Do Betta Fish Need A Heater? What Is The Best Temperature For A Betta?

Betta fish are beautiful fish, so beautiful that everyone wants to have one at home.

Did you know betta fish are otherwise known as Siamese fighting fish? Most bettas are found in the Southeast Asian region.

Betta fish or Siamese fighting fish are widely known for their beautiful and colorful fins. Many people want these fish in their aquariums. Bettas are lively and happy-going fish who do not like to be disturbed by other fish. Bettas are a fish species that can communicate well with owners who keep and take care of them. It is also said that these fishes can help elevate your mood by doing swirls in water. These cold-blooded animals with fins are easy to maintain. This fish, like any other in the aquarium, is very calm and composed. It never jumps or plays inside the water like other fishes.

Hence, betta fish are also preferred to bowl aquarium fish. These fish do come in various contrasting colors like orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and brown. Although betta fish require low maintenance, they are still not marked as 'starter fish.' This is due to some basic fish maintenance ideas and some unique betta fish facts that a person must acknowledge before keeping one. One fact about betta fish is that they are diurnal fish which means they sleep at night, requiring a bit of darkness at night to have a peaceful sleep.

The main question that many people who wish to keep or even have a betta at home have is what is the best temperature for betta fish? Many fishkeepers often ask this question because it is essential to know the fish keeping temperature required for each fish. It helps fish to grow and live longer. So, coming to the most common query about the temperature maintenance of a fish tank, the normal desired temperature for a betta tank is somewhere between 70-80 F (21-26.6 C). This temperature is known to be ideal for keeping bettas in a tank.

Another question that pops up is the usage of heaters during winter or in tanks to maintain the temperature. Well, it changes from place to place. If someone lives in a colder region where winters are harsh, which is likely to make the water cool, using a tank thermometer to keep the room temperature normal is recommended. Cool aquarium water would make their immune system low, and bettas would be more susceptible to diseases at low temperatures.

Hence, maintaining the appropriate temperature in aquariums and tanks where betta fish are kept is important. Keeping bettas can light up one's day just by seeing how beautiful your pet is and how beautiful it looks while swimming with its colorful and branched fins. The fins are simply gorgeous to look at. However, keeping a betta comes with a lot of responsibility. For the healthy keeping of betta fish, you must follow proper guidelines and take care of the needs of your betta, starting from maintaining the aquarium or tank to using a thermostat in aquariums.

If you find this article interesting, then why not take a look at how often do you feed betta fish or how do betta fish sleep.

How can I keep a betta fish warm without a heater?

Now that you have learned about the temperature requirement for betta fish and when to use heaters, it is important to know how to help fish survive without a submersible heater, where the temperature might go down.

So, if someone has a betta fish and cannot provide the pet with a proper heating system (a heater) for flow and air, then there are ways to handle the aquarium and keep it at room temperature. Firstly, you must make sure to cover the top of the aquarium or tank properly. Then, you can also add some additional light bulbs (that generate heat) into the lighting system of the tank so that the temperature is constant. It is also recommended to check the water's temperature regularly and the air circulation. You can even add thick layers of clothing or insulating materials to cover your fish tank or aquarium. If you keep a fish inside a bowl, then it is necessary to place a heating mat under the bowl. The fish water flow must be changed with hot or warm water if the water gets cold too quickly.

Maintaining a consistent temperature for fish reduces stress as well. Without using a submersible heater, there are some solutions that should help keep the tank water warmer, but these should just serve as a temporary solution. In simple terms, put a lid on the tank with the heater. The other way to keep the tank heated is to keep it in a hot or warm area if you are not using a heater. Other than this, a thermostat that maintains a temperature of about 76 F (24.4 C) is a good idea.

How To Heat A Betta Fish Tank In An Emergency

Emergencies and unavoidable situations can be encountered at any time.

Hence, if you are out of electricity and your betta's aquarium heater has stopped working, you will need to find another way to manage your fish's water temperature. If there's no heater or the heater stopped working, then you can use heat-generating lights, which keep the betta warm and stable. Also, it is recommended to make sure that the tank is covered up at the top.

Now, let's draw up a situation where there is no electricity due to power cuts. In a situation like that, you must make sure to use insulation layers or warm clothes to cover up your betta tank. Thick blankets or towels may be useful in this case. If someone is letting their fish live inside bowls instead of tanks, they must make sure to use heating pads or heating mats beneath the small container.

What is too cold for a betta fish?

Of course, maintaining a constant 70-80 F (21-26.6 C) temperature is not everyone's cup of tea. It is hard to keep maintaining the temperature.

Hence, busy people tend to compromise on the temperature. Hence, they need to know how long betta fish can stay in cool water. Does it depend on the water quality?

Well, particularly cold water is harmful to betta fishes regardless of the water quality. Hence, it would be useful to know degrees of water are too cold for a fish. If someone cannot provide the desired temperature during winters or cold weather, then they must note that bettas can survive at 68 F (20 C). Below 68 F (20 C), it would be hard for a betta fish to survive. Of course, the fish won't die suddenly, but it would soon develop complications within its body.

What happens if a betta's tank water is too cold?

This fish can't live in cold water. At least, they can't survive for a long time if you place your betta in water that is too cold.

Your fish would almost instantly get slow and apathetic and become inactive. To properly take care of fish, you must consider the right water temperature. Cold-blooded betta fish prefers slightly acidic water that ranges from 6.5 to 7, moving to neutral water and warm water. Coldwater can bottle up the immune system and cause illness. Bettas fish normally live up to two to three years, but there have been a couple of cases of betta living beyond that. The cold-blooded betta fish is a tropical fish that grows vigorously in warm temperatures. Even if they try to live longer, they will not survive for a long time.

This is why the right temperature is so important for a betta. They rely on their external environment to produce heat. Bettas are not capable of generating their own body heat as humans can. The ideal temperature is very strict. This fish does best between 78-82 F (25.5-27.7 C), though they can technically survive in a water temperature between 65-90 F (18.3-32.2 C). However, this often causes serious health issues.

Since their health deteriorates close to extreme temperatures, you should do your best to stick to the ideal temperature range. Also, keep in mind, this fish will be the healthiest and happiest if you can keep the temperature in the ideal range. Also, remember that these are tropical fish. Ideally, you should keep them in fairly warm water in aquariums.

What is the optimal water temperature for betta fish?

The right water temperature is very important when it comes to bettas. Setting up a fish tank might seem to be a difficult task.

In reality, setting up a tank just requires common sense. The goal is to give the fish the best place and an optimal temperature to live, where it can happily swim. Now, some other specifications must be noted regarding what you should be aware of while making a tank for betta fish. They should be able to swim freely. Since bettas are loners and do not like any other fish, the water tank must be small and cozy to keep a single fish.

This fish does best between 78-82 F (25.5-27.7 C). This is the optimal water temperature to give to your betta fish. Also, make sure that the tank's water is atleast 5 gal (22.7 L) tank. It must be kept in mind that for any gallon tank, whether for bettas or any other fish, the tank must not be cleaned using soap. The tank must be cleaned with just water, and the water must be hygienic enough. Installing filtration equipment, oxygen regulators, and heaters becomes the next step after cleaning. You must make sure that there are not any oily substances in your betta fish's tank.

To keep the fish healthy, you must make sure that the water temperature is never too cold as it might make your betta fish sick. You must add some gravel, marbles, fake plants, and other decorative plants or other items to the tank with the proper cleaning of each thing. Then, just normal medicines and neutralizer drops that are recommended must be added, and you are ready to go. The tank is set with the optimal water temperature, and the fish is all ready to have its happy home.

How can I keep my bettas healthy?

To keep a fish healthy, which is the most important issue to people, you first need to understand the proper needs of bettas. Bettas need a hot, warm or room temperature tank for better survival.

The temperature should be stable and space should be sufficient. Hence, getting heaters to maintain the water temperature is recommended. While purchasing a tank for a betta, you must determine the appropriate tank size. Choosing the right fish food for bettas fish is the next essential step to take care of. You can even use water conditioners for proper conditioning of the tank's water. It is also advisable to make sure to pick a healthy fish. Bettas mostly love colorful decorations and playful stuff in their aquarium, which keeps a betta's mental health in good condition.

Another important thing to keep fish healthy is to note the amount of light that your betta is exposed to at night. Since bettas are diurnal, that doesn't mean you can keep these fishes in the dark. You need to provide a dim lighting system during the night. Betta's nutrition must be taken care of.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'Do betta fish need a heater?' then why not take a look at 'How do betta fish mate?', or 'Betta fish facts'.