Betta Listserv - Betta Care :The Basics

Things to know about Bettas :

Congratulations on your decision to purchase a Betta Splenden!! Hi, I am Harold, a Betta Splenden!! I will walk you through this online care guide.
	Betta Splendens are very hardy fish. We can put up with some pretty harsh conditions, although I have to admit, we don't care much for them. We have an organ (the labyrinth organ) that allows us to breathe air from the surface of the water. This is how we prefer to breathe, and let me tell you, it comes in handy for our owners! Having the ability to breathe from the surface eliminates the need for oxygenation in the water. Seeing as how we like calmer water, this is great because we won't need any aeration!!
We like our water to have a neutral PH, but we can handle slight variations in either direction. PH measures the acid or alkaline in the water. A higher PH means it is more Alkaline, and a lower PH is more acidic. A neutral PH is 7.0. Getting a PH test kit is an excellent idea.
	When it comes to temperature, we prefer warmer, tropical water. We originate in Asia, and we have nice warm water there. So if you can keep our water anywhere from 78°F to 82°F, we will be happy. If you keep us in a tank that really can't hold a heater, we usually get along fine in room temperature water. (We aren't all that picky)
When you get us home, you should float us in our bag in the tank or bowl you plan on keeping us in. Do this for about 15 minutes, then add a little of the tank water to our bag. This will get us used to the temperature and condition of the water in our new home. Whatever you do, DON'T let any of the water from my bag get into my new tank. If you haven't noticed, a lot of pet stores' water isn't all that pleasant. Even if the pet store where you bought me has clean tanks, it is still a good idea not to chance it.
	After another 15 minutes you can plop me in my new home (being careful, of course, not to get my icky bag water in my nice new home!) Give me a little food and let me get all relaxed and comfy in my new surroundings.
Lesson 1: We like calm water; Lesson 2: We breathe from the waters surface with the Labyrinth organ. Lesson 3: We like a neutral PH of 7.0. Lesson 4: We like warmer water, 78°F - 82°F Lesson 5: Get us used to the water and DON'T put our bag water into our new tank!