How to Clean a Betta Fish Tank

Proper aquarium maintenance is the key to having a happy and healthy Betta fish. 

Water changes remove harmful wastes from the water column and replenish minerals that fish need for their bodily functions.

in this article, I’ll teach you exactly how to clean your betta fish tank.

Before We Even Begin, Let’s Get One Thing Straight

Despite the prevalence of tiny Betta containers you see on pet store shelves, Bettas need to be kept in at least a 5 gallon (19 liter) aquarium that has proper filtration and a heater. 

Bettas kept in tiny, cold, unfiltered aquariums live short, miserable lives. Please, make sure that your tank is big enough, has adequate filtration (just a little sponge filter is plenty) and is heated to 78°F-82°F (26°C-28°C).

These conditions, along with regular water changes and high quality food, should help your Betta live a long and happy life.

For more in-depth Betta care information, please, see our article here.

How to Clean a Betta Tank

Cleaning a Betta tank really isn’t different than cleaning any other fish tank. 

Equipment: 

• Bucket
• Gravel vacuum
• Dechlorinator
• Old towels
• Aquarium thermometer
• Algae scraper (optional)

Steps: 

1. Turn off/unplug all equipment. Allow your heater to cool off for 10-15 minutes before you start to drain any water out of the tank. If you drain the water, and the heater is still hot, it could shatter.
   
2. While you wait for the heater to cool down, use an algae scraper to clean the inside glass of the aquarium. Do this BEFORE you drain the water. It makes it so much easier to see the algae on the glass if the water is still in the tank. If you don’t have an algae scraper, you can use a clean kitchen scrubbing pad.
   
   Just make sure to use the kind that doesn’t have added cleansers. The plain, super cheap kind are best. And make absolutely sure that it hasn’t been used with any household cleaning products, as these are toxic to fish.
   
3. Start a siphon with your gravel vacuum to drain water into your bucket.
   
4.  Press the lift tube down into the substrate to suck up any fish poop or uneaten food trapped there. Pull out the lift tube and move on to another little patch of substrate. Keep doing this until you have drained 25%-50% of the water.
   
5. Make sure that your replacement water is the same temperature as your tank water. Add the appropriate amount of dechlorinator for the volume of your replacement water and pour the fill water back into the tank.
   
6. Turn all your equipment back on. Make sure your heater is completely submerged before you plug it back in.
   
7. Use old towels to clean up any drips.

Conclusions

Proper aquarium maintenance is the key to having a happy and healthy Betta fish. 

Water changes remove harmful wastes from the water column and replenish minerals that fish need for their bodily functions.

Just like with any other fish, I highly recommend weekly water changes to keep the tank nice and clean for your Betta.

I hope you find this article helpful.

I wish you and your fish the very best!