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How To Set up Aquarium For Betta Fish

Betta Fish

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Betta Fish are gorgeous, colorful freshwater fish that are filled with incredible personalities. These fish don’t belong in tiny vases or in a cold, dark room. They should be kept in warm and filtered water with space to stretch their fins and swim around. This article will discuss the equipment and supplies I recommend to set up an aquarium for Betta Fish.

I always encourage fishkeepers to go to their local fish store to purchase supplies. Many small and local fish stores have a great selection of plants, driftwood, fish, and, best of all, knowledge. Many do their best to provide great information to care for their animals. Unfortunately, shopping in a store is not always possible, so online shopping is the next best thing. I have curated a list of equipment and supplies you can purchase online to set up an aquarium for Betta Fish.

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List Of Equipment and Supplies

There’s a lot that goes into an aquarium, and it could get a little intimidating for first-time aquarists. I’ll try to make this setup guide as straightforward as possible. All the equipment and supplies I recommend for keeping a Betta Fish will be listed. It’ll be a beginner-friendly fish tank and will utilize live plants that are easy to care for. An explanation will be provided for why I recommend equipment and supplies. The following is what you’ll need to get your fish tank up and running before even thinking of adding a fish.

The following are supplies, decorations, and other items I highly recommend to help increase your chance of keeping a successfully running fish tank. These items include things to monitor your water parameters and to make tank maintenance a little easier.

You can pick and choose what equipment you’ll need, but these are my highly suggested items. If there is a brand you prefer using, by all means, use that brand. I am sharing what has worked well for me. I also recommend always buying from your local fish store if possible. They work hard to keep this hobby available to us. If you do not have a mom-and-pop fish store near you, then consider picking up equipment and supplies online. I will always appreciate your support if you click and purchase items from the affiliate links provided.

Aquarium, Aquarium Stand, Lid, & Background

Technically speaking, Betta Fish can be kept in a minimum of 5 gallons of water. However, more space for a fish is always recommended. I suggest keeping a Betta in at least 10 gallons of water. They move a lot more than you might think, and larger water volumes often mean more stable water parameters. For this setup, we will be using the Aqueon 10-gallon fish tank. I have used Aqueon fish tanks all my life. They are sturdy and have a track record of being great aquariums (at least for me).

Many aquariums can be purchased with a stand. The important thing when putting a fish tank on a stand, table, or other furniture is knowing the limitations of what you’re putting it on. The water volume of a 10-gallon fish tank will weigh at least 80 lbs, and not all furniture is built to hold that kind of weight.

For example, you can put the fish tank on a dresser, just make sure the dresser can hold the weight, won’t sag over time due to the weight, and won’t warp and transform if you accidentally spill water on it. If you’re questioning the weight and durability of the furniture you plan on using, it’s probably a good idea not to use it. Damage from an aquarium blowout can be expensive, so it’s not worth risking it.

Aquarium lids and backgrounds are pretty straightforward. Betta Fish can jump out of an aquarium, so a lid is recommended. Aqueon has glass lids made to fit their frame, but you can also make or purchase a custom lid. Floating plants are sometimes used instead of lids, but it’s not guaranteed they’ll stop a fish from jumping out. I make very simple backgrounds with black paper purchased from a dollar store. I simply cut it to size and tape it to the back. It’s easily replaceable if it gets wet, and it is negligible in cost. However, use whatever background makes you happy.

Aquarium Filter

For a Betta Fish aquarium, especially for one that will be set up with aquarium plants, I recommend a sponge filter. There are a few reasons for this. Betta Fish have nice flowy fins that can theoretically get sucked into the intake of a hang-on back or canister filter. A sponge filter removes that possibility almost entirely. Sponge filters move air through a tube. That’s literally all they do. So a Betta cannot get sucked into one. You can learn a few things about sponge filters by checking out Sponge Filter Use, Cleaning, and Extra Tips.

Downside to Sponge Filters

There are a few downsides to a sponge filter (in my opinion). The first being that they only provide biological filtration. Bacteria will populate the sponge, which is fantastic, but that’s all it’ll do. There is no mechanical or chemical filtration. Regardless, bacteria are really important in keeping your nitrogen cycle in check, so it’s fantastic that bacteria colonize the surface area of a sponge. Luckily for this setup, plants and water changes should fill the gap of not having mechanical or chemical filtration.

The other downside is the size. I personally don’t like how much space a sponge filter uses in an aquarium. I prefer a small tube of a hang-on back filter over a sponge that takes up space. For the sake of a Betta, I’ll look passed it and use a sponge filter.

Aquarium Heater

Heaters are the pieces of equipment that are likely to malfunction in an aquarium. When you mix a device that produces a lot of heat at short intervals, it’s bound to happen. Regardless, they are often a necessary aspect of fish keeping. My go-to heaters are the Fluval M-Series Heaters and the Aqueon Pro Heaters. These have treated me well in the past, but I understand that everyone has a different story with the quality of heaters, and what has worked for me may not be the same for someone else. You can learn about some of my favorite heaters by reading 6 Best Aquarium Heaters for Freshwater & Saltwater Fish Tanks.

Aquarium Light & Power Strip

Since we are growing plants in this enclosure, it will need a light that can help plants grow. Luckily, we will be sticking to beginner-friendly plants that won’t require high-intensity lighting. For an aquarium like this, a budget-friendly NICREW 20″ SkyLED light might do the trick. If you’re looking for something on the higher end, with more versatility and customization, consider the FZONE LED Aquarium Light. This light has an app that allows you to customize colors and intensities, which really lets you nerd out with your fish tank.

This aquarium will have at least three pieces of equipment that consume electricity. I suggest getting a good power strip for it. I listed the Amazon Basics Power Strip above. They are generally reliable and rated quite high in quality. You might have a good power strip lying around your house that’ll work for this setup. When running electrical cords and wires around aquariums, remember to set them up with a drip loop to prevent water from reaching the outlet.

Substrate

Sandy substrate or gravel is what I recommend for most aquariums, especially ones with plants growing in them. I provided CaribSea Eco-Complete Black Gravel as a suggestion, but most brands will work. The black gravel should make your fish and plants pop in color compared to lighter gravels that reflect color and wash out the surroundings. If you’re a beginner aquarist, gravel may be the better choice. Gravel does a better job of anchoring plants in place. Sand is just a little harder to work with when putting in plants.

I have gone a very cheap route and set up an aquarium with pool filter sand. You can get a 50 lb bag of HTH Pool Filter Sand for roughly 15$, which is quite cheap compared to other substrates. Not all sands are made the same. Certain ones have high levels of silicates and are not as clean. Play sand is a great example of this, and I would not use that for an aquarium. If you decide to use pool filter sand, thoroughly rinse the sand before adding it to an aquarium. Otherwise, it may take a long time for your aquarium to clear up.

Live Plants & Driftwood

Aquarium plants chosen for this setup will be easy to care for. Most of these don’t require anything besides fish waste and decent lighting to prosper. I have an article devoted to beginner-friendly aquarium plants, it’s called 10 Best Aquarium Plants For Beginners. For this fish tank, I’d use Anubias, Crypts, Java Fern, Salvinia minima, and a species of moss to grow on driftwood.

Betta Fish love to rest on or under leaves, which makes Anubias and Java Fern a perfect option. Crypts grow fairly quickly and often form large bunches, which is great for filling up space. Salvinia minima is a floating plant that is great at soaking up nutrients and also provides a barrier between the surface and water. This will hopefully lower the risk of your Betta jumping out of an aquarium. The moss is self-explanatory; glue it or tie it to a piece of driftwood and watch it grow. There are many plant options; choose which catches your eye, but look into the plant’s needs before purchasing.

Most driftwood found in a fish store should be good to go. The only precaution I would advise is to be careful about sharper-edged pieces of driftwood. It’s unlikely, but the sharp edges can snag a Betta’s fin and damage them. Driftwood also has a strong possibility of releasing tannins into the water. They aren’t dangerous and instead are beneficial to a fish tank. The downside to tannins is that they change your aquarium into a brown, tea color.

API Freshwater Master Test Kit & Water Conditioner

A freshwater test kit will be a necessity for your brand-new aquarium. Your fish tank will go through the nitrogen cycle. The cycle essentially creates a “safe” habitat for your fish. The cycle typically progresses through an ammonia stage, a nitrite stage, and concludes with a nitrate stage. Nitrite-producing bacteria consume ammonia, and nitrite-consuming bacteria produce nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish. Nitrates can also be dangerous to fish at high levels. This is why it’s important to have a test kit on hand to make sure you’re not adding fish into an aquarium actively going through the nitrogen cycle.

After your fish tank is cycled, the solution to removing nitrates is simply water changes. Usually, a 10-20% water change will help lower nitrates. I do not recommend doing 100% water changes, and do not take everything out of your fish tank to “clean it”. This will more than likely crash your fish tank’s bacterial colony, completely crashing your aquarium. The only thing you’ll likely need to take out of the fish tank when cleaning is the sponge. Either when it gets gunked up or is falling apart. Gunked-up sponges can be rinsed through old aquarium water, or some people suggest simply running them through the tap for a quick rinse.

Many of us live in cities with municipal water. The water from this kind of tap water likely has chlorines and chloramines, which are good for us but bad for fish. A water conditioner is designed to remove harmful chemicals like chlorine and chloramine. SeaChem Prime is generally easy to use and will help us achieve the goal of removing chlorine and chloramine from the water. Use a water conditioner every time you add water to your fish tank.

Fish Net & Fish Food

Fish nets and fish food are self-explanatory. The net will be used to put the fish into the aquarium or to remove it, if needed. Your Betta will need to be fed, and that’s where the fish food comes in. Having a variety of food is important to give your fish a range of nutrition. I recommend a combination of flake food, bloodworms, Fluval Bug Bites, or any combination that fits your style.

Gravel Vacuum & Buckets

A few other things that are fairly straightforward are the gravel vacuum and buckets. I suggest getting at least two buckets. One to remove water and one to add clean water. The gravel vacuum will be used to conduct water changes. The end of the gravel vacuum will sift gunk out of the substrate and remove it from the aquarium.

Putting it all Together

So we have all our supplies. It’s time to put it all together. If you have an aquarium stand for your fish tank, put it where you think it should go. I suggest keeping your aquarium away from doors that lead to the outside and windows. Drafts from open doors in the winter aren’t good for the temperature stability of a fish tank, and an aquarium near a window sounds like an algae nightmare waiting to happen.

Even though it’s only a 10-gallon aquarium, it could do some damage if it springs a leak or is defective. Some people might suggest filling the aquarium up with only water and having it sit for a day or two to see if it is defective. I usually do this with larger aquariums, and I haven’t done it with small aquariums. A leak can happen at any moment, and from what I have seen, it’s more common in larger fish tanks. If you’re testing your fish tank, consider doing it somewhere outside, in a garage, or somewhere where floor damage is not possible.

Decorations & Equipment Setup

Once the stand and aquarium are in place, I usually start adding the rinsed (if rinsing is applicable) substrate. While this is happening, I am simultaneously thinking about how I plan on decorating the aquarium. I don’t bother putting on the lights and lid yet because that will likely get moved around while decorating.

You can connect your sponge filter to the airline tube and check valve, and put it in its place. You can connect it to the air pump and test to see if it works. Put the heater into its permanent location, but do not turn it on until you have water in the fish tank. You’re asking for trouble if you plug your heater in with no water.

Add your other decorations, such as driftwood and rocks. Do this after adding enough water to saturate the substrate, and begin adding your plants. I recommend placing taller plants, such as Java Fern and Crypts in the back and shorter plants in the front. If you purchased floating plants, don’t add them until the aquarium is filled with water.

Wrap it all up

Finish filling the fish tank up with water, if you haven’t done so, dial your heater to the temperature you want it set at and turn it on. Place your thermometer, and add water conditioner into the aquarium. Now you can place your lid (if you have one) and light on top.

If you have an older and more established fish tank, you can add filter media from that fish tank into the new one to help jump-start the nitrogen cycle. It could cut the cycle down by weeks, so you can hopefully add your betta sooner. If you don’t have an older aquarium, I usually sprinkle some food into the fish tank to give bacteria something to feed on. This is the start of your nitrogen cycle. It usually lasts around 6 weeks, but it’s important to monitor the progress with the Freshwater Master Test Kit.

Final Notes

Setting up a 10-gallon betta tank is all about creating a balanced, comfortable, and enriching environment where your fish can thrive. By choosing the right equipment, maintaining stable water parameters, adding safe décor and live plants, and allowing the tank to cycle before introducing your betta, you’re setting the stage for a healthy and vibrant aquarium. With consistent care and attention, your 10-gallon tank will not only showcase your betta’s natural beauty and personality but also provide a stable home where it can live a long, active life.

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