How To Change Betta Fish Water In 3 Simple Ways

High nitrate and ammonia levels brought by waste materials are not evident to the naked eye. But, they may cause serious stress in your betta.

To keep the water in your tank clean and healthy, the most crucial thing you have to provide is long-term happiness and health.

If you keep the aquarium of your betta fish unfiltered, then you may change up to 50 percent of the water each week. You need to keep in mind that the smaller the tank is, the more water you have to replace.

If your betta has a filtered bowl, then you can change only around 20 percent of the water every week.

Are you still unsure about how often you have to replace the water in the tank of your betta fish? Do you want to replace it, but you don’t know how to do it? Read on to know the exact steps on how to change betta fish water.

Changing the Water of Your Betta Fish Tank

The most efficient way you can take care of your betta fish tank is to fill it with clean water. One of the biggest mistakes a lot of people do is to keep their fishes in a smaller bowl.

Then, they rarely replace or never chance the water in the aquarium. You have to change the water regularly to make sure that your betta remains healthy and happy at all times.

But, you should be a victim of the thought that your betta fish can survive in a tiny container without changing the water. A few years ago, putting rocks, decors, and aquarium plants have become a significant trend on the market.

A lot of marketing strategies insisted that bettas live better when you have these items. But, these claims were not true. And unfortunately, most of these people lost their fishes.

3 Easy Steps to Change the Betta Fish Water

Here are some ways to replace the water in your tank:

Set Up the Tank for Water Replacement

You need to fill a bucket or a container of clean water. Plus, you need to find a bowl that can contain up to the right amount of water you’ll need to change the water in the tank.

You can use the same container for this reason. That way, you won’t be confused if the bowl contains toxic chemicals for household cleaning.

Then, you have to put some water conditioner. Your tap water has chemicals that are harmful to your fish, including chlorine and fluoride. Your water conditioner will get rid of those substances quickly.

You need to wait until it can adapt to the room temperature or the same as the temperature of the aquarium. Take note that sudden alterations in the temperature will stress out your fish. You want your tank water to be at 78 to 82 degrees.

Moreover, you need some extra buckets to filter put the water from the fish tank. The bucket does not need to be clean or sterile because you still have to dump it. You may also obtain a hose to draw off the water from the tank.

Pet shops may have specialized tubes that have a wide and firm plastic at the tip to help you in the cleaning process. All you have to do is to tie the other end of the tube that you have to connect in the bowl. If the filter is also dirty, you may need to replace it too.

Get Rid of the Old Water

Before starting with these steps, you need to take note that you have to do them without removing the betta fish in the tank. You also have to be gentle not to disturb the environment of the fish.

The only time you have to take the fish out is when you have to change the water completely.

Firstly, you have to take away the cover of your tank. Ensure that the lights, filters, and heaters are no longer plugged. That way, your primary concern is safety.

Then, you have to obtain the bucket and place it close to the aquarium. You also have to remove the decors such as rocks, plants, and fish houses from the tank.

Next, place the suction hose or tube into the tank. Other suctions have a method of getting the water out of the tank.

Then, it also fills the water slowly. But, if you do not have one, you may find it challenging to get rid of the water into the tank. So, you need to ensure that you pull the hose away.

You also have to draw the suction tube across the tank gravel. That way, you are bobbing the tube up and down across the gravel in your tank. You have to follow a 45-degree angle.

The reason you have to do this step is for you to suck the water up and get rid of the rotten fish food. By doing so, you can help in making the tank clean and healthy.

However, you also have to make sure that you do not take away too much water. Experts recommend that you only get rid 50 percent of unfiltered water and 20 percent of filtered water.

The remaining water will contain essential bacteria for healthy tank environment. After removing the water, you can flush it down the toilet.

Add the New Water in the Tank

You have to put the decorations and rocks back into the aquarium. Then, you have to use the hose to fill the tank with water. Also, you have to change the filter if it is dirty. Place the lid the back of the aquarium. Plug back your heater, filter, and lights.