Fighting Fish | 5 Tips For Healthy Happy Fighting Fish

Fighting Fish are not difficult to keep and to illustrate that today I am sharing with you 5 tips on how you can have happy, healthy Fighting Fish.

Make sure the tank you are keeping your Fighting Fish in is big enough. So many people still have the idea that Fighting Fish will live happily in a small container. They got this idea from the fact that in some Asian countries Fighting Fish could be found living in puddles.

What the Fighting Fish owners failed to appreciate is though that firstly the puddles these fish were found in were quite large, and secondly there was a lot of clean, fresh water flowing through the puddles that kept the Fighting Fish water clean. A happy Fighting Fish needs at least a gallon of water to be happy in and a really happy Fighting Fish will love you if you give them more like 3 gallons a piece to live in.

Make sure your tank is wider than it is high

Fighting Fish come up to the surface of the water to breathe air so they need for the surface of their tank water to be wider than it is deep. Ideally you do not want to put Fighting Fish in tanks where the water is more than ten inches deep as then it will be too tiring for the fish to keep returning to the surface to breathe.

Make sure that the Fighting Fish tank water is clean

Fighting Fish do not need any fancy store bought or distilled water, but they do need to have water that is treated against chlorine and other additives. When you first set up your tank you will be told to get a small testing kit that will test for substances like ammonia and nitrites, and the pH balance of the water. The ammonia and nitrites are natural waste products from Fighting Fish and that needs to be kept in check. However you also need to contact your water company to find out what additives are put in your local tap water and get some conditioners from your local pet store or aquarium center to counteract these additives.

Understand the Nitrogen Cycle in your tank

The Nitrogen Cycle in a Fighting Fish tank is the process whereby good bacteria consumes ammonia and nitrites from thewaste products of the fish and keeps the tank water clean and livable for the fish. Three days after you have introduced your Fighting Fish to the tank you need to check the water for ammonia, nitrite and pH levels. Ideally you want your ammonia and nitrite levels as close to zero as possible and your pH levels between 6.8 and 7.0. When the second phase of the Nitrogen Cycle is in play your tank is breeding the positive bacteria it needs to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels low (or non-existent). In the third and final stage of the cycle is where the bacteria in the tank turn the nitrite into nitrates, which is a product your Fighting Fish is better able to handle in their water.

Do not over feed your fighting fish

Fighting Fish take a long time to grow and they don’t eat very much as they only have small digestive systems. Ideally you should feed your fish a small amount once per day (preferably in the evening) and you should only give your fish enough food that he can eat in two to three minutes. You should not leave food in the tank for them to consume later as all that happens in that case is that the bottom of the tank gets very dirty, very quickly and your Fighting Fish will probably get sick from it.

Keeping their tank clean, their water healthy for them and their food to a minimum will result in you having happy, healthy Fighting Fish for quite a while to come. All Fighting Fish need is a bit of care and attention: just like any other pet.

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