Seachem Betta Basics

• Removes chlorine and chloramine – chloramine is standard in most Australian mains water and will not gas off on its own
• Detoxifies ammonia – useful in the small, often unfiltered volumes bettas are kept in, where ammonia climbs fastest
• Buffers to pH 7.0 – stops the pH drift that small water volumes are prone to between changes
• Made for bettas and plants together – dosed at the planted rate it suits a betta tank with live plants in it
• Two published dose rates – a stronger rate for planted setups and a lighter one for a plain betta bowl
• Three sizes – from a 60 mL bottle for one bowl to a 2 L for a shop or a rack of tanks

Yield depends on which of the two published rates you dose at. Figures below are rounded down.

A 5 L betta tank changed 50% weekly uses about 2.5 L of treated water a week. On the bowl rate the 60 mL bottle covers roughly four months of that; the 250 mL runs well past a year.

Use with every water change. Seachem also suggests dosing two to three times a week for best results.

For a betta bowl with no live plants in it, the lighter rate applies: 1 capful per 4 L, at water changes.

Suitable for: betta bowls and nano tanks · planted betta setups · unfiltered or lightly filtered small volumes · keepers who want conditioning and pH stability from a single bottle.

Not suitable for: marine or brackish tanks · blackwater and soft, acidic setups, because buffering to 7.0 works against the low pH you are trying to hold · large aquariums, where a concentrated conditioner is far cheaper per litre · use as a substitute for water changes.

If you keep your betta in a tannin-stained, soft-water tank on purpose, this is the wrong conditioner – the buffer will fight you. Use a plain dechlorinator instead.

• Seachem Prime – the concentrated conditioner to move to once you are treating tanks rather than bowls
• Seachem Stability – establishes the biofilter, which is the permanent answer to the ammonia this product only detoxifies
• Seachem MultiTest: Ammonia – small volumes need testing more often, not less
• Seachem pH Alert – shows at a glance whether the buffer is holding at 7.0
• Seachem StressGuard – for fin damage and handling stress, which bettas are prone to

This product carries the consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded. Contact us if a bottle arrives damaged or does not perform as it should.

All three sizes ship as standard parcels. Store out of direct sunlight and out of reach of children.

How much Betta Basics do I add to a 5 litre betta tank?

At the standard rate of 1 capful per 1.25 L, a full 5 L change takes 20 mL – four capfuls. If the tank has no live plants, the lighter bowl rate of 1 capful per 4 L applies, which is about 6 mL.

Does it really hold pH at 7.0?

It buffers toward 7.0, which suits most betta keeping. Very hard tap water or a large piece of driftwood will still pull the reading either way, so test rather than assume.

Can I use it in a planted tank?

Yes. Seachem formulates it for bettas and plants together, and the standard 1 capful per 1.25 L rate is the planted rate.

Is it the same thing as Seachem Prime?

No. Prime is a far more concentrated conditioner with no buffering action. Betta Basics is dosed much more heavily per litre and adds the pH 7.0 buffer, which is why it suits small volumes and not big tanks.

Do I still need water changes if I use it?

Yes. It conditions and detoxifies, but nitrate and dissolved organics still accumulate. Nothing in a bottle replaces changing the water.