When you get a new betta, you need to make sure you acclimate them instead of just dropping them into your tank. If you don’t acclimate them, you can cause an unnecessary amount of stress to them, which can cause harm or seriously shorten their lifespan.
Fortunately, in this article, not only will you find out the 4 different ways to acclimate your betta, but also how long a betta can survive in their transfer cup/bag, how long it takes to acclimate your betta, and the difference between acclimating your betta in an established tank, new tank, and community tank!
So keep reading to find out everything you need to know!
How To Acclimate Your Betta To Their Tank
There are a couple of different ways you can acclimate your betta, and the way you choose depends on how you’ve transferred your betta and the type of tank you currently have for them!
Water Switch Acclimation
Water switch acclimation is one of the simplest ways to transfer your betta, and it’s also one of the most commonly used ways as well! If you want to use the water switch method, here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
- First of all, you’re going to need to open the container. If you’re using a transfer cup, take the lid off, and if you’re using a bag, then just open the top.
- Once you’ve done this, you should allow both to float in the tank. A cup tends to float on its own if you prop it up against a corner; however, with a bag, sometimes it can be best to roll open the top of the bag to create an edge.
- In both cases, you should also keep the lights low, as this can help reduce any stress that your betta feels by making the tank feel safer to them.
- Once you’ve done this, wait 15 minutes and then top the bag up with about half a cup of tank water. Doing this will slowly acclimate your betta to the new water parameters of the tank.
- Keep adding more tank water every 15 minutes for an hour. If the tank conditions are extremely similar to the transfer containers’ conditions, then you can get away with 45 minutes.
- Finally, once your betta has acclimated for an hour, scoop them out of the bag or cup with a net and add them to the tank. You should avoid adding the container’s water to the tank as it may contain parasites or bacteria that could make your betta (or other community fish) sick.
- Now all you need to do is monitor your betta for the next couple of weeks to make sure they are thriving and not getting ill.
- And remember, the first couple of days, your betta may hide or not want to eat while they get used to their new surroundings.
Drip Method Acclimation
If you have the tie, drip method acclimation is one of the best ways you can acclimate your betta to their tank. However, it is going to take a little bit more time than simply transferring them from their container to the tank.
If you plan on using the drip method to acclimate your betta, then here’s what you’ll need to do!
- Find a large bucket or container that is clean. (Make sure you haven’t used chemicals to clean it, as they may linger in the container and harm your betta.
- Once you’ve found the right container, empty your betta and all the water into the bucket.
- Next, you’re going to need a siphon and something to pinch it to slow the rate at which the water goes through. If you can’t find anything to pinch it, the best thing to do is tie a few loose knots into it. You should experiment beforehand to get the flow right.
- Now you need to place the bucket you’re keeping your betta in below the tank. Once you’ve done this, place one end of the siphon into your tank and suck the water through the other end.
- When the water starts coming through, you should be getting around 4 to 5 drips a second.
- After around 15-20 minutes, the water in the bucket should have doubled in volume. When this happens, remove half the water from the bucket and allow it to double in volume again.
- Once it’s doubled in volume once more, you can then move your betta from the bucket to your tank.
- Use a net or scoop to do this. This way, you reduce the chance of bacteria or parasites entering your tank.
- And lastly, when your betta is in his tank, top it up with conditioned water, and leave the lights off so he can adjust better!
Acclimating Your Betta To A Community Tank
As a side note, if you plan on adding your betta to a community tank, it’s often a good idea to quarantine them for 2-4 weeks beforehand. This way, if they have an illness, it will show up in the quarantine tank and not spread in your community tank.
Do You Have To Acclimate A Betta?
Whatever fish you add to your aquariums, it’s always important to acclimate them beforehand. Temperature shock can kill fish extremely fast, and this, in combination with different pH levels, can really stress your betta out.
On top of this, just dumping the transport water into the tank can also cause diseases to spread.
How Long Does It Take To Acclimate A Betta
If you’re going to acclimate your betta, it should only take around 30-60 minutes to do. Any longer than this, and your betta may start to get stressed; anything shorter, and your betta may not have acclimated properly.
How Long Can Betta Fish Survive In Their Transfer Cup?
There’s no real answer to this question because every betta is different, but you definitely want your betta to spend as little time as possible in their transfer cup. If they’re in it for too long, then the temperature is going to drop slowly, and they’ll also run out of oxygen if the bag isn’t opened.
As well as this, if they spend too much time in the bag, then it will also become more and more toxic as the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels inside it begin to increase.
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What Should You Do After You’ve Acclimated Your Betta
Once your betta is in the tank, your job is not over; there are still a few things you can do to make their transition as comfortable as possible for them!
- First of all, you should continue to monitor their behavior to make sure that they’re not sick or stressed and that they’re adjusting well. Fortunately, in most cases, after 3 or 4 days, your betta should have adjusted, and they’ll be more than happy in their new tank.
- You should also try feeding them live food to keep them distracted and take their attention away from their new surroundings. However, if you notice that your betta doesn’t feed in the first couple of days, don’t worry too much, as this is perfectly normal!
- Lastly, you should also keep an eye out for signs of aggression in your betta if you’ve put him in a community tank. If you notice that he’s attacking other fish, then you may need to move him to his own tank. Likewise, if you notice other fish bullying your betta, you’ll need to move him too!
Recap
As you can see, acclimating your betta isn’t difficult, and it should only take you an hour to do it successfully. However, as well as acclimating your betta, one of the most important things you can do is continue to monitor them afterward to make sure they continue to remain healthy!
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