The great thing about betta fish is that they are not as delicate as they look. They are quite the opposite. You just need to keep their tank clean and they will be completely content. This means you also have to use the best betta water conditioner.
Tap water contains chemicals, like chlorine, that might not be harmful for human consumption (in small doses), but they would make fish very sick. A good quality water conditioner will neutralize all these harmful chemicals, thereby making regular tap water suitable for aquarium use.
However, not all water conditioners work the same way. This article will teach you how to pick out the best water conditioner that you can use on your betta’s tank. This can help ensure that your fish will remain healthy and as beautiful as it can be.
Contents
Best Betta Water Conditioner Reviews
1. Aqueon Betta Bowl Plus Water Conditioner
This water conditioner and chlorine neutralizer use a formulation specifically designed for small fish tanks and bowls, the types of containers used for housing bettas. This means you do not need to guess how much of this product to use. You can already see it is indicated on the bottle.
This product will make sure that the water is safe for your fish by neutralizing the harmful chlorine and chloramines that are typically present in all tap water. I just put a couple of drops into a bucket of tap water. After a couple of minutes, my water test kit showed zero readings for chlorine.
Aside from neutralizing chlorine, this product can also help eliminate ammonia and nitrates from the water. This product contains beneficial bacteria that help break down the ammonia into nitrites, which is harmless for fish. These are beneficial for any live plants in your aquarium if you have any.
This top fin betta water conditioner can also help when you are restarting your aquarium or working on your very first tank. It will add beneficial nutrients and minerals that are not present in regular tap water.
These additives will give the water in your aquarium a similar condition to your fish’s natural habitat. This will prevent them from getting stressed, thereby ensuring that they stay healthy.
I do not have any issues with the product itself, but I wish that Aqueon would at least redesign their bottles as they tend to leak quite a bit. The first couple of bottles that I got leaked quite a bit. One bottle lost almost half of its content.
- Formulated specifically for betta tanks and bowls
- Can neutralize harmful chlorine and chloramines in tap water
- Helps eliminate ammonia and nitrates
- Contains trace elements that are beneficial for fish
- Even a little conditioner can go a long way
- The bottle tends to leak
It is quite disappointing that this product’s packaging is so flimsy and easily damaged. However, if you are lucky enough to get an undamaged bottle, you will discover that the contents work just as advertised. Use this on your betta tank every time you do water changes, and your fish will always be healthy and happy.
2. Jungle BB730W Bowl Buddies Water Conditioner
Unlike other aquarium water conditioners, it will be quite difficult to overdose using this product because this comes in tablet form. You just drop a tablet into two gallons of tap water and it will contain enough product for that batch.
If you will be treating more water, add more tablets as necessary. And as long as I follow the Bettasafe water conditioner instructions, there is no risk of an overdose.
As mentioned earlier, one tablet is enough for two gallons of tap water. It is even more than enough for most betta tanks. This means that this one box of water conditioner tablets will be sufficient for 8 weeks’ worth of complete water changes.
Although it does not work quite as fast as liquid water conditioners, these tablets work just as well. This product effectively neutralizes all traces of chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals from my tap water.
It has been consistently registering zero amounts of chlorine with every test I have done so far. Also, my betta does not seem to show any ill effects from the water, and that’s a good sign.
If you are worried if this product will harm your planted aquarium, then you don’t have to. I have been using this product for a couple of weeks already and my plants are none the worse for wear.
It even adds beneficial nutrients and electrolytes into the water that will keep the plants and fish in the tank healthy.
The only downside is that this does not work as fast as liquid water conditioners. If you are always in a hurry, this product might not be to your liking.
- Eliminates the chances of accidental overdosing
- One table is enough for two gallons of tap water
- Effectively neutralizes all traces of chlorine and chloramines
- Safe for use even for planted tanks
- Adds beneficial nutrients and electrolytes into the water
- Does not work quite as fast as liquid water conditioners
Even though it will take a bit more time for this water conditioner to do its job, the added safety net against overdosing is well worth the wait. There is no doubt that there are many people who do not like using water conditioner tablets but those who prefer them will surely like this specific product.
3. GloFish Betta Water Conditioner
The water in my town is quite hard, so suffice to say it is not suitable for aquarium use, let alone for a fish as sensitive as a betta. I liked GloFish water conditioner because it not only neutralizes the chlorine in the tap water but also gets rid of the heavy metals and excess minerals.
I was not so sure at first, but after a couple of tests, I was quite impressed at how effective this product worked.
I have lost a couple of bettas over the years because they could handle the stress of being transported. As soon as I learned about this product, I tried it on one of my new fishes, and the natural plant extracts helped keep it calm, allowing it to adjust to its new surroundings easily.
One of the best things about using this product is that it indirectly helped make my bettas look amazing. Because my fish no longer get stressed as easily as before, their colors got even brighter. Their fins also grew longer and more flowing. Even when their fins got accidentally ripped because of the tank décor, they were able to recover quickly.
Aside from keeping my fish happy and relaxed, this water conditioner for betta fish also imparted a lot of beneficial nutrients and minerals into the water. It offers the same kind of minerals and other substances typically found in nature but filtered out from tap water. This gave my betta a more familiar and healthier aquatic environment.
I do not have any serious complaints about the product itself, but I do wish that it came in a bigger bottle. I use this product every week, and it is quite tedious that I have to buy a new bottle every two weeks or so.
- Gets rid of heavy metals in tap water
- Improves the immune system of betta fish
- Helps fish cope with stress and improves their coloration
- Adds beneficial nutrients to the water
- Safe for use for saltwater tanks
- Comes in a very small bottle – It would have been better in bigger packaging
Although it can get quite frustrating to have to get a new bottle every month or so, I always remind myself that this is one of the best water conditioners for betta fish that I have used. I just hope that this product would come in a bigger bottle since people will be using this often.
4. Fritz Aquatics Dark Water Almond Leaf Extract
Some people don’t like the look of black water tanks. However, there are a lot like me who love the look of amber-tinted water. It just looks more natural compared to clear water. This product makes tinting the water a whole lot easier as you just need to put a couple of drops into the water.
Dark water aquarium purists use dried Indian almond leaves and/or tree bark to tint their tank water, but it is a messy and quite strenuous task. I used to do the same, but I would rather use the time spent cleaning the tank doing something else, which is why I like this product. It gives the same look and feel, but at a fraction of the time and effort.
Aside from coloring the water, it also recreates roughly the same water condition that you would see in nature. This product also puts beneficial nutrients and minerals in the water, making it feel more natural for the fish. When the fish feel at home in their new artificial environment, they become a lot healthier and less stressed.
This product is quite safe for the fish because it consists of natural plant extracts and tannins. Also, it is safe to use in conjunction with other aquarium water treatment products. For instance, if you need to treat your fish for the ick, this product will not interfere with the medicine.
However, as good a product as this is, you need to know that it does not neutralize the chlorine in tap water. You will need to use a separate product to first neutralize the chlorine and chloramines in the water before you use this one. On the other hand, it would have been a lot better if it also contained a de-chlorinator.
- Tints the water naturally
- Creates beneficial blackwater conditions
- Less messy compared to using actual leaves
- Ideal for use alongside other water conditioners
- Affordable and yet very effective
- Does not remove chlorine from water and kills snails
If you do not have the time to boil real catappa leaves but you still want to give your betta a dark water environment, then you will like using this product. However, consider using another one if you also have snails in your tank. Also, it is not a water conditioner, so consider using a separate product when cycling your water.
5. Nutrafin Betta Bowl Conditioner
I don’t like to spend an entire afternoon just waiting for a water conditioner to do its job. It is the reason why I liked how this product works lightning-fast. It starts working the moment it touches the water. It neutralizes the chlorine and chloramines in mere minutes. Weekly water changes now just take less than fifteen minutes in total.
Despite how they look, betta fish are among the easiest to get stressed. Even the seemingly simple act of taking them out of their tanks for routine water changes stresses them out considerably.
This is no longer a problem of mine since I started using Nutrafin water conditioner. It contains natural herbal extracts that help keep betta fish calm and stress-free, which also keeps them healthy.
This water conditioner also infuses the tank water with nutrients and minerals that accurately mimic the water condition in the fish’s natural habitat. This is a great help for quickly acclimatizing new betta fish to their new homes.
In addition to helping the betta get used to its new surroundings, it can also help established fish recover quickly from their illnesses and injuries. My betta is quite prone to getting his fins shredded due to the driftwood in his tank, which I already removed and replaced with a smoother décor.
This product helped him recover. It did so by revitalizing and boosting his slime coat.
There are a few minor things that I have an issue with, but the one that stood out was the amount of product needed to treat the water. This water conditioner is not as concentrated as other brands, so you will need to add more to your water to get the same effect.
- Almost instantly neutralizes chlorine and chloramine from tap water
- Contains natural extracts that help keep bettas stress-free
- Provides nutrients to the water that mimics fish’s natural habitat
- Helps your betta recover from injuries
- Not as concentrated as other products
There is nothing about this water conditioner that makes it stand out from the rest. However, it is highly reliable and it does what it is supposed to do – that is making your tap water ideal for keeping betta fish.
6. API TAP Water Conditioner
API has been in the fish care business for years, so they know how to take care of your beloved pet fish. Their water conditioner is one of the best in the industry. It is highly concentrated and will start working immediately. It can condition a huge amount of tap water in just minutes.
Unlike other brands of water conditioners, this one from API only neutralizes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals from tap water. It does not promise to provide vitamins and minerals to the water, nor claim to keep the water clear. This just treats the water and it does so efficiently.
If you have both freshwater and saltwater tanks, you do not need to buy separate water conditioners for them. Just this one product is enough. This is great if you mix your artificial seawater. This water conditioner ensures that there will be absolutely no trace of chlorine that can potentially kill all life in your aquarium.
Because of the concentration of the product, you will only need a couple of drops to treat several gallons of tap water. This means that the huge bottle you will be getting will be enough for at least a couple of years if you have a medium-sized tank.
Now, because it is highly concentrated, you will need to be careful when treating the water for your betta tank as it will be so easy to overdose a small tank. I use a syringe to get an accurate measure of this product to prevent overdosing. If you put too much, the water will get cloudy and provide less-than-ideal conditions.
- Highly concentrated and works immediately
- This is a no-nonsense product.
- Can work for both saltwater and freshwater tanks
- Ideal for those with large capacity aquariums
- A great dechlorinator for swimwear
- Easy to overdose your tank
Although this product is incredible, you also need to be careful when using it as it is potent. Unlike other water conditioners that let you go over the recommended amount without harming your fish, this one is not as forgiving. If you want to use this highly concentrated product, I suggest using a dropper and carefully measuring each dose.
7. Fluval Water Conditioner
The tap water in my town is so heavily chlorinated that you can taste and smell it. This product effectively neutralizes every bit of chlorine in the water. After just a couple of minutes, I could not even smell the chlorine from the container in the water, so it was a good sign. A couple of minutes more and my test strips showed zero chlorine.
This product also contains natural plant extracts that act as a sort of relaxant for fish. This helped my betta keep calm after every complete water change. Also, because my fish are all relaxed, their fins grew longer and their colors became a whole lot brighter than before.
I also use this product on another small tank, but with a dozen or so tetras. I noticed that their colors also became quite brilliant after I started using this conditioner.
Another thing I liked about this product is that it will last a rather long time. You will only need one capful, which is roughly 5ml, to treat 10 gallons of tap water. So, if you only have one betta tank, and a small one at that, this one bottle can last you maybe a year or two of regular water changes.
Despite the highly concentrated stuff, it is almost impossible to overdose your tank; it is pretty forgiving in this manner. I do not have the steadiest hands, so it is almost effortless for me to measure out too much of it. Sometimes, I even spill almost another full cap of it into the water, and so far, none of my bettas suffered from any ill effects.
Now, if you have a bioreactor filter, I must warn you that this product contains aloe. This means that you will be cleaning your reactor a lot more often because this water conditioner will leave a thin, oily film on top of the water. It will get into the filter and clog it up quickly.
- Effectively neutralizes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals in tap water
- Contains natural extracts that help fish relax and recover from injuries
- Almost impossible to overdose
- Ideal for new aquarists
- Only requires a little to work effectively
- Contains aloe, which might clog up your aquarium filter
If you have a bioreactor filter, I highly suggest that you use another water conditioner, or at the very least, only use this one sparingly, like when your betta is suffering from a torn fin or other injuries. The aloe vera helps revitalize and replenish the slime coating of your fish, which helps keep them healthy.
8. Seachem Stability Fish Tank Stabilizer
If you are a beginner at keeping aquariums, you probably don’t know the importance of nitrate cycling the aquarium. This is the process wherein you propagate essential bacteria that will help convert the ammonia and nitrates from the fish waste into harmless nitrites.
This process would usually take weeks to occur naturally. However, if you use the Seachem fish tank stabilizer, it will take just a couple of days.
This product will help kickstart the nitrate cycling process by introducing bacteria into the water. This means you do not need to wait for the bacteria to grow. Since they are already in the water, you just need to help them get established. I do this by adding a bit of ammonia into the water. This serves as food for the bacteria.
After less than a week and with weekly or bi-weekly maintenance applications, the aquarium can handle all of the waste produced by your fish. In my case, since I only keep small fish, like bettas, tetras, mollys, and the like, the biological load of the tank is not that big.
With the help of this product, I have not experienced any significant ammonia or nitrate spikes as of late.
Another thing I liked about this product is that it greatly reduces the stress that new fish have to endure when transferring into a new aquarium. I make it a point to prepare the tank well in advance before I even buy the fish to put inside them.
This product helps me make the ideal environment for the fish. That way, they can quickly adapt to their new surroundings.
There is only one problem, though – that is you cannot use this product on tap water. It does not contain de-chlorinators, which means that the bacteria contained in it will instantly die the moment they get into the tap water.
You will first need to use a water conditioner to neutralize the chlorine in the tap. Only after that should you use this product.
- Efficiently cycles aquarium water to kickstart the biological filtration
- Establishes biofilters in less than a week
- Prevents random ammonia and nitrate spikes
- A couple of drops is enough to treat an entire betta tank
- The fish will quickly adapt to their new environment
- Does not neutralize chlorine
This is not a water conditioner but an aquarium stabilizer, which means it introduces bacteria into the water. It will then kickstart the biological filtration cycle. You will need to use a chlorine neutralizer first as the chlorine in tap water will kill the beneficial bacteria in this product, rendering it useless.
9. Tetra AquaSafe Plus Conditioner
I love my aquarium, but I do not want to wait hours before I can replace the water in the tank. If you also do not like having a bucket sitting in the middle of your living room for an entire afternoon, you can use the Tetra AquaSafe water conditioner.
This product starts working the moment that it mixes in with the tap water. You will have aquarium-safe water in under fifteen minutes.
The nice thing about this product is that it not only neutralizes the chlorine in tap water, but also infuses it with all the beneficial nutrients, vitamins, and biopolymers that all fish need to stay healthy. You are essentially giving your fish a head-start in living long and healthy lives.
Aside from making the water safe for your fish, this product also aids in the nitrate cycling of the water. It might not work as fast as the other products dedicated to water cycling, but it helps get the cycle going. If you use this in a new tank, it will take just a week or two to establish an efficient nitrate cycling process.
This product also helps keep the fish healthy by improving their slime coats. It is the thin film of slime that covers the bodies of fish and helps them recover from scratches and other wounds. It also keeps them from getting sick. This is especially beneficial for bettas as they always seem to rip their fins often.
The only problem that I have with this product is that it leaves a thin and oily film on top of the water. This keeps some of the fish food from sinking to the bottom of the tank. It also clogs up the filters.
- The product starts working as soon as it touches the water
- Infuses the water with beneficial nutrients, vitamins, and biopolymers
- Helps with the nitrate cycling of the aquarium
- Improves the slime coating on fish to help them recover from injuries
- One bottle is enough to treat 500 gallons of water
- Leaves an oily film on top of the water
This model is actually for aquaponics and may be too large for your tank. On the other hand, if you have a rather large planted tank, like maybe 150-gallons and up, then this might work out for you. You should keep your receipt, though, as a significant number of customers have issues with this product.
10. Hikari Usa AHK72236 Cloram-X Conditioner
This is one of the fastest-acting water conditioners that I have had the pleasure of using. Unlike other brands where you have to wait up to three hours to treat just five gallons of tap water, this one only requires that you wait fifteen minutes.
In other words, you no longer have to wait a long time just so you can do a partial water change. It also means you will have more time for other aquarium-related activities.
Another nice feature of this product is that it helps with the nitrate cycling of your tank. It helps by introducing helpful bacteria that will turn the ammonia from the fish waste into harmless nitrites. Although ammonia and nitrate spikes rarely happen in my betta tanks, I like that in case they do happen, I have something that I can use to counter it.
This product is also quite concentrated. Just a couple of drops is enough to treat five gallons of tap water. This is good news for betta fish owners like me, mainly because we rarely have tanks that are bigger than 10-gallons. I have been using the same bottle for a couple of months and I don’t think that I have used even a third of the contents.
Because of the many benefits that this product provides, I have been doing partial water changes less frequently than before. I test the water of my betta tanks every week, and I always find that the ammonia and nitrate levels are well below the safe zone. This is why I would only change the water every two weeks or so, instead of weekly.
Now, before you purchase this product, you need to find out if you have extremely hard tap water. Test your tap water for hardness first, and if you get a high reading, this product might not work quite as well for you. You might need to use a water softener first so that this water conditioner can even do its job.
- Works instantly; no waiting required
- Aids in nitrate cycling and removes ammonia
- Safe for freshwater and saltwater tanks
- Works efficiently – Even a little application can already help a lot
- Easy to use and makes water changes less of a hassle
- Might not work with extremely hard water
This is one of the very best water conditioners that I have used so far. This is an all-in-one product that not only neutralizes chlorine and chloramine from tap water, and also helps kickstart the nitrate cycling of the aquarium. If you are a beginner at keeping aquariums then you will love this.
What to Look For When Buying a Betta Water Conditioner
To ensure that you will be getting the best water conditioner for your betta tanks, consider these factors during the selection process:
Processing Time
Ideally, you should buy a water conditioner that takes less than an hour to treat any amount of water. Some brands claim that they can treat five gallons of tap water in less than fifteen minutes.
However, be wary of these claims as in most cases. You should just not take their word for it.
Keep an eye on the overall performance of the products they are offering. Test the water for chlorine before you put it into the tank.
Effectiveness
It should not matter how much chlorine is in your town’s tap water. The water conditioner that you buy should be able to neutralize it. Ideally, it would be much better for you to get a water conditioner that also works as a water softener.
Added Benefits
Although there is nothing wrong with buying just a water conditioner, it would still be much better if your choice can do a lot more. If you can find a brand that does more than just neutralizing chlorine, then you will enjoy its performance even better.
Some of the products that you should look for actively are those that impart minerals and nutrients that essentially turn the water into a close facsimile of natural river water.
Ease of Use
By this, I mean the difficulty of dosing the water. Will you need to be very careful when measuring the amount of water conditioner to use? Will even a small amount over the recommended be enough to harm your fish?
If you do not have precise measuring equipment or do not know how to use them effectively, then you have to buy water conditioners that would not be harmful to your fish even when used in large amounts. Typically, these products are not as potent, but the added safety net against overdosing makes the compromise worth it.
Frequently Asked Question
Does the Betta Water Conditioner Work for Other Fish?
A follow-up question would be, is betta water conditioner safe for other fish? Yes, you can use the betta fish water conditioner for tanks containing other kinds of fish, particularly the small types like tetras, mollies, guppies, and the like.
Betta fish live in the same kind of freshwater system as most other fish, so using betta-related products on other types of fish should not be a problem.
Can you Put too Much Betta Water Conditioner?
It will depend on the brand. Some brands, like Api betta water conditioner, are so concentrated that you can make the water toxic if you use too much. These are the types that you will need to use a syringe to get an accurate dose.
On the other hand, some brands are almost impossible to overdose. Others even allow you to triple the recommended dose and it will still not do anything harmful to your fish.
Conclusion
Despite looking delicate and fragile, it is not that difficult to keep betta fish. Unless you want to, the only things that you will need to keep them happy is a supply of good food and using the best betta water conditioner with every water change.
With the help of suitable water conditioners for betta fish, you can save a lot of money because you can just use regular tap water for your aquarium. Water conditioners, especially the best ones, will turn regular tap water perfectly safe for your betta fish, or whatever species you want to keep.