Care of Betta fish in a bowl

Pick a location for your vase. Where you place your vase will impact your Betta's health and longevity. Ideally you want a location away from noise and heat and has only a little natural light. Too much noise can cause stress and fin rot. Heat sources can cause dramatic fluctuations in water temperature. Excessive natural light can promote algae growth. Choose the vase you want. If you have decided that a vase with a live plant is the preferred setup for your fish, then the first step is to decide which vase will work best. In general, the bigger the vase, the better. The larger the vase, the more room your Betta has to swim around, which makes for a healthier, happier fish. Your vase should be no less than one gallon. Decide on the basic setup. Once you have the vase and location you want to decide what to put in your vase beyond your Betta. Most people include a plant, a tray, and gravel.

• The most commonly used plant is a Peace Lily, a type of Spathiphyllum. Spathiphyllums are used because they are tropical plants that do not require a lot of sunlight or water to survive.
• Bettas are jumpers. You need a tray that will sit above the surface of the water to keep your Betta from jumping out of the vase. Bettas will come to the surface and gulp air so keep the tray above the actual surface of the water.
• Any type of gravel or rocks should be fine provided they are clean and free of any chemical traces. Glass beads or marbles do just fine.

Get everything ready for your Betta. Put your gravel in first on the bottom of the vase. Use filtered drinking water to fill your vase. Avoid distilled water as the distillation process removes natural minerals needed for your Betta. Tap water will need to be dechlorinated. You will also need items and equipment for proper care. You will need fish food and may need a small water heater. Once you have everything together, let the tank sit for 24 hours before introducing your Betta to it.

• Feed your Betta daily with freeze dried blood worms, brine shrimp, or an appropriate Betta food. They are omnivores and require meat to survive. They cannot live off plant roots. Feed your fish once daily up to 5-6 days per week.
• Bettas are tropical fish and thrive in temperatures of 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit (24.4-26.6 degrees Celsius). Never let the tank drop below 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). If your room temperature is regularly in these ranges, you will be ok. If your room temperature is below these ranges, a small heater will be necessary.

Acclimate your Betta to the new environment. Once you have setup your vase its time to introduce your Betta to it. Remove anything restricting access to the water surface. If you Betta is not already in a clear plastic bag, transfer it to one using the same water they are in already. Set the bag on top of the water for 20 minutes. Then use water from the tank to double the water in the bag. Allow to sit another 20 minutes. This allows the water temperatures to equalize. Finally, flip the bag over and release the fish into the water.

• If you are cautious about mixing store water with your own water, use a net to transfer your Betta after the last 20 minute rest.