Beautiful Betta Fish Vases

There are many rumors that exist online about the betta fish vases.  For some reason, people have decided that the Siamese fighting fish can live off of the roots of the betta, or that you don't have to change the water of the vase regularly, or even that the plant can take up most of the surface area of the vase. 

These are just a few of the myths that exist when it comes to Siamese Fighting Fish vases.  Let's clarify how these are false and lower down we'll talk about how to properly care for these ecosystems.

For starters, bettas are carnivorous fish which need a source of animal protein in their diets.  They cannot exist solely off eating the roots of a peace lily or bamboo plant.  You will need to feed the fish once a day.

Secondly, the water does need to be changed on a regular basis.  The Siamese fighting fish produces wastes in the form of ammonia which is broken down into (ultimately) nitrate which is removed by the plant and used to help it grow.  However water should be removed and replaced with fresh water!

Lastly, your fish will need to breathe air from the surface.  If the plant takes up the whole area at the top of the water, it will not have access to the air and will have trouble breathing!

Now you need to know how to care for the betta fish vases!  This is easy.  Have a  vase or tank that is about 1 to 5 gallons of water.  The plant should be either a bamboo plant or a peace lily.  Have a fair amount of water that isn't covered by leaves or roots.

Keep the plants under a desk lamp or near a source of natural sunlight. 

You will need to feed the fish.  Usually 3 to 5 betta pellets or some live food every day will be enough food.  If you see the fish is eating all the food, the next time you should try a little bit more.

Do water changes.  In a smaller vase or tank, you need to change some of the water every few days.  If there is a larger amount of water, once a week, you can change about half of the water in the betta fish vase!