7 Reasons Your Betta Fish Tank Gets Dirty Fast (& What To Do)
Looking after bettas is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it does come with its challenges. Although they are incredibly beautiful animals, a betta fish tank gets dirty fast.
A dirty betta fish tank is usually an indication of impurities in the water and bacterial build-up, often caused by unclean decorations or decaying biological waste. Depending on the light and phosphate conditions, you can also end up with a lot of algae growth. To keep the tank clean, you need a good filtration system, a suitable tank environment, and a regular maintenance schedule.
Read ahead in this article to find out more about why a betta fish tank tends to get dirty so quickly and how best to manage this problem yourself.
Why Does Betta Fish Water Get Dirty So Fast?
It can often feel like you’ve barely left your betta fish tank alone for a minute before the water starts to look cloudy. It is really important for the health of your fish that you don’t let the water become dirty, but why does it happen so fast?
Dirty Gravel or Decorations
One of the most common mistakes that fish tank owners make is introducing elements that are not sufficiently clean. New gravel, aquarium stones, or even decorations can introduce a lot of sediment that will make your tank water appear cloudy. Even worse, they might accidentally bring harmful bacteria into an aquarium.
Make sure to properly rinse and clean any new decorations, particularly gravel, that you plan on placing inside your betta fish tank.
You Don’t Have The Right Filtration
There are different kinds of filters that you will need for a betta fish tank, and not having the right one can lead to your water becoming dirty very quickly. Mechanical filters will remove debris, chemical filters absorb impurities to make the water clearer, and biological filters introduce helpful bacteria that break down waste.
Some betta fish owners don’t use a filter at all because a filter can interfere with a betta’s ability to swim in a small tank. Without a filter, however, you will need to constantly replenish the water in the tank to keep it clean.
Your Filter Needs Cleaning or Replacing
Even with the right filter in the tank, the water will eventually start to become cloudy or dirty over time. This is because the filter media inside your filtration system gets clogged or used up and needs cleaning or replacing.
The Water Quality Has Changed
If the PH balance or the temperature of the water in your betta tank has changed, it can affect the amount of bacterial growth that is occurring. Cloudy, white water is often a result of unexpected changes to the water conditions.
Algae is Growing
Clouds of green in your water usually mean that algae have started to grow, and you won’t always see it on the glass of the tank first. Excess light or too many phosphates in the water often lead to algae growth.
You’re Overfeeding Your Betta
If the water in your betta fish tank is getting dirty too quickly, it might be because there is too much biological waste building up. Betta fish don’t actually need to eat too much at one time, and any excess food will collect on the bottom of the tank and start to decay. This is a very common cause of dirty tank water.
The Tank Is Too Small
A tank that is too small will always become dirty more quickly. A smaller tank means that the water becomes contaminated faster, and waste build-up is more of a problem. A single betta fish should not be kept in a tank that is smaller than 5 gallons.
Why Do Betta Fish Tanks Get Dirty So Fast?
Although the condition of the water might be the most pressing issue, the cleanliness of the tank itself is also important. There are many reasons why you might notice dirt or algae building up quickly in your betta fish tank.
Uneaten food doesn’t just affect the quality of the water in your betta’s tank – it can also lead to more algae growing on the surfaces as well. Biological waste contains the phosphates that algae feed on.
More Fish Means More Waste
Although a larger tank usually stays cleaner for longer, the more fish you have inside it, the quicker the dirt will appear. A greater number of fish always means more waste, impurities, and bacteria in the tank.
More Plants Means More Waste
It’s always great to have living plants inside of your betta tank, but it does mean more cleaning. Plants will grow and drop biological matter, like dead leaves, which leads to your tank becoming dirty.
Some Materials Leave Residue
If you notice a white residue forming on the glass of your betta’s tank, then you may have introduced the wrong materials into the tank. Some rocks and stones contain calcium, which will react with the water over time and cause a build-up of lime on the glass. This can also have a very negative effect on the quality of the water.
Filter Maintenance is Important
Cleaning and replacing your filters isn’t just about water quality – it’s important for the overall cleanliness of the tank as well. You want to make sure that debris, harmful bacteria, and impurities in the water are being dealt with effectively by your filters at all times.
How Long Can A Betta Fish Live In A Dirty Tank?
Betta fish are known for their hardiness and their ability to survive in lower-quality water. Although they can exist in poor conditions, it is bad for their health, and they will not live as long or as happily as they should.
A betta fish should never be left in dirty water if you can avoid it. They may live for a few weeks, or even months, in a dirty tank, but it will have a serious negative effect on their well-being.
Even if you are trying to keep them as clean as possible, tanks that are too small will always have poor water quality. Bettas that are forced to live in fishbowls, for example, rarely survive for more than a year.
How Do I Keep My Betta Fish Tank Clean Longer?
If you don’t want to be refreshing your betta’s water and wiping down surfaces in their aquarium as often, there are a few things that you can do to keep the tank cleaner for longer.
Change Your Filtration
If you want your betta fish tank to stay clean, you might need to think about changing up the filtration that you are using. Adding another filtration method, or opting for a more appropriate type of filter, can make all of the difference.
You may have the right filters in place, and you’re just not cleaning and replacing the media often enough. Chemical filter media generally needs to be changed every 1-4 weeks, and if you clean your sponges, they can last for a lot longer before they need to be replaced.
Ensure the Right Water Temperature
Water temperature is essential for the health of your betta fish. They should be kept in water that is between 76 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. If the water is too hot (or too cold), it doesn’t just cause bacteria and algae build-up – it can actually be fatal for your betta.
Reduce Light Levels
If algae are your main problem, then you might want to think about reducing the amount of light that your betta tank is in. Moving the tank away from the window, or lowering the amount of artificial light that you are exposing the tank to, can help to slow the growth of algae.
Ensure a Healthy Diet
To stop biological waste from collecting as quickly in your tank, make sure you are not overfeeding your betta – or giving them food that they don’t want to eat. The stomach of a betta fish is only about the size of its eye, so it can’t handle portions bigger than that.
Betta fish also need a varied diet that is high in crude proteins. If you are trying to feed your betta any plant-based foods, they are likely to ignore them and let them fall to the bottom of the tank.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bettas Fish Tank?
No matter what else you do, you will need to be cleaning your betta’s tank relatively frequently. Every day you should be checking to see how the tank and the water look, monitoring the water quality and inspecting your filters to make sure they are still working effectively.
Each week, you should be wiping down the sides of the tank with a clean cloth and scraping off any algae, taking out any dead leaves from plants or other large waste matter, and replacing about 10%-20% of the water.
Once a month, you should vacuum your aquarium gravel, replace a greater volume of the water, and thoroughly inspect your filter media. This is when you may need to clean or change your filter sponges and/or replace your chemical filters.
So, why is it that a betta fish tank gets dirty fast? Well, there are a lot of factors involved, but it all comes down to the fact that you have a whole ecosystem functioning in there. Biological waste and bacteria will build up over time, no matter what you do.
Your betta’s tank, and the water inside it, will become dirty more quickly if it is not properly filtered, the water quality is low, or you have introduced unclean rocks, decorations, or gravel. Smaller tanks get dirty faster as well, as do tanks with more fish.
If you want your betta fish to stay happy and healthy, then you need to stay on top of the cleanliness of their tank. You should be ensuring the right water quality and temperature, properly maintaining the filters, and ensuring that waste isn’t left to build up.
