Best Fish for Your Dorm Room: Keeping a Thriving Betta Tank

dorm room betta fish
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Last Updated: July 28, 2022 by Flora Gibbins

So, you’ve headed to college or university and you have your own personal space in your dorm room. Of course you want some company – and Betta fish can make perfect dorm room pets.

The first thing you should always do is check what the rules of your dorm rooms are. Quite often most pets are not allowed except from a pet fish in a small tank. If this is the case you will then need to make sure you can set up your tank suitably for you Betta fish. Find out some more info on keeping your Betta healthy and happy here.

Why Betta fish are great dorm room pets

Betta fish can make good dorm room pets because they are quiet, they don’t take up much room and they don’t cause allergies (usually). These are three very important factors in dorm room life, as you will know space is a luxury and you don’t want to cause any disruptions to your fellow roomies.

They are also inexpensive little pets and they develop individual personalities that you will learn to love. Often dancing back and forth when they see you come into the room and looking at you almost as if to say, ‘go on put some more food in the tank’. I dare say you will not get a small fish with a better personality than a Betta.

You can have fun in your college bedroom with your Betta fish – many people teach their Bettas to do tricks such as; eating from their hands, going through hoops, jumping out the water to take food from their hands, and some even swim into their owner’s hands for ‘cuddles’. You can also get toys for your Bettas, floating logs for them to hide in, leaf hammocks for them to chill out, and even mirrors to get your Betta fish a little flared up and attack at its own reflection! (To them their reflection is another Betta fish in its territory – and they don’t get called Japanese fighting fish for anything 😉 )

Betta fish are also beautiful fish! They will look great in any dorm room and actually add to the interior design of the room. They come in so many variations that you will get a Betta that will suit any décor and you can get tank ornaments to match your room.  I have seen many dorm rooms where the Betta fish and tanks have made the dorm room.

Caring For Your Betta Fish in Your Dorm Room

Caring for your Betta is easy. All they require is to be fed, have their water changed regularly, and be kept in a place where they won’t be too hot or cold.

Some quick tips

  • You should feed your Betta fish with Betta-specific fish food. They can be very picky!
  • Depending on the size of your tank you should do a 10-15% water change every week – this helps keep your fish in clean, pollutant-free water.
  • Water temperatures should be in the high 70s degree Fahrenheit.
  • It is a myth that Bettas can live happy and healthy lives in jars or vases! Bettas are happiest and healthiest when they have 5 gallons of personal space (I would say 3 is the lowest you should go!)
  • One Betta per tank.

Dorm Room Pets

However, if you plan to keep a Betta fish for your dorm room, be sure that you don’t go out of town often, or who will be there to feed it and change the water regularly? You should plan ahead how to feed betta during vacation. A Betta fish is a living animal and it is not fair to keep Betta fish in your dorm room if you don’t plan to take care of it properly.

The bottom line is that Betta fish make good dorm room pets and if you want to keep Betta fish for your dorm room they can brighten up your bedroom and be great company by letting Betta fish hear your voice if you are living by yourself away from home for the first time.

Did you find this helpful? So will your friends! Share this post using the many social buttons on the site! 🙂 Any questions or experiences for Bettas in your dorm room? Be sure to leave a comment!


3 thoughts on “Best Fish for Your Dorm Room: Keeping a Thriving Betta Tank”

  1. My roommate and I both have bettas (Hamlet and Horatio). What we have found is we clean the tanks on Friday, as well as two 25% changes through the week. We found (at petco) these water cleansing and betta feeding tablets. Our fish always seem really happy, and never look hungry. Plus, it keeps them safe for a few days while we are gone. The tablets work for seven days, so it works really well around thanksgiving, because we are gone for 5 days instead of the usual 2. Our bettas have never had any problems

  2. PJ and Poseidon

    Poseidon and I have been buddies for a few years now. We think if you’re willing to put in the effort, anybody can have a fish buddy (or any fish can have a human buddy!) and it’s so worth it! Take care of your betta and your betta will make you smile!!

    Love,
    PJ and The King of Bettas

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