Does anyone out there have a beta (betta) fish? Hi Pumba! I need advice please.

[Saffron]

I did some impulse shopping at the pet store yesterday. This fish is so gorgeous! I bought him, a little tiny tank a little bigger than the bowl he was in and some food. I filled the tank with water yesterday and let the water sit over night. I just put him in there and he seems very happy -- a little confused at first, but now he seems happy. He is spreading his fins and coming over to see me (I'm keeping him on my computer desk. )

Anyway, he doesn't seem to like his food. He puts the little round things in his mouth, then spits them out. What do you feed your beta? Are there any tips you can give me to keep him happy and healthy? Thanks in advance.

Hi Pumba.

 

[kejoda]

I could be wrong but I thought that was how fish ate. Eat, spit eat, spit...

I love Beta fish did you put a mirrror up to him yet? What about a name?

 

[Marla Hellwig]

Hey Maggie - are you sure you want to be asking Marie for advice about a beta

 

[skuttle]

My beta is three years old, so I must be doing something right! LOL!! My beta lives in a vase w/ a plant in the top and the roots hang in the water. He seems happy. I don't feed him everyday, but I'm not sure if he eats the roots of the plant. I feed him the little betta bits from Top Fin...sounds the same as what you feed yours. Sometimes, if the pellet is too big, my fish will spit it out. He eats the smaller ones w/ no problems. I feed him one pellet at a time and I watch him eat it and then give him another. I find that this keeps the water cleaner longer b/c there's no wasted food in the water. Also, I don't use tap water for him...he gets bottled spring or drinking water.

 

[Antonia]

My beta is a red one with wonderful fins and sits on my computer desk. I have had him since Mother's Day. I originally had the plant on top of the bowl, but now he is just in a bowl with some rocks in the bottom. The plant kept my water too dirty. I fed him Hikari Betta Bio-Gold pellets and he sometimes spits them out but I think he is playing with them. He has been doing this since I had him and he seems happy and healthy.

 

[pumba]

may be just a little confused still.......I get the small beta dots.....they are easy to swallow for the first time.......did you ask which kind the store fed him......they are cute arent' they.....I use a turkey baster to suck out the left over food and fishy do doo....and then on the fifth day i use my big soup ladle and put him in a bowl of his water.....I keep some in a big gallon carton and it is always ready for the change......then I ladle him out and put him in his clean bed.....hahaha....I still have three of them...and they are all crazy....I love it when they spred their face out and try to scare me away......I have had Otis for over two years.....keep up the good work and carry on.....NOW remember do not cook them by accident.....

 

[Marla Hellwig]

ROFL Marie!

 

[WillyJ]

Marie, you forgot to add that putting them in the freezer isn't good for them either. . .






I'm sure he'll be fine Maggie; and congrats on the new fish hon!!!

 

[pumba]

do not ......I repeat...do not put your fishies in the deep freeze....that can be as deadly as the cooking water.......

 

[Kteacher]

I caught our cat with his whole head in the fish bowl- the beta fish never had a chance unfortunately

 

[Saffron]

Haha Kejoda! I put him next to the lamp, which is brass and he saw his reflection and started showing me his "mane". LOL! I moved him and he's content now.

Let's see. He has a gold face with little tiny black and white flecks in it and an irridescent turquoise body with purple, pink, blue and turquoise fins. He's gorgeous. So, I named him Rainie, like a rainbow, but I hate the name, so I just call him my Beta Buddy, or Buddy.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I think I'll keep trying with this food since it seems to be common to eat and spit the food out. If he doesn't eat by Sunday, I'll try a different one. Thanks for telling me the brand you use everyone. I'll be sure to look for them

Pumba! I knew you could give me good advice!

 

[klombar]

Mines a VHS

 

[pumba]

very dark reds and blues.....and he is soooooo big ...he got the three cornered tank with the areater.....Otis is in a little tank and so is Indy...short for Indiana Jones.....one is lighter flurescent blue and the other one is reds.pinks and nice shades together......put on a flashlight and see how pretty they are.....I hold my finger just slightly over the water ...and otis jumps up to get me.......one time he jumped into the next tank.....my daughter was yelling .....quick..before he eats the other one.......KEVIN...you are behind the times.....hahahaha

 

[FTWFAN]

Please remember that these are two things to NEVER EVER do to your beta fish!!!!!!!

Oddball has almost always had a pet since she was big enough to take care of them herself. When her little sister Savannah was about 3yo, I couldn't find her one afternoon. She was playing in the living room and disappeared. I went in search of her and found her in Oddball's room. She had something behind her back. When I asked her what she had, she promptly replied "Ashtee's fish needed some lotion!" I looked at the fish bowl where she had poured about half of the bottle of lotion. Needless to say, FISH DO NOT LIKE LOTION!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I had to buy Oddball another beta fish!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was trying to be nice on day and decided to clean the tank for Oddball while she was at school. When I went to take the tank back to her room, the phone rang. I sat the tank on the dresser, answered the phone and promptly left to pick her up at school. After being away for several hours, we retd home to find yet another dead fish. WHY??????? In my rush to answer the phone, I sat the tank in front of the mirror on the dresser!!!!!! Need I say more????? Oddball finally forgave me after calling me a "fish murderer"! We decided to wait a while before we purchased another fish and we are still waiting!!!!!!!!!

So, please take better care of your fish than we did!!!!!!!!!!

 

[WillyJ]

ROTF FTWFan!!! LOL!!!

I think you and Marie should get together and open a tropical fish store!!!

 

[J&D]

I fed mine some kind of dried worms. He loved them.

 

[Saffron]

OMG FTWFAN! ROTFLOL! Awww, poor Oddball! LOL!

Time to head to the pet store Mom! LOL!!

Pumba! LOL! I can imgaine I would panic too if my guy jumped in with another guy! LOL! That is too funny!

 

[Tiger Fan]

We have had betas twice before. We named them Rainbow and Rainbow II. I killed them both within weeks of getting them.
Lisa

 

[WillyJ]

Geezzee. . . I beginning to think the people here on the DIS have killed more fish then Mrs. Paul . . .

ROTF!!!