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The second in my ambitious streak of article writing. Enjoy...
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Bettas and 100% Water Changes

When asked how one cleans their Betta's tank clean, it's usually suggested that a once-weekly 100% water change is the best idea. Now... wait... 100%? Where does the Betta go?! Heehee... I guess it's more like a 98% water change or something along those lines, however, for simplicity's sake, we'll call it 100%.

I'm often asked how to quickly and easily keep a Betta's environment clean and healthy. I'm sure many people who are known Betta-keepers are asked the same question. I thought I'd write this out so we can all easily refer others to it in the future.

First, get all the necessary supplies ready. You need the dechlorinator, scrubbing pad, possibly medications if you're in the midst of treatment. Some people add salt to the water on a regular basis. If that is your habit, go for it. I keep those silly little cups you often buy bettas in... They make decent temporary containers to use while cleaning the Betta tank. The covers prevent any jumping.

Bring all your supplies and your Betta tank(s) to your preferred sink. I find this to be the easiest, fastest way to clean Betta tanks, especially multiple tanks.

After setting up all your supplies within easy reach, take the Betta cup, rinse it thoroughly (hot water works well, especially between cleaning different Betta tanks), then use it to scoop the Betta out of the tank. This can be easier said than done, however. Once used to the procedure, some bettas will fairly swim into the cup, others will never go easily.

If you can manage it, tilt the cup so that the rim is still above the level of the water, with the bottom under the water. When the Betta swims near the rim of the cup, near the surface, press the cup down and the Betta will be sucked into the cup. Quickly tip the cup back up to keep the Betta contained.

Another effective way of doing this is to completely submerge the cup and trap the Betta against the wall of the tank or simply allowing the Betta to swim into the cup and turning the cup upright and taking it out of the tank. In the case of the most difficult bettas, you may simply fill the Betta cup with tank water and scoop the Betta up with a net to deposit him into the cup. However, too much net use may damage slime coat or fins/scales... that's why I avoid this option unless absolutely necessary.

You'll find out what technique works best for each Betta... I've had bettas that swam into the cup, as if understanding that it heralded the advent of clean water. Others, I've had be terribly difficult about the whole situation. As with everything that deals with bettas, you have to take into account their personalities.

Once you've gotten your Betta into the cup with enough water to keep him happy for a short time, put the lid on and move on to cleaning his home. If the Betta is nervous about being in the cup, cover the cup with something to make it dark... like putting a towel over a bird's cage to simulate night.

The easiest way to do this is to take out the decor and rinse it under hot water (scrubbing if necessary with the cleaning pad). Put those to the side - I use a paper plate to keep everything off of the countertop - and dump the water out of the tank, down the sink. Item of note - parental units (or roommates) tend to get peeved if you happen to get gravel in the sink and forget to clean it out. Not that I have any experience with that. Nope, none at all.

After dumping the water, clean the sides of the tank with the pad (or paper towels, or whatever you care to use), then fill with tap water. You know the phrase the dentists say: Rinse and spit, rinse and spit? Same deal... add water to the tank, swish the water around in the gravel and dump the water out. Keep doing that until the water runs clear and the gravel doesn't have any ammonia smell to it. I generally use hot water to rinse out the first few times, then do a final rinse in cold water, to cool down the temp of the gravel.

Fill the tank about 1/2 to 2/3 full - keeping the temperature within a degree or so of the original temperature - then rearrange the decor in the tank. Treat water with dechlor and any other additives you normally add. Return the Betta to his nice clean tank (including the water he's currently in), then move the tank back to its place. Add treated water to top off the tank.

Make sure you clean up any mess you left on the countertops, and put your stuff away (another thing the parents/roommates get peeved about) and tada... you're done.

This is truly the fastest way of performing a 100%(-ish) water change that I've found. This works for multiple tanks (I regularly clean five Betta tanks or more) and bypasses the chore of using a gravel vacuum. Instead of being disturbed for an extended period of time while you clean the tank, the Betta is disturbed only twice, once in putting them into the cup, once in returning to the tank. This provides a more thorough cleaning of the tank.

And since it cuts cleaning time down, you can get back to the fun part... enjoying your Betta's happiness in his newly cleaned tank.

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Again, comments, critiques, suggestions... all are welcome.

Last edited by Kitten at 06-Jun-2005 14:30

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Very good! Nice and detailed

Unfortunalty for me tho I can't do it that way My water comes out of the tap already with ammonia and such, so I do 25% changes every other day. Which is annoying But it keeps them healthy.

thanx this was very useful....bettas dont need cycled water right?

this is if u dont have a filter right?

Last edited by xlinkinparkx at 18-Jun-2005 10:12

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

i always do a 100 % water change. they will be inactive for most of the day, but they dont seem to mind.

Good article. If it is a 100% water change then the water isn't cycled, but treated. Since they are usually kept in a small container, it is usually impossible, or nearly so, to cycle it.

Great article - 'tis exactly how I do my betta water changes ^_~ (though, I've two bettas that will swim into my hand to transfer them as long as I've got a hand full of water)

i was under the impression that 100% water changes are never good for fish, why is it that it's fine for bettas?

Dalmy, with Betta tanks the water is never cycled, so when doing a water change it isn't really a matter of changing the water chemistry, its more of getting the dirty water out and the clean stuff in - so the Bettas aren't really put through so much stress from water chem; they can handle a little bit of stress from moving containers.

If you have a betta in a 10 gallon and the water is cycled, you have a filter, ect. Then no, you wouldn't do 100% water changes, you'ld handle it like any other fish.

How would live plants do with the 100% water changes? I have a java fern with my betta in a 2.5 gallon. Having pristine water wouldn't starve the plant?

When i had my Betta, i always did a 100% water changes & i had a small box filter in the tank.


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Should I be washing live plants as well somehow for parasites?

Um, did you mention about keeping the water temperature the same? The water that comes out of the tap is rarely the same temp as the water the fish is in. I have seven 5 gallon tanks so I need to change one everyday so I bought 14 buckets, I fill them all with water and let them sit until they are the same temp (this usually happens in the middle of the day or I may need to pull the heater out of the tank and stick it in the bucket) and then net the fish into the buckets, clean the tank, and pour the water back into the tank. I have two buckets for each fish and a net for each fish. They don't share anything so they don't share any diseases. The cup used to drive me mad. NONE of my bettas would co-operate. I did used to do it your way but the cup and controlling the temperatures prevented me from doing so.