How To Set Up A Betta Fish Tank: Step By Step Guide - ModestFish

Betta fish are awesome, with their vivid colors and glorious fins they deserve a home that allows them to flourish and live a healthy life.

And what makes them great, is you really don’t need a high-tech set up. Making them great for beginners.

A simple 5 gallon planted tank, with some lighting and a sponge filter will provide a betta fish with a home it can thrive in.

Here’s how to choose equipment, set up the tank, and acclimate your betta.

Table of Contents

• Step1: Picking Your Tank & Equipment
• Step 2: Setting Up Your Betta Tank
• Step 3: Picking Your Betta & How to Acclimate

Step1: Picking Your Tank & Equipment

Here is a quick overview of what you’ll need

• Minimum 5 gallon tank but larger will be easier
• Heater
• Low flow filter
• LED lighting
• Thermometer
• Inert substrate
• Live plants
• Water conditioner
• Bucket for water changes
• Gravel vacuum for water changes
• Water testing kits

Picking Your Aquarium

Betta’s require at least a 5 gallon tank to be able to live in a healthy environment and flourish. I would recommend you check out your local fish stores as you can often find some great bargains on tanks. Just make sure it has a lid or you’re easily able to attach one. Bettas do jump.

If you want to order online, the Fluval spec aquarium kit is great for beginner betta fish owners and comes with almost everything you need to get started.

Picking your Heater

You need a reliable heater to keep the water consistent between 75°-81°F (23.8°-27.2°C). From testing different aquarium heaters, I would recommend you pick from the Fluval E series.

This heater is accurate, reliable, and comes with a heater guard so won’t damage your betta’s fins if it touches it.

Picking your Filter

A sponge filter will be most suitable for your betta fish. They’re not the strongest swimmers, so sponge filters will be enough for you to establish the nitrogen cycle, keep the water column healthy, but not blow your betta around the tank.

After testing different sponge filters, I found UPETTOOLS Biochemical sponge filter to be best for tanks in the 5-10 gallon range. If you’re going above 10 gallons, Hygger’s Double Sponge Filter will be your best choice.

To get the best filtration for your tank, use a filter with a GPH 4 x greater than the size of your tank. Example, a 5 gallon tank would be a filter with at least 20 GPH.

Picking LED Lighting

I’m going to recommend you keep live plants with your betta, as they absolutely love them. Which means a programmable LED light will make keeping the plants healthy and providing your betta with a consistent light/dark schedule easy.

I’ve tested a number of LED light fixtures and Hygger’s 24/7 LED kit offers outstanding value for money and would be what I recommend you check out.

Picking Substrate

Firstly, whatever substrate you use, make sure it’s inert. This means it won’t change and affect your water parameters. Smooth gravel, sand, or soft aqua soils will be your go-to here.

Ensure the substrate is smooth so your betta won’t damage its fins. For bright betta fish, a dark substrate from Seachem or Fluval would really make your fish stand out.

Picking Plants & Decorations

Any decorations will do. Bettas fish love a tank with toys and caves as they need some stimulation to stay happy. When choosing, just make sure there are no rough edges your betta could damage its fins on.

Live plants are an absolute must in my opinion.

You can try some beginner friendly plants like java fern, anubias, java moss, water wisteria, and marimo moss balls. As well as some floating plants like frogbit or dwarf water lettuce to discourage your betta from jumping.

You can learn more about picking plants for betta fish here.

Required Maintenance Equipment

You’ll be performing weekly water changes and monthly maintenance on your tank. So here are some other items you’ll want to pick up:

• Gravel vac for water changes
• 5 gallon bucket for water changes
• Water conditioner for water changes
• Thermometer to make it easy to check the water temperature
• Water testing kits (we compared some to lab results and found API Freshwater Master Kit most accurate)
• Aquascape tools for trimming plants

Step 2: Setting Up Your Betta Tank

1. Preparing and Placing the Aquarium

Start by cleaning out your tank with just water, no soap! Then choose a sport that’s near a window, but not exposed to direct sunlight.

Make sure the surface is flat and sturdy – you may want to consider purchasing a stand designed to hole the weight of your tank. Leave five inches between the aquarium and the wall to allow for the filter.

If you have other pets, you may want to consider placing your Betta in a room they don’t have access to. Keep the tank out of direct sunlight.

2. Install Your Filter

Not all filters are the same, so different types will require different installation methods.

It’s very common that the instructions on filters are terrible. So I’d recommend you check out this guide we created on how to set up a sponge filter.

Make sure you don’t turn your filter on until your tank is filled with water.

3. Add Decorations & Hardscape

Adding this before substrate reduces the risk of your substrate shifting and destabilizing your hardscape and decorations.

If you’ve purchased decorations from a pet store, they just be safe without any major cleaning. Just rinse with tap water.If you’re concerned at all, you can use this guide we’ve created on making decorations safe.

4. Add Your Substrate

Give your substrate a thorough rinse with cool running water to remove dust which could clog your filter. Don’t use soap.

Then add the tank. If you’re using real plants, you’ll need at least two inches of gravel.

5. Partially Fill With Water

Fill your tank’s water up to several inches above the substrate and no further.

6. Add Plants

Adding in your plants with a partial water line will give you plenty of room to work with in the tank.

If you’re unsure how to add plants to an aquarium, we have a guide here on adding potted plants and here on how to anchor plants.

7. Finish Filling

Slowly fill your tank up with the rest of the water and leave about an inch gap between the water line and the top of your tank. Your Betta’s an anabantoid, meaning it’s able to breathe the same air as you and me by using a unique organ called a labyrinth. Cool, right?

Take this part very slow so you don’t kick up a bunch of debris from the substrate.

8. Turn on Your Filter and Install Your Heater

Now that you’ve filled your tank with water, it’s safe to turn on your filter. Make sure the water is circulating gently, soothly, and quietly.

It’s common your heater will come with suction cups to attach it inside your aquarium. Following the instructions, you’ll want to set the temperature so it’s between 75°-81°F (23.8°-27.2°C)..

Place your thermometer so you can easily monitor the temperature.

7. Perform The Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is the process we go through to ensure the water column is safe for fish to live in. During this process, beneficial bacteria will become established in your tank and filter media. Allowing ammonia (toxic) to convert to nitrite (toxic), then nitrite to nitrates (non-toxic).

That’s why you can’t skip this step. The beneficial bacteria will supplement your fish’s environment by neutralizing their waste.

The cycle is finished when Ammonia is at 0 ppm, Nitrites 0 ppm, and Nitrates are under 20 ppm.Read here for an easy-to-follow guide on how to cycle your tank.

Water Parameters for Betta fish:

• pH: 6.0-7.5
• Temperature: 75°-81°F (23.8°-27.2°C)
• Ammonia and Nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: <20 ppm
• GH: 3-4 dGH (50-66.7 ppm)
• KH: 3-5 dKH (53.6- 89.4 ppm)

Step 3: Picking Your Betta & How to Acclimate

Don’t buy your Betta until your tank has finished cycling. It will just make the whole transition smoother. When your tank is ready, it’s time to go buy your Betta!

Here’s how to tell if a Betta is healthy:

• Bright body and undamaged fins
• The Betta is active and swimming well
• If it’s flaring at another Betta or you
• No deformities (missing eyes, fins, or scales etc.)
• No white dots or fuzzy substances (signs of disease)

How to Acclimate to New Tank

Acclimating your betta is easy. Just follow these steps:

Equipment:

• Small bucket or a specimen container (Dip & Pour)
• 8 oz cup
• Aquarium net

Steps:

1. Start by floating the bag in the tank water for about 20 minutes so the temperature can slowly equalize.
2. Next, put your betta into a small bucket, or better yet, a specimen container (what us old folks call a Dip & Pour).
3. Slowly scoop 1-2 cups (200-500 milliliters) of tank water into the container. Continue to do this until you’ve doubled the volume of water the fish is in.
4. Remove half of the water and discard it.
5. Keep scooping in water until the volume has doubled again.
6. Remove half of the water and discard it.
7. Double the volume of water again, then net the fish and add it to the tank.

The live fish store should be able to tell you what their water parameters are, which you can compare to the parameters of your home tanks. Take extra time and care if there is a significant difference in your water versus theirs, especially when it comes to pH, GH and KH.

Final Thoughts

Betta fish are fantastic pets and they deserve to be treated right. After going through the correct method of preparing its tank, make sure you care for it properly.

This means, feeding your betta with a high-quality diet and keeping up with regular maintenance.

Monitor your pH, ammonia, and nitrate levels. And perform 20% water changes once a week to maintain a healthy environment.