How To Transport A Betta Fish: Factors You Need To Know Now!

Last Updated: June 21, 2022 by Flora Gibbins

Transporting your pet fish in a car can be tricky, whether you’re taking the bus for just a few hours or going by car long-distance. And since bettas are such unique fish, it’s a bit more complicated with them than other fish types.

But…

With good care, you can transport your betta fish seamlessly. So follow along for the proper steps from A to Z.

What to Consider Before Starting

Before you even start doing prep work, there are a few factors to think about that will affect how you transport your betta fish.

How Long Is the Trip?

First, how long is your trip? If it’s under 24 hours, the transport is much simpler, and you won’t need to make many adjustments.

This is how we recommend you transport your betta fish since it’s easier for you and better for the fish.

In contrast, if you’re going traveling for multiple days, you’ll need a more sophisticated setup to keep the fish in a clean environment. Eventually, the fish waste will accumulate in the tank and possibly cause an ammonia spike or other illnesses.

If you’re traveling long-distance, cycled tanks are a great way naturally filter the water. You could also stop at motels along the way for rest and aquarium maintenance.

How Many Fish Are You Transporting?

Transporting a betta fish may be a little complicated, but it’s substantially more difficult if you’ve got a community tank with multiple breathing creatures.

The heavy biological load on the tank means the water quality will go down faster. And if you hit a road bump or destabilize the tank in any way that agitates the fish, it might lead them to fight each other in fear.

We recommend you split up the animals into unique glass aquariums.

You could group some if you know they won’t harm each other or if they get too lonely, though.

What Betta Tank Are You Using?

The tank type you plan on keeping your betta fish in matters because not all types are road-friendly.

For example, transporting your betta fish in a full-size aquarium isn’t a smart idea since it takes more space and will be harder to secure.

Tall tanks aren’t ideal, either, as they’re susceptible to tipping over during a road trip, especially if you accidentally hit a bump. Don’t use plastic bags, either, since they’re not stable. Alternatively, you can use a small plastic container like a new fish-only Tupperware tank.

We advise using a regular long tank that isn’t tall since it’s pretty easy to secure.

How to Prepare for the Journey

Now it’s time to prepare for the journey! Remember that the following steps aren’t set in stone, and you can add a little flexibility to adjust for your situation. But generally, this is the guideline to follow before you transport your betta fish.

Should You Feed Your Betta Before the Trip?

Many fish-keepers like choose to fast their fish for a day before the trip so that they don’t foul up the water during the ride, which could lead to illness. Besides, some people fast their bettas for 24 hours every two weeks anyway, so if you do that and the schedule matches the trip date, you can not feed the betta.

Otherwise, avoid breaking the betta’s routine and feed it normally before the trip.

You can also use a cycled tank to give the betta fish a cleaner environment.

Water Tank Temperature

Possibly the hardest yet most important of all the water parameters to control during the transportation is temperature. The temperature can rapidly change inside a car, so we recommend using heat pads to keep it in check.

Keep the tank temperature between 75-80° Fahrenheit (about 24-27° Celsius) as much as possible.

Optimizing the Water Tank for Travel

As previously mentioned, betta fish are easy to agitate, and they also require specific conditions to feel secure. Therefore, instead of filling the new tank with old water, follow these steps to prepare your betta tank.

Clean the Tank Well

If you’ve been caring for betta fish for a while, you probably don’t need us to tell you that they like their tanks clean. So make sure you clean the tank well and don’t hesitate to go hands-on. You can also use disinfectant or soap, but don’t leave any residue.

Empty the tank as well. Your betta can make it through the trip without toys or other accessories. Besides, it reduces the chances of any contamination and is safer on bumpy roads.

Fill With Tap Water and Conditioner

Assuming you have access to clean tap water, you can fill the new container with it. Make sure you do this one day before the trip, though. Distilled water is avoidable because it doesn’t contain the minerals fish need.

If your tap water isn’t safe for fish, then you can use well water, rainwater, or bottled drinking water.

Also, we highly recommend you add some water conditioner to the mix. Read the instructions on the label for exact measurements for your tank.

Add Aquarium Salt

Aquarium salt is often used to improve fish’s life quality by keeping their water fresh and easy to breathe. In this case, we recommend it for its ability to reduce stress on the betta fish. Besides, aquarium salt can detoxify any potential waste in the tank water, so we highly advise you use it.

Just add one teaspoon of salt per gallon of water and stir until it dissolves. Make sure you do this right after you add the water and conditioner.

Don’t add aquarium salt while the fish is in there, and don’t put the fish in right after adding salt since it can burn the fish.

Leave the Tank Water Overnight

We’ve been telling you to prepare the tank one day in advance because water, water conditioner, and aquarium salt all need to rest in the water for about 24 hours before the fish moves in. Otherwise, it’ll get overwhelmed and likely burned or intoxicated.

Remember that tap water contains liberal amounts of chlorine and ammonia, which can significantly harm the betta.

Transporting Your Betta Fish to Its Travel Tank

Now that it’s your travel day, you should have the new tank ready, and it’s time to get your betta fish to its temporary travel water tank. But instead of yanking the betta fish from one aquarium to another, there’s a calculated way to move it around without irritating it.

Double Check the New Tank

There are a few precautions to take before moving your betta to its new betta-mobile.

Using a thermometer, make sure the water is roughly the same temperature across both tanks since sudden temperature changes can highly irritate your fish. Also, at this point, you should’ve had new water and aquarium salt sitting in the fish tank for the past 24 hours or so.

Make sure they’re well dissolved by examining the water. Is it clear and pristine? Then you’re good to go.

Transport the Betta Fish

If you’ve had your betta for a while, you’re probably not a stranger to taking the fish out for a quick water change. You should follow the same strategy when moving your betta to another tank to avoid spooking it.

For those who don’t have a specific strategy, fill a small cup with the same water in the betta’s old tank and use a net to catch the betta, then move it into the cup. Next, hold the cup in the new aquarium and stay still until the betta exits on its own. Your betta might fumble around while it processes what just happened – that’s okay.

If you’ve followed the above steps correctly, your betta should calm down quickly. However, if the swimming irregularities continue, there’s something wrong with the new tank, and you should put it back in the old one.

Moving Your Betta Into the Car

Now for the hard part – anchoring the aquarium in your car. Use whatever is at your disposal to stabilize the aquarium. Pad the tank with pillows or cushions around all sides to protect it from potentially cracking or smashing if you hit a bump. Besides, they’ll add stability if used correctly.

From our experience, laying the tank on the floor is safer than on the seat since there’s no risk of tumbling over.

Make sure you don’t have the AC pointing at the tank and don’t leave it in direct sunlight, or you might fry the betta. Also, surround the tank with heating pads to maintain a constant temperature.

We also recommend adding a tray under the aquarium in case you hit a bump, and some water spills out. Even if you think you can channel your inner Schumacher or use a secure lid instead, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Transporting the Betta Aquarium

We suppose you’ll also want to move the betta’s original tank along the way. Unless you have a new tank waiting at your destination, in which case you can skip this part. Instead of shoving the old tank in the backseat or the trunk, there are a few measures to ensure it remains in one piece:

Drain All the Water

Transporting a full tank is a hassle that carries a considerable risk of spillage, so water removal is pretty much mandatory. You can use an aquarium hose to drain the old tank of its water quickly. Alternatively, use a standard hose to siphon the water out.

Strip Down the Betta Tank

You don’t want small parts moving around the tank during a car ride since they’ll break or damage the aquarium. Instead, remove all accessories, clean them, and store them separately.

Cleaning the Old Tank

At this stage, you can either clean the tank before the trip or when you arrive. If you do it before the trip, then you’ll still have to give the tank a rinse upon arrival, but you’ll save yourself some effort during jet lag. In contrast, if you clean the tank upon arrival, you’ll only be doing it once, but you might be too tired at that point.

What to Do Upon Arrival

Putting everything back together is as easy as repeating the same steps above. First, make sure you clean the home aquarium and condition it with new water. Same with adding aquarium salt. Your betta will be okay spending another day in the travel tank while you clean the home aquarium, so don’t skip the water resting process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Transporting Betta Fish So Complicated?

Transporting pet fish is notoriously hard, especially compared to mainstream furry pets like cats. That’s mostly because you need a stable environment to keep the fish in a traveling container filled with water without spillage.

Betta fish are particularly easy to agitate, so you need to take extra measures to maintain a suitable water temperature, supply the fish with fresh air, and more.

What’s the ideal temperature for a betta fish?

Betta fish are sensitive to temperature, so keep them at around 75-80° Fahrenheit (about 24-27° Celsius).

Cold water can cause the fish’s immune system to malfunction, while hot water makes them very uncomfortable. So always keep the water temperature in check.

Do I need a filter during transportation?

Water filters are great to keep your betta’s water quality in check. However, you don’t need a filter to transport betta fish. Instead, clean the betta’s tank thoroughly before the trip.

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Conclusion

Transporting bettas isn’t rocket science, but you have to follow the steps thoroughly if you want the process to go smoothly without harming your little pet fish. Make sure you choose a transport tank with a rigid shape, such as standard long aquariums.

Prepare the new tank with water, conditioner, and aquarium salt, then let them sit for one day before the trip. Don’t skip the resting period. Otherwise, you’ll harm the fish.

Add as many heat pads and cushions as you need in the car and keep the tank on the floor. You should also drive carefully to avoid additional stress on the fish.