Betta Fish Help!?

Question

I just got a betta, and I have some questions:

1. What food do bettas normally eat? I bought it TetraMin, but is that the right thing? I fed it to my betta (named Bob) and he just spit it out. Is that the wrong food?

2. How often should I change the water? I have a fishbowl about the size of a small watermelon, with rainbow colored rocks on the bottom. It's been about a week. And HOW do I change the water?

3. Where is a good place to keep my fish? In my room? In the kitchen? In a sunny place? Where!?

Thanks, and please reply ASAP if you know any of the above answers. Thanks!

Answer 1

1. Bettas prefer live food like bloodworms, but they are kind of nasty to keep, especially for just one betta. I would suggest getting freezedried bloodworms, brineshrimp, and daphnia, and giving the little guy a variety.

2. With a jar that size, the water should be 1/2 changed twice a week. Keep a few gallon jars filled with treated water. To change the water, use a cup and take out about half of the water, and replace it (slowly!) with the new water. Once every month, do a complete water change. Take a cup and fill it up with the water that Bob is in, and put bob in the cup. Drain the tank completely, and rinse out the rocks well. Fill it up with the new treated water, and slowly take out some water from the cup Bob is in with the new water until he is almost all in the new water, then release him in the tank. Water change done!

3. Bettas like areas with lots of activity, they like to watch people, so either your room or the kitchen would be a good idea. Its not good to keep them in the sun because algae can grow quickly and the sun can heat up water and bake Bob.

Have fun!

Answer 2

you dont have to buy another tank just go to walmart or petsmart and buy a gold fish bowl and she would be happy that way she can eat and don't worry about gettin attacked! If a female that wasn’t ripe, or ready for spawning, would have entered a males tank, it’s possible that she would’ve been attacked, as non-ripe females are not tolerated within the vicinity of the nest. By not fleeing, a female indicates her readiness to spawn. Yes, some times if you are not careful when trying too breed bettas, the male will attack the female and he can injure the female, the females are much smaller than the males. A Male and a Female: In the wild, females stay clear of males, except during mating. When cohabiting in tanks, males might kill females, and are generally kept apart unless (a) they are juvenile siblings, (b) they are breeding, (c) there is a partition, or (d) the tank is large enough for the female to escape attack. Often, before breeding, breeders use such a container to allow female display without risking harm by the male. Two or more Females: Bettas are not schooling fish, but in a large tank with many hiding spaces, female bettas can cohabit. When two females share a tank, one usually bullies the other, however, four or more females will establish a hierarchy allowing peaceful co-existence, nevertheless, females living in community must be monitored for aggressive females.

Answer 3

I highly advise reading the links to betta talk!! My thoughts:

1)Betta are carnivores. His food should be mostly worms/shrimp/fish. Tetra min intended for omnivores. Ideally I'd feed him 6 days a week with freeze dried blood worms, and brine shrimp. (Alternate between the 2.) That said a meaty flake, or pellet work well. Be careful not to over feed. He needs about as much food as his eye ball, and a pot belly is a bad sign.

2) It's about time to change Bob's water. Get some water conditioner for fish, or just leave water in an open container for 48 hours. Put bob in a cup of bowl water, and COVER IT!! (Mine have jumped.) Wash the bowl with warm water, and then put in the new water. Check the new and cup water, and don't put Bob unless they feel the same temp to your finger.

3)Betta aren't huge fans of lots of light plus it will promote algae growth, and green water. I'd keep him in a well traveled place that stays in the 70-86 range (ideally 75-85, lower than 65 is deadly). He likes warmth, and watching people, or fish moving around. A few minutes of mirror time is good, but avoid placing him next to reflective surfaces.

Answer 4

I had a betta for a while. I think I fed him the same food. Just make sure that it is food for bettas and not tropical fish or goldfish. My fish particularly like freeze dried brine shrimp as a treat. In a bowl that size, I would change about 1/3 to 1/2 the water once a week. All fish excrete toxins into the water so to keep him really healthy it's better to change it at least once every week. Scoop some of the water out into a separate container. Then catch your fish and put him in the temporary container with the water that you are saving. I like to use a colander or a strainer to clean the rocks and I rinse them in cool water. I scrub out the inside of the fish bowl usually with soap but some people say not to use it. If you do, make sure you rinse your tank very very well, and don't use any soap for sure on plants or rocks. When you put in new water, I used store bought filtered water because there aren't as many toxins in it as tap water. If you do use tap water, use something that will dechlorinate it and make it safe for your fish. Pet stores will carry something. Bettas don't do well in direct sunlight so a place that does still get light but not in direct sunlight all day would be good. Keep him somewhere that is convenient for you. Good Luck!

Answer 5

1. I feed all my bettas pellets, because it's easy to find. Maybe pellets are better food.
2. I'd say every 3 weeks, just to be sure. To change his water, put your betta in the cup you got him, along with some water. Just pretty much rinse out his tank and anything in it with hot water, dechlorify his water, and make sure the temperature is the same as when you took him out.
3. Don't keep him in a sunny place. But they can pretty much go anywhere else.

Answer 6

Bettas are carnivores and should be fed a specific food that is made for bettas with supplementation of frozen foods such as brineshrimp and bloodworms.

Bettamin- is a flake food for bettas made by tetra. In my opinion and experience my bettas didnt care for it.

Hikari betta biogold- Its a decent pellet food, not the best but its not the worst either i use it often,

Omega One betta buffet flakes or pellets- My bettas love this food and its made with real seafood so its good quality. I sometimes mix these pellets and the hikari pellets in one container.

Ocean Nutrition Betta food- Its ok, they come in cool betta shaped containers that are collectible, i had all 3 colors until my stupid cat knocked them off the shelf adn broke them.

HBH betta bites- my bettas didnt care for them atleast not with the same enthusiasm as with hikari or omega one.

Aquaculture betta pellets u find at walmart- hard as a rock, bettas hated them. Upon reading the back i see HBH makes them but it must be a different formula because the HBH brand i got at petsmart were better quality.

It sounds like your bowl is the size of 1 gallon. It needs to be cleaned 100 percent atleast once a week. Bettas actually need a filter and a heater and a tank of atleast 5 gallons. Bettas are warmwater tropical fish that need temps of 80 degrees. If kept in cooler temps their metabolism slows, they get stressed and come down with diseases like ich, fin rot, columnaris, septicemia, dropsy to name a few. If kept in a 5 gallon tank, only 30 percent of the water needs to be changed once a week. Bigger tanks are easier to care for and less stressful for the fish.

Never keep bowls or tanks infront of windows where drafts could come in or sunlight could warm up the tank too much and plus natural sunlight will turn your water green. Until you can get a proper tank, keep the bowl in your room where the temperature is stable and warm, dont put it near the heater vent or windows or doors. Fluctuating temps stress fish out, they need the temp to remain stable.
When you clean the bowl, move the fish to a little cup, clean the whole bowl with hot water, no soap and fill the bowl back up with water that is the SAME temperature as what the fish is in and make sure the water is either spring water or tap water that is treated with a water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramines, and neutralizes heavy metals.

Answer 7

I have a male betta, the food we feed him(charlie) is $1.97 at walmart. the name is Hikari Betta Bio-gold. They spit out the food because it is hard when it hits the water. once they soften it up they will eat it and sometimes hide it. I clean his water once a week and I pour him in a cup with a bit of the old water and clean the bowl, and the rocks. I then add a pellet that conditions the water, it is called Bowl Buddies at walmart for $1.99. It contains 8 tablets. they fizz out like alka seltzer. Once all the fizz is gone you can add the fish to the bowl. The temperature of the water i use is lukewarm(room temp). I keep him on one of my end tables in the living room, away from the a/c vent and i make sure i use the light on the other table. Betta tend to hide under the rocks when a bright light is shining on them. My tank is about the size of a reg fish bowl it came with a stand that has its own led light on top, so i turn on his light a few times during the day(tank is at walmart for $12.96) He can be kept anywhere that does get sunlight and shade, and not to drafty or to warm. Hope everything works out for you!!!

Answer 8

They eat Betta Food by Wardley. You can buy it at WalMart. it's like little dots. Mine love it. Intensifies their color also. I change the water once a week. I keep a gallon jug of water available at all times. Use Wardley watercare clor out. Also can buy at WalMart. I keep mine in the living room on an end table, but I have seen them everywhere. They are really easy to care for. I have had mine for over a year. Names are RED and CHINA! Good Luck.....you will enjoy them:)

Answer 9

You now the pellets the round things feed your betta that change the betta's tank once a week you now spageti drainers use that to drain the water and clean the rocks but the betta in a cup . p.s. why do have one if u hardly now bout them?

Answer 10

i have 2 bettas and i just feed them betta food ive had them 4 years now every time the tank get foggy thats when u should change the water