growing. But you need to care and remember some tips for fry tank.

• Many people ask if they need to cycle a fry tank. Since betta fries release waste as ammonia, only bacteria can remove this. Cycling gives such bacteria a good time before adding breeding betta. If you can’t cycle before adding betta into the tank, you can do fish-in cycling.

• The water change of a fry tank depends on its water condition. If you have a filter in the tank, you need not change water frequently. Otherwise, you can change 10% of the water in two days. It helps fasten fry’s growth.

• You need to concern about the tank’s cleanliness. Usually, a small tank gets dirty fast. When you clean the fry tank, make sure to wash the rocks, décor, plants too.

In total, take care of betta fries and make proper maintenance of the tank. Thus, your fries will grow into a healthy, colorful betta.