Heating for Bettas

Very often, people are sold very small aquaria to house Siamese fighting fish. And so, there is the misconception that these fish cannot live in larger tanks. They actually do well in larger tanks, as it allows them to swim about more freely. The other problem with small tanks is that they do not afford the space to install heaters and filtration. For these reasons, I would encourage owners of Siamese fighting fish to invest in a larger tank (and for aquarium retailers to promote a larger tank for such fish).

The other great thing about having a larger tank is that you can house a number of other types of fish together with your fighter. However, you’ll need to select tank mates carefully.

1. Do not choose fishes that resemble the male fighter. For example, the fighting fish may mistake male guppies (with their extended finnage) as potential treats.
2. Do not choose fish that nip fins or attack/disturb slow moving fishes. For example, tiger barbs are renown to be nippy fish and the Chinese sucker mouth catfishes can be very annoying to your Betta.