Keeping betta fish isn't necessarily a hobby you'd associate with numbers like baseball for instance.
Bettas don't have batting averages.
They don't hit home runs.
But that's not to say they don't have some important numbers to keep in mind.
So how many of these do you know to mind? 78 degrees F plus which is a water temperature your betta can live with.
It's important not to lose sight of the fact that your betta likely comes from a long line of tropical fish.
As such, your particular Betta Spendens needs heat to thrive.
78-82 degrees worth actually.
Which may explain why you noticed they tend towards listlessness if their water temps dip much below 75 degrees F.
And who wants a listless fish? By the way, water temp alone is the best argument going against keeping your pet in some pint sized bowl.
Because ask yourself.
How can you keep a cup or two of water at that temperature 24 hours a day? Short answer.
You can't.
Five or the minimum number of gallons you should consider for housing your betta fish.
Yes, since we're on the topic of tank size, let me get on my soap box again and remind you that 5 gallons is a good sized tank for your fish.
Yes, one fish.
And I know that some will claim they have kept them for years successfully in a one gallon tank.
Or that two gallons or so is just right.
It's just right alright.
If you are committed to being very diligent about water changes.
And who among us is up to that level of perfection? This is why I beg you to not consider keeping your veil tail in anything less than five gallons.
Less stressful for you.
Less stressful for your fish.
Two as in how many times to drop in pellets, frozen brine shrimp or mosquito larvae per day into your betta tank.
You see, despite what your betta may try to convince you of, they are not starving to death in their fishy kingdom there.
It's just their nature to always be on the lookout for food.
And since you are the source of that food, which they come to realize soon enough, it's only natural that they try to convince you otherwise.
They don't know there is plenty more where that last pellet came from.
In the wild they have to be constantly on the prowl.
But under your care there is far more danger of over feeding than not.
So get some spine and resist the temptation to give in to their incessant begging for food.
In other words only feed twice a day for a healthier crown tail.
One may be the loneliest number for some but it's the ideal count of male betta fish to keep together.
No one to share with means fewer misunderstandings, fewer fights, and next to no territorial disputes.
Well actually no territorial disputes.
That's what happens when you are the lone master of your domain.
Zero or the ideal level of ammonia found when you've dug out your water test kit and tested the water.
Bad water causes more premature betta death than anything else you can imagine.
Fish food rotting in the gravel or substrate, fish waste doing the same and decaying plant matter all contribute to ammonia spikes.
Still zero is the level to strive for.
Anyway those are some numbers to keep in mind if you want to keep a healthy betta.