Betta fish are extremely territorial and likely to fight any other fish they share their tank with. Male Betta fish especially like to attack other fish by biting their fins. And in cases where they fight each other, the fights can last up to 15 minutes.

Drop a plastic divider in your tank if you need to house multiple aggressive bettas. These thin plastic sheets fit snugly at the bottom and sides of the tank and allow water to travel through while preventing the fish from attacking one another. Slide the divider into the tank, pressing it firmly into the gravel.

Not only is your betta likely to start attacking other fish in the tank if he’s being nipped, but he’s also likely to become stressed, as well as there being an increased chance of fin rot occurring.

Bettas usually attack scales, gills and tails and will respond if bitten by aggressive fin nippers like angel fish or red tail sharks, Dr. Tepper says. Goldfish and dwarf gourami should also be avoided, as well as fish that are larger than your betta or have similar fins.

Best Place To Buy Healthy Betta Fish Online

• The Consolidated Fish Farms Inc.
• Amazon.
• Petco.
• Aquabid.
• Aqua Imports.
• eBay.
• Liveaquaria.
• That Pet Place.

Since Bettas are typically in tropical conditions year-round, they absolutely should have a heater to keep them warm. The shallow canals and ponds they live in can change in temperature quickly so Bettas are a lot more tolerant to cold than most tropical fish.

The most common sign of temperature shock is lethargy. Fish are cold-blooded, so unlike mammals who generate their own heat, they can only absorb warmth from the water. When the water is too cold to do this, they’ll often stop moving.

Betta fish are naturally territorial and should not be housed with any other betta fish because they will fight and injure each other, often resulting in death. They are unlikely to get lonely in their tank; however, if they are in a small tank, they may get bored.

It is a good idea to include a heater in your betta’s tank, in order to maintain a constant ideal water temperature. Though people don’t often think of them this way, Betta are tropical fish. That means they live in warmer water in the wild. Yes, they can survive without a filter/heater.

2 – 5 yearsIn captivity

Without the use of a heater, these are the 5 best temporary solutions:

1. Use The Hood/Canopy. One of the easiest ways to ensure that your Betta water is and stays warm is to use the hood or canopy for the tank.
2. Use A Stronger Light.
3. Keep It In A Warm Area.
4. Use A Filter That Is Not Energy Efficient.

Coming back to the primary question “do Betta fish need darkness to sleep”, the answer is yes. You should provide your Betta fish with an adequate amount of darkness so that they can sleep at night. They will need anywhere between 12 and 16 hours of darkness within a 24 hour period to remain healthy.

Betta fish typically need 8 to 12 hours of light, and 12 to 16 of darkness, so make turning off your tank light a pre-bedtime habit. If your Betta fish has too much light, it can become overly stimulated and stressed.

He isn’t afraid of the dark. When you turn the room light off and leave the tank light on it creates the same effect as when it’s dark outside and you look out the window and all you see is your reflection.

Can Betta Fish See in the Dark? Betta fish can see well enough in murky water but their vision does not work as well in pure darkness. In their natural habitat, at nighttime when the water they live in is truly dark, a betta fish will rest up and sleep so excellent night vision isn’t necessary for them.