a betta fish and some tank mates. Photo Credit: Keaton Guth
By Keaton Guth ‘27
Congratulations! You won a fish at the carnival but don’t know how to take care of it. There is a common misconception that fish just need to be in water and they live happily ever after, but this is not true. This article will be a lesson on how to keep goldfish and betta fish. Of course, there are many other types of fish including freshwater, brackishwater, and saltwater, but these two fish are the most common “beginner fish.” My personal recommendation for a beginner fish is a betta fish because of its simplicity.
Which Type Should I Get?
There are many types of betta fish and goldfish. Some betta fish you should avoid are dragon scales, crown tails, and full moon. Dragon scales become blind as they grow due to their scales covering their eyes and crown tails and full moons can’t swim easily due to their oversized fins. I recommend getting a shortfin betta as well as a veiltail and a delta. Goldfish you should avoid are common goldfish and other single tails. They need way too much space. A pond is ideal for them. I recommend a fantail goldfish because they are cheap, fancy goldfish that won’t create a hole in your wallet and are fairly resilient.
How Big Of An Aquarium Do I Need?
At the bare minimum, betta fish should have five gallons of water to swim around in with ten gallons being the best in my humble opinion. A single fancy goldfish needs at least thirty gallons of water, and you should add ten gallons of water for each additional goldfish.
Heaters And Filters
There are many options when it comes to heaters. They are not always necessary but are needed for tropical fish like the betta and goldfish. For a five-gallon aquarium you want a 50 watt heater, for a ten-gallon tank, I would recommend a 100 watt heater, and for thirty gallons you want a 200-250 watt heater. Concerning filters, a sponge filter is best for a betta fish. For sponge filters, you need an air pump, air line, and check valve. That may sound like a lot of money, but it should only be around 40-50 dollars, with the air pump being the expensive part. The sponge filter itself should only be around 10-15 dollars for a five to ten-gallon filter. Goldfish should have a hang on the back filter rated for the size tank you have. They should range from 40-80 dollars depending on the size and brand.
Decorations
Out of the two, betta fish are the only fish that need decorations. If you get decor for either fish, get artificial plants that are soft and not pointy so that their fins do not get snagged. Live plants are always best, though, because they help keep the water clean, they are natural, and they don’t damage the fish at all. For a beginner, I’d recommend Java Fern. If you give any live plants to goldfish, they will eat them, but the same rule applies for artificial plants.
Water Changes
Water changes are a very important part of every aquarium because they help with keeping the water clean. In short, take the dirty water out and put new water back in with a dechlorinator so that it’s safe for the fish. For a single betta fish in a five or ten gallon aquarium, one water change should be conducted every 1-2 weeks and a single goldfish in a 30 gallon tank should have a water change every 4-5 days because they are heavy waste producers.
Conclusion
This article is made up of the absolute basics to keep these two types of fish. You can never do enough research. So before you buy a fish, make sure you know what they need to thrive in your home.