Is it possible to keep a cockerel fish in a jar?

Don’t take at face value the visually appealing image of a brightly colored fish in a tiny ball-shaped tank with no equipment. In movies and music videos, you can often see a similar aquarium in which there is nothing but water and fish.

Cockerel fish are really very unpretentious. In nature, they can even live in rainwater-filled footprints of large animals. And if a goldfish, for example, is much more demanding on the conditions of detention, then a cockerel may well hold out in a bank for a long time. However, any aquarist will confirm that a jar or a tiny aquarium as a permanent residence is not suitable for any aquarium inhabitant. What is wrong here?

The minimum recommended tank volume for a betta is just three liters. Theoretically, a jar is fine, but what conditions do you want for your pet? Would you like your pet to live or survive?

The age of a fighting fish is not long enough, only three years. Why force your ward to survive in difficult conditions? It’s like putting a person in a five-meter room – you can live, but not turn around.

We advise you to be skeptical about the recommendations received at the pet store: the seller may not know all the intricacies of caring for a particular fish. It is better to start collecting information on your own in advance. Can’t find an answer to a question? Ask for help from an experienced independent aquarist, in a comment on an article on a thematic resource, write on a forum of aquarium enthusiasts.

No matter how unpretentious the fighting fish is, it, like any other fish, needs suitable water parameters and some personal space for a healthy happy life. It is desirable that the aquarium has decorations and plants so that the fish can hide in them: this way it will be psychologically calm.

A comfortable temperature for a cockerel fish is 25-28 degrees. It is better to keep it at 27-28 degrees and avoid sudden temperature fluctuations. Acidity – preferably at the level of 6-8, water hardness – 5-15.

Any fish should live in a tank where biobalance is maintained. First you need to equip the aquarium: natural soil (sand, pebbles), plants (it is better to opt for living plants), a small decoration that looks like a cave or a house where the pet can hide. From plants, you can choose the most unpretentious – cryptocoryne, vallisneria, hornwort. If desired, add stones, snags. Even if the aquarium is very small, you need to wait three to four weeks. During this time, a biobalance will form in it, a sufficient number of beneficial bacteria will appear. And then it is already possible to populate the fighting fish in the aquarium.

Note that experienced aquarists on forums and at thematic meetings in communication with each other use the slang word bank as a synonym for the word aquarium. Although the word capacity would fit much more. If you read in the revelations of an aquarist something like “I have a jar of 70 liters”, remember that the jar is used figuratively. So the author emphasizes that he is talking with like-minded people.

What is necessary for keeping a cockerel fish in an aquarium? Let’s start with the aquarium itself. Nano aquariums are very popular now – cubes, balls with a volume of about 10 liters. If your goal is to equip a home for only one fighting fish, then a 10-liter aquarium is a good choice. The main thing is to install it not in a draft, not near a radiator, out of reach of direct sunlight.

Is it possible to place an aquarium with a volume of 20-25 liters in the house? Great, the cockerel will have spacious apartments where you can swim, stretch, show your luxurious veil tail in all its glory. Please note that the smaller the volume of the aquarium, the faster all processes take place in it, the more carefully you need to monitor the quality of the water. In case of problems, the cockerel will not be able to swim to another corner of the aquarium.

Make sure that playful pets or small household members cannot reach the coveted cube aquarium. A non-slip mat will help make the aquarium more stable.

Fighting fish can survive in unfiltered water, but in this case, you will have to regularly clean the aquarium. It is better to supply the aquad with a small filter. The aerator can not be installed, the fish will receive oxygen at the surface of the water. But it is important that there is a space of seven to ten centimeters between the upper edge of the water and the lid of the aquarium. We recommend that you take a closer look at the model of a small ball aquarium with a waterfall filter – it will carry out both filtration and aeration.

It is advisable to have a thermometer on hand to be sure that the water temperature in the aquarium is maintained at the required temperature. If your home is always very warm, you may not need a heater. If there are suspicions that the fighting fish will freeze, get a heater, but not more than 25 watts. Overheating the water will also not lead to anything good.

Purchase drip tests to keep your nitrogen levels under control. Once a week, change 20% of the water in the aquarium, if necessary, lightly siphon the soil.

We are confident that you will be able to create the most comfortable conditions for your cockerel fish. We wish your fish to live long and prosperous!