How do YOU keep a betta entertained?

I"ve always had large communities of fish, who spend their days schooling, courting, mating, spawning, bickering and interacting in a lot of ways.

It's bothering me seeing just one betta alone in a tank. Mine have nice tanks with lots of plants, wood, decorations and hidey holes, but nothing really to keep them entertained or stimulated. I feel they're bored.

Am I being ridiculous?

 

Am I being ridiculous?

Not in the least I feed mine flakes by hand. I choose a nice big flake, put it in the water and move it around so he races over,attacks it and devours it. Now he swims around like he just defended his home against an invader LOL. He also follows my finger around(probably looking for another flake to attack )
He has two corys in the 10 g with him and he follows them around. when one of the Corys zip to the top for a breath of fresh air he gets all excited and swims all over the tank.
So that all being said maybe he needs a little more interaction.
Carol

 

I try to keep them "entertained" but they seem to do a pretty good job of that on their own!

I have them chase my finger around before dropping giving them the food, and also show them random things to look at and see if they will chase them across the tank.

 

we find that they enjoy exploring a lot and plants, bridge, caves, even small segments of hamster tunnels can make them very happy.

Each betta is different so it's kind of an observation thing to decide what to try with them - like Mickey (our 'cave betta') LOVES his cave and this hamster 'photo frame' toy that we found, Aslan loves the silk plants, bubble river and flexible bubble wand (he loves bubbles & plants). Aslan had live plants but he just kept tearing the leaves off them. lol Angel loves this 99 cent column that we found at petco and have propped against the side of her tank so that she can swim under, then over it.

 

I do lots of these things - wiggle worms with tweezers so they can chase them, give mirror exercise, show them random objects ( a red wooden ladybug was a hit! )

I'll try the little hamster tunnels, and I think one of my bettas might like a gentle bubblewand too!

Thanks.

 

What is a bubble wand?

 

These are bubble wands You attach an air pump to one end of them and bubbles come out all along the length of the wand and make a wall of bubbles. The bettas mostly enjoy playing in the bubbles and diving into them.

Some bettas are afraid of them but most bettas become used to them but you need to get a valve to control the airflow so you can keep it from becoming to strong for them.

Rose

 

I'm pretty busy during the school year so I don't get to interact with my Bettas as much as I'd like, but they keep each other entertained. I have a male and a female in a divided tank and they love flaring at each other through the divider, following each other around, etc. I think a divided 10 gallon with a male and a female or two females makes a great setup for Bettas who are too aggressive to have other tank mates with them.

Random list of entertaining things:
hand-feed them
talk to them
leave the tv on near the tank
rearrange the tank decor occasionally
get them a new toy/tank decoration

 

We got this bubble wand:
for Aslan since he's the biggest bubbles Betta (say that 3x fast! ) and he loves it at when the airflow is about 1/2 of the max through the gang valve. When the airflow is full blast, he avoids it as it's too much for him. We love the flexible wands since it lets us 'customize' the area that gets bubbles and he loves it wrapped in a circle around one of his caves. ;D

They do love colorful random objects. Angel is the most curious about that, she loves when I set something colorful by her tank here on the computer desk. her favorite thing is juice boxes.

 

I dont' think you're being ridiculous, you're being kind. I am also bothered by that. on your betta motherhood skills!

• I use parts of a hamster maze, and I switch that around between tanks.
• I use lots of fake/real plants to give them a densely leaved area to swim through.
• I have plastic feeding baskets (generally used to feed worms to puffers), and I just use the hoops of that and align them in sequence, so they can swim through stuff.
• I have this fake plastic crab that am hanging from the top hoop.
• I make them chase their food (I feed them worms wiht a kebab stick)
• I talk to them in baby talk with lots of intonations. That seems to get them really curious. By the way, my male mollies totally respond to that. That makes them show off their sail fin for some unknown reason!
• I do the betta 'hello dance' in front of their tank (now I am being ridiculous, but hey, they seem to like it as they dance in response)
• I let them chase my finger in tank
• I 'cuddle' them (you place your cupped hand in the tank and let them interact with it)
• I show them lots of bright objects through the glass. The one in the kitchen is totally spoilt, as I show her every ingredient before putting it in the pan, LOL.

I love the idea of the flexible bubble wand. I'll re-order these I think (I did once, but they never arrived).

 

I do the betta 'hello dance' in front of their tank

You need to put that on YouTube, and give us the link!

About the bubble wands...the would prevent them from building their bubblenests. How important is it for them to build their nests?

 

Kidding, it is NOT on the web! LOL

You need to put that on YouTube, and give us the link!

 

I just happened to have a hamster tunnel connector lying around, so put it in the tank of one of my bettas. (He who is now renamed Beetlejuice for his extreme naughtiness!)

At first, it was "Take that thing and get outta here!!"

Next - "Well, I can go in here...not so bad!"

Finally - "Wheee, I can come out the other side. Pretty cool!"

 

Excellent! I should totally buy multi-way connectors. Right now, I have one elbow curve and one straight bit.

 

I've had this thing lying around for years (never used - too small for my rats) but never would have thought of using it if not for your suggestion!x

I'm just going to put it in sometimes, so he doesn't get blase about it!

 

My kitchen betta sees the most, watches cooking, washing up, the 2 dogs, a tv. He spends his days making bubble nests. Flame is the PC one, he likes to show off for fun and likes objects in front of the tank to study and Honey is a quiet girl, likes me to sing to her!!! Watches tv and has a hamster tube that I take out and move around. She also has a great plant that she plays in!

 

cool! we gotta get a few of those & see how our bettas like them. we were looking at hamster tubing yesterday but didn't see connectors like that. we'll check other stores. ;D

I just happened to have a hamster tunnel connector lying around, so put it in the tank of one of my bettas. (He who is now renamed Beetlejuice for his extreme naughtiness!)

At first, it was "Take that thing and get outta here!!"

Next - "Well, I can go in here...not so bad!"

Finally - "Wheee, I can come out the other side. Pretty cool!"

 

Ooooh, I havne't tried singing.

My kitchen betta sees the most, watches cooking, washing up, the 2 dogs, a tv. He spends his days making bubble nests. Flame is the PC one, he likes to show off for fun and likes objects in front of the tank to study and Honey is a quiet girl, likes me to sing to her!!! Watches tv and has a hamster tube that I take out and move around. She also has a great plant that she plays in!

 

Ooooh, I haven't tried singing.

Lol, she likes 'Brown eyed girl' especially the sha lalala bit!! and 'sugar du du du du du duu ahh honey, honey, you are my candy girl etc but I only know that line!! Flame, as I have mentioned before flares when I sing!! charming hey!!:-[

 

i'm afraid that if I sung to our bettas, they would all die.

 

My Betta Rojo pretty much keeps himself entertained.The side of his tank is somewhat reflective,and he chases his reflection most of the day.He also likes playing in the bubbles from his filter and swimming against the current, and of course he loves his plasitc plants.

 

he's not flaring constantly though?

 

no oddly enough,I had not seen him fare until today when I put my hand in to hand feed him a blood worm.

 

cool. ;D

 

It was kind of neat to see him flare. I think he was still angry from earlier today when he had to get put in his plastic cup while I cleaned his tank, poor guy.

 

reds tend to have quite fiery personalities. ;D

 

yeah, tell me about it

 

Flame and Spot are both reds, Flame is the feisty one and Spot is a gentle dope!!

 

Flame and Spot are both reds, Flame is the feisty one and Spot is a gentle dope!!