Table of Contents
Introduction to GloFish Betta Fish
Betta fish which is also known as Siamese fighting fish is a very beautiful freshwater fish. They are a popular choice among fish aquarists all over the world. They are tropical fish and due to this, they require a tropical climate.
Glosfish betta are a variety of bettas. They are aggressive and territorial but still, it’s easy to take care of them. They have a lifespan of 2-5 years. They are omnivorous but their diet mostly consists of meaty food.
Description of GloFish Betta Fish
Glofish betta was basically created by inserting fluorescent genes which were acquired from sea anemones and jellyfish and then into the eggs of black and silver Zebra danio. This is how original gloFish came into existence.
They get their beautiful and famous fluorescent color from genes that produce color proteins that fluoresce.
They have a unique glow because they are able to absorb light in a particular wavelength before readmitting the light and this produces a unique glow in them. If you want to have a more bright color in them then you can keep them under actinic blue or black lights which will enhance their glow.
Is GloFish betta able to change color?
This is not very common, only Electric Green GloFish bettas are born with a beautiful red pigmentation and as these fish grow up, their bodies or fins can sometimes turn red. But this is not very common. This can be only seen in two to four percent of GloFish bettas. Fishes which don’t have red pigmentation won’t be able to change color.
There is nothing to worry about if your green betta turns red as this is a natural phenomenon and it won’t affect your pet’s health in any way!!
The lifespan of GloFish Betta
They have a lifespan of 2-5 years but you can increase their living period by providing them with accurate living conditions and a good diet.
Care requirements of GloFish Betta
Glofish bettas are nano fish so it’s quite obvious that you don’t need a big tank for them. A 5-gallon tank is sufficient for glofish betta but if you want to keep tank mates to entertain your GloFish betta then you must need a slightly large tank.
Even though GloFish bettas are nano fish but still keeping them in a fish bowl is absolutely wrong and cruel because fish bowls don’t have sufficient space for filters or heaters and even the surface area is very small for good gaseous exchange so the fish bowl is not at all suitable for GloFish betta
Always keep your GloFish betta in a tank that is covered with a lid as glofish bettas are jumpers and they jump quite often so you should have a tank that has a tight lid on top of it.
Glofish betta is an anabantoid fish so it’s important for them to breathe atmospheric air from their labyrinth organ at the water’s surface. So personally I suggest you keep a rectangular tank with a sufficient surface area.
Also, it’s good if the tank lid has a feeding hole as it will make it easy for you to feed your pet glofish betta.
Don’t forget to decorate your glofish betta tank. Glofish bettas are very intelligent fish and they like to explore in their tank. So you must decorate your tank with plants to entertain your glofish betta. You can also add safe and smooth rocks, driftwood, and caves.
Since betta fish are territorial so caves are a really good option because like this bettas will start living in caves and can claim their own territory in the tank.
Benefits of adding plants to the tank
It’s very important to add plants to the tank because plants are very good for the health of your pet fish. If you add plants to the tank, they will provide natural oxygen and will remove nitrates and CO2 from the tank water. Also, plants serve as decoration in the tank.
Ideal water parameters
Glofish betta is a tropical fish so they prefer water temperatures between 75 and 81°F.
According to my experience, the best situation is that the temperature in the room where you have placed the tank of your Glofish betta should be the same or even close to the temperature of the water in the tank.
The pH level for glofish betta should be 6.5 and 7.5. The water hardness should be 3 to 4 dGH.
Lighting is also important
You should also consider lighting as an important factor while setting up the tank for glofish betta. Bettas don’t like bright lighting in their tank. They like soft and dim lights because in the wild they don’t have bright lighting because their area is covered with lots of vegetation which makes the place dim.
You can also use floating plants if you want to diffuse the light from above. Also if you want your glofish betta to glow in the tank then you can use actinic, black, or blue lights as your glofish betta will glow up beautifully in these dim lights.
Good Filtration system
The filtration system is very important to keep the water clean in the tank. A good filtration system also reduces the levels of dangerous nitrates in the tank.
But the point to be noted is that glofish betta isn’t active swimmers so they like strong or fast current in their tank. So due to this, you must choose a filter system that has a smooth and gentle flow or you can slow or soften the flow by adding plants or decorations in the tank.
Points to be noted
- The filtration system is important in a tank
- Glofish betta are not very strong swimmers
- Don’t add a filter system that has a strong flow.
Breeding
You can breed glofish betta when it’s 6 months old. Also, make sure you pair up glofish betta of the same colors. Don’t pair different colors of glofish betta. During the breeding process, make sure to provide them with a good and healthy diet for successful breeding.
For the preparation of the breeding tank, you must have a substrate that has gravel with many crevices. In this way, the eggs will stay safe.
Best tank mates for glofish betta
Choosing appropriate tank mates for glofish betta is also very important as bettas are highly aggressive and territorial.
You should never ever keep two male bettas together in the same tank. If you do they will fight until one of them dies and you definitely don’t want that. Male bettas are highly aggressive and if kept together they will start a fight quickly.
Now I often get questions, about that can we keep male bettas together by placing dividers in the tank. And my simple answer is NO!! Let me explain to you through an example. What if you and your most hated enemy are in the same room with a glass wall in between, you won’t be able to touch them but you can see them and this will give unnecessary stress. You will become angry only by watching them in front of you in the same room as yours. The same goes with bettas!! They can’t see any other male betta in the same tank as theirs even if you place a divider. The fish will get stressed out and stress is not at all good for your pet fish. So don’t put your fish under mental stress for no reason.
Stress can be really harmful to your bettas and due to stress, they can even die. Stress also weakens the immune system of a fish and if the immune system of a fish is weak, they will be prone to disease and parasites which is not safe for them at all.
Also, you shouldn’t add large or more aggressive tank mates which may bully your glofish betta.
The best tank mates for bettas are
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Cory catfish
- Ember tetras
- Neon tetra
- Cardinal tetra
- Snails
- Molly fish
- Honey gourami
- Bristle nose pleco
- Chili rasbora
- Kuhli loach
- Bamboo shrimp
Tank mates to avoid
- Tiger barbs
- Cichlids
- Angelfish
- Nippy tetras
- Goldfish
Diet of glofish betta
Glofish bettas are basically omnivorous so they like to eat a protein-rich diet. They also feed on tiny crustaceans and insect larvae. They also eat algae or plant matter in little portions.
If you have a pet glofish betta, you can feed them protein-rich food items like pellets, frozen dried protein items like bloodworms, and meaty foods like daphnia, mosquito larvae, and brine shrimp. These all items are rich in proteins and are very healthy for your pet’s glofish betta. They also love live food. You can also enhance the color of your glofish betta by feeding them with items that have beta-carotene and carotenoids.
Points to be noted
- Don’t overfeed your glofish betta
- Overfeeding can cause bloating and other digestion problems
- Feed your glofish betta twice daily
Disease and parasites
Like other fishes, glofish betta are also prone to some diseases which are mentioned below
| Disease | Description |
| Fin Rot | Cottonmouth |
| Cotton mouth | This is a disease that occurs on the face of the fish as white fluffy growths. Due to this disease, fish can also get lesions and their fins can get ripped and torn apart. |
| Velvet | This disease is caused by dinoflagellate parasite and it produces a dusty brownish and gold effect on the skin of the fish. |
| Ich | Iching is a very common disease occuring in fishes. It is caused by a parasite called Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. If your fish gets white spots on their skin it means it is infected by this disease |
To keep your fish healthy, make sure to consult a veterinarian as soon as you see any symptoms of the disease.
FAQs
Are we able to find glofish betta in the wild?
No that’s not possible. There are no bright-colored glofish bettas in the wild. In the wild, you will find dark green or sludge brownish bettas. But if you ever see a glofish betta in the wild, it means its owner has abandoned them!!
What are the colors of glofish betta?
Glofish betta comes in different colors like
- Sunburst orange
- Cosmic blue
- Starfire red
- Moonrise pink
- Galactic Purple
- Electric green
How to differentiate between male glofish betta and female glofish betta?
To differentiate between them, your glofish betta should be under blue LED light, now if you observe a golden stripe on the body of glofish betta then its a male. If you observe a silver stripe then it means it’s a female glofish betta.
Does glofish betta eat their own eggs?
Yes, they do sometimes eat their own eggs. Female glofish betta will eat her own eggs if the breeding tank isn’t under the right conditions.
Conclusion
Glofish betta are not hard to keep if you fulfill their care requirements. As long as your tank has accurate temperature and water conditions, then you can easily keep glofish betta as your pet.
Even though bettas are highly aggressive and territorial but still they are a popular choice among fish aquarists. Glofish betta can be a very fascinating pet due to its beautiful shiny colour so it can be a really good pet if you take good care of them.
