Do your Betta needs a heater?
- Aug 19, 2020
- Anshika Mishra
- 708 0 0
Bettas have been labeled as an easy fish to keep in the aquarium hobby. Well, they are indeed easy to keep and great for beginners, but they need things like any other fish do.
One of the things that are overlooked by new fish keepers is the 'HEATER.' Low water temperature can cause a lot of different problems for your Betta?
What Happens When Bettas Are Kept in Cold Water?
If Bettas are kept in the colder water, they are going to be much more sluggish, and they are not going to move around quite as much. Their colors may not come up as beautiful as much you expected it to be if they are kept cooler. They will be boring, and they will not have much personality at all.
Bettas are more active and show their colors more if they are kept in warmer waters.
Betta Aquarium Heaters
One thing that you need to keep in mind is; what size heater you buy for the tank that you have. It is always recommended for a 5-10 gallon tank. So you need to be extremely careful when you are buying a heater, especially if you are somebody that keeps their Betta in something under 5-gallon.
The heater you choose will depend on what size of a tank you have. Well, the smallest one available in the market would be able to cope up with 5-gallon, but with that, one needs to be a little bit cautious, as far as having smaller tanks, something under 5-gallon.
You need to be super careful with these heaters because you don't want to overheat your tank, as overheating can be deadly as well.
When buying a heater, most of them will tell you what size tank they are for or the wattage. So if it tells you the size of the tank, you know what size tank it is for. If it tells you the wattage, then you want to estimate 3-5 watts per gallon. So for simple math, a 300-watt heater could heat a 60 to 100-gallon tank.
Setting Up Heater in a Betta Tank
You want to set up your heater in the tank before you even put your fish in it.
- Let it run for a couple of days.
- Make sure your heater is working correctly.
- Get a digital thermometer to check the temperature is correct.
- Make sure it's not too hot or too cold.
The digital thermometer will let you know if you are under heating or overheating your tank. Adding the heater will make your Betta much more enjoyable to watch, and you will be doing the right thing for your Bettas. They will be happy, cozy in their perfect environment.
Get a Digital Thermometer
Unfortunately, heaters have been known to be faulty and fail, so you have to keep a close eye on your tank's temperature. Having a thermometer will help that. It is recommended to have a thermometer while having a heater in your tank.
Life or Death Temperatures for Your Betta
Just know that the water temperature can be a life or death situation for your Betta. If your Betta is kept in colder water, their metabolism will slow down. This can be a death sentence for your fish, preventing them from naturally being able to repair fins or replace old cells; then, their immune system weakens, and it doesn't work correctly.
A fish's immune system is essential for keeping them healthy, or they won't be able to fight off stress or disease. Just remember that when your Betta's immune system is compromised, he can be more susceptible to bacteria, fungus, and even parasites.
These things are less likely to happen if your temperatures are warmer, like 79-80, and your Bettas have a better chance of not falling sick.
If you are trying to breed Bettas, then a heater is a must. Colder water can prevent the development of eggs and also the growth of fry.
The Right Thing for Your Betta
When you go into a store, you see that Bettas are in cups, and they don't have a filter or heater for them. You probably think that they look elegant, they are swimming around, they are fine. But really, they are not. They do need to be in a tank with a filter, and they need to have a heater too.
So do the right thing by your Betta and put a heater in the tank, make sure you get the right one, read the direction, make sure you get the right size heater for your tank.
You Betta will thank you for that.
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