My daughter was gifted a betta fish for her birthday from a friend. I’m trying to figure out how old he is (assuming it’s a boy) so I know how much to feed him. He is about 1 inch long. We turn off the circulation when we feed because that helped the pellets stay at the top, but a lot of times he spits the food back out and I can’t tell if it’s too big for him. We are feeding 2 pellets/meal now 2x/day. We were feeding more, but so much ended up in the rocks. I’m also thinking of getting some betta beads to help with the water. They provided the tank too so I don’t think it was cycled properly. I’m also curious if his fins will grow longer? Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide. First time betta owners over here.
https://i.redd.it/qk8ri7uvrhgg1.jpeg
Posted by Baconforlater
8 Comments
He looks like a plakat Betta, which is a short-finned variety. I can’t tell how big he is but he looks nearly grown. Still, even my fully-grown Betta sometimes spit out pellets. I preferred using Bug Bites pellets for him since they are smaller and have high protein, but they do sink easier.
I can’t tell what his setup is like, but I recommend keeping him in a 5-gallon with a heater and filter. I’ve never used Betta beads, they seem gimmicky to me. As long as you have a filter running and do regular water changes (with water conditioner for tap water), you won’t need to add anything else to remove waste.
It might not be cycled, but as long as the tank isn’t tiny and you don’t overfeed (you can honestly probably feed more once it is cycled), it should be okay because 1 Betta doesn’t make a lot of waste. You can buy a test kit or take a water sample to a pet store to test for you. If it’s cycled it’ll have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and some nitrate. Good luck!
Idk. But that picture is cute asf
bettas will spit out food when it’s too hard or large to try and make it easier to eat, most likely your fish is adjusting to the new environment and food.
you should feed max 4 pellets a day, feeding 2 twice a day is awesome
a few other reasons could be stress, poor water quality, or just disliking the brand of food.
female betta fish have a white spot on their belly called an egg spot, males do not
you should get an [API FRESHWATER TEST KIT](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwj2mf-ov7OSAxUpZ0cBHT76EpQYACICCAEQFBoCcXU&co=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyvHLBhDlARIsAHxl6xpCIogKZ1RLwCKZtOda1jTwITvXU40fHYAekGcT_tdgSvQPahRBGsQaAp6kEALw_wcB&cid=CAAS3QHkaPCbMnHsGZ2Jd6YdzZoRLI4qOOiTc-OCi-0Z2VZyHRReeSdKo-djX9Q1SUcRkuUjCrprA9yYHUtqEBQfcq3Omp2zd0ag-0hBJ2c9LVgSPLTolOrTlNUj0sBgVsCetsFLB8XOqLzImz7Mh-n0uettFuv6qYuoxSDOcyAVN8928Az8vu8EAIdePTOHaN1C6HpAghMtv6ktFns8rtYhNYfcnft_lTciOttP6GdIVtQpmHrj4aKPsZebp8pMemhQGu5Z82UI1s_qG1yUYnURPqGy2IhoIeqNEtx_XPRWjQ&cce=1&sig=AOD64_3BkSFmzM_31iDq4aWdYVnMtrF-vg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjmyveov7OSAxVoGFkFHZV4PYEQwg8oAHoECAoQFQ&adurl=) to check out your water parameters, [fish-in cycling](https://bettasplendid.weebly.com/cycling-for-dummies.html) how to cycle your tank with a fish inside
betta fish are actually a bit of work, contradictory to how they’re advertised lol
Look for an egg spot underneath her body. She looks like my female betta. I give mine bug bites, an occasional blood worm treat, and flakes. I also have another food that enhances color. As her tank develops, consider getting all natural accoutrements: plants, stone, wood. Also considered getting Indian almond leaves to help water quality. Bettas feel serene when there are plenty of places to explore, rest, and occasionally hide.
that is a fullgrown female
Based on the clear edges of his tail, I’d say he is an almost grown guy. Whenever you think of feeding remember his stomach is the size of his eyeball, it’ll help with portion size lol. I have heard bad things about betta beads, a natural substrate like sand would be much nicer.
https://preview.redd.it/uwtdin2mqigg1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37c3d00921343f39b12c9be064227b5f037ab2fe
here’s a guide to help!! 🙂
Get a master liquid test kit like the API one. Don’t use strips.