In The Aquarium
In the tank
Elephant ear, and betta are hardy creatures that can live without constant supervision so this is the best option when you are a beginner as a pet owner. There are still some things you consider when you put them in a tank such as water parameter lighting, filter, tank mate, etc. A proper setup and maintenance tank increases the life of the betta and makes them happy.
Tank size
They are small in size, the elephant ear betta requires large and comfortable space, and they prefer 5 gallons per individual. There are many reasons that betta requires more space than others. For 5 gallon of water aquarium, the size is 16 inches x 8 inches x 10 inches. But the preferred tank size is 10- 20 gallons, which is large.
The first thing is you can say that elephant ear betta are energy balls, they are constantly moving around, looking for either prey or fight. A small space makes them unhappy and stressed.
The second thing is they are incredibly protective of their space. If you need multiple species with elephant ear betta make sure that they have sufficient space.
Tank shape
Elephant ear betta prefers to live in the long tank. One of the reasons is that is wild and prefers shallow water to live. As well as bettas are aggressive. In a counterpart, a longer tank allows them to swim freely. Tall tanks are good who prefer horizontal space.
Water parameters
Some of the parameters to consider such as PH value, hardness, and temperature. Tank water has a silently acidic pH value between 6.0 to 8.0, and the hardness of the water is between 5 to 20 dH at a temperature between 76°-82° Fahrenheit.
Add new water in a tank containing chloramines and chloride compounds. the situation arises when a supply of unfiltered water is in the tank. When the toxin levels up, the water quality becomes poor.
Filter
Your filter needs good filtration to prevent betta from harmful toxins which is a delicate ecosystem. When you keep an elephant ear betta you need to ensure what kind of filtration is required. Which does not affect bettas long fin. Use internal fleet to generate heavy water flow.
Heater
Betta is a tropical fish, they are difficult to live if you don’t maintain proper temperature. Betta is a weak immune system and environment change often results in stress. One of the common diseases is fin rot- which is particularly suspected since they have overemphasized fin.
Lighting
Lighting changes the mood. Lighting enhances the beauty of the fish, you can also show off its vivid colors, glittering scale, and beauty of greenery. It has a male important role in betta fish and plants. betta follow the natural day and night routine, they can get stressed if the environment changes.
Plants
Elephant ear betta is shy so they hide behind plants most of the time. So it is important to include plants in their tank. The plant provides shelter and hiding space for betta as well you can add live plants and caves in the tank to make them resemble their natural habitat you can add sand and substrate at the bottom of the tank. plants supply oxygen to the fish and clean the water. java fern is good option, if you want to add the plant.
Accessories
There are a few other things you will set up in an elephant ear betta tank. Here, some are recommended accessories for betta fish:
· Ph meter: it is essential for monitoring the Ph level in your tank.
· Fluval sea CP3 circulation pump: used in marine aquariums. It is efficient and keeps the water flowing in your tank.
· Thermometer: this will help to track temperature.
With the right equipment, you can create a beautiful and healthy aqua setup for elephant ear betta.
Decoration
you can add many things for decoration. For plants, artificial plants and live plant is good decoration item, be careful what you add; whatever you add is not harmful to betta A silk plant is very gentle for a betta. You can use the marina's natural plants. Artificial plants are not considered a safe option for betta because they have rough and sharp edges. The sharp edge may be damaged or torn fins which sometimes causes infection. You can put rocks but not sharp edge. The object should be soft and round. You should move your finger comfortably.
Ideal tank mate for elephant ear betta
Elephant ear betta is aggressive and territorial. This betta is considered a good tankmate to other species if you put them non-aggressive species. you cannot put male and female betta together except by breeding.
Neon tetras: They prefer to live in large space around 10 10-gallon capacity tanks. The water temperature required between 73 to 81 F (23 to 27 C), and the PH value between 5.5 to 7.5. the hardness of water is up to 6 dGH. They prefer a carnivore' diet. Their life span is around 5 years.
Corydoras: It is a freshwater catfish that belongs to callichthyidae family and Corydoradinae subfamily. a 10-gallon capability of tank size. The water temperature required between 72 to 79 F (22 to 26 C), the PH value between 6.5 to 7.0. the hardness of water is up to 5 - 10 dGH. They prefer a carnivore diet.
Guppies: it is also known as rainbow fish. Males come with a different color than females, like bright colors such as red, green, blue, and light colors such as white, yellow, orange, and purple, and have long dorsal and caudal fins. Generally, they required a 10-gallon tank. The range of the water temperature is between 68 and 78ºF Also they prefer silently acidic water so the PH value is between 6.5 to 8.0. The water hardness is 100 to 150 mg/l.