I Have A Question About My Betta

Hey everyone!

A lot of people on the internet seem to think keeping Betta fish is easy. So far I've had 3 Betta's. Two of them died within 5 months of me having them. I assumed the first one died of overfeeding, so with my second betta I took really took care of the amount I fed him, I had a lot of variety too (HikarI Betta food as well as frozen bloodworms and daphnia and other frozen foods). However, the second one died as well, from which I assume was overfeeding (though I thought I did it fine!) At the end he was pineconing, lots of bloating and he wasn't eating anymore.

However, I did want to get another betta, so I did. Before I did, I did research some more about how much other people feed Betta's, re-read on their needs and I adjusted as much as I could.

Meet Casper, my white and blue betta!

IMG_0996[1]

• Youta14
• Sep 8, 2018

Casper

• Youta14
• Sep 8, 2018

When I got him I did immediately saw his fins weren't attached. My question here is, is the tail fin just like this, or did it tear and will it grow back like a halfmoon betta? I have no clue what kind of betta Casper is, as he was just sold to me as a Betta. I love the way he is, though.

What I also noticed is whenever I feed him, he immediately gets a really bloated stomache. When I feed him in the morning, about 3-4 HikarI Betta pellets (soaked), his tummy looks really big, and when I come to feed him in the evening, I then see him pooping, so I don't give him anything in the evening. This doesn't happen everyday, but I did notice he takes a whole day to digest. Is this normal? Does it always take this long for a betta to digest his food?

I have Casper for about a week now and I am really worried that he's going to end up like the other two betta's I've had. How much should I feed him a day? What are the best things to feed him to give him a long life?

Thank you in advance

 

He looks like what they call a Double Tail. I have had my guy exactly 5 months now and so far so good. He gets 3 or 4 pieces of Bug Bites or HikarI Betta Bio-Gold pellets and they are not presoaked. Some days I substitute a pinch of crumbled TetraMin or Omega One Tropical flakes. Once a week he gets to eat 3 or 4 frozen bloodworms, Sometimes he gets a little more in the evening depending on how he looks. He has never gotten bloated and his fins and body have noticeably grown. He has gotten live flightless fruit flies a few times too and just in the last week he killed and ate the 2 Ghost Shrimp who had been with him for a month with no problems. I also have not fasted him at all for the last 2 months.

I think a very important thing is variety in what they eat. The same thing all the time is not good.
Daphnia is good but can cause problems if given too often. It has laxative qualities that can be beneficial but can also cause digestive issues.

 

HI Youta14
Casper is a beautiful betta!
It seems like he is a delta tail. Meaning his tail is split. Though there's a chance his tail was damaged. I would suggest reducing the water flow. Regardless if his tail is damaged or not he’ll appreciate it. I see you have bubbler for him. If you and bubbler as well as HOB I would order a sponge filter and remove the HOB. If you only have the bubbler definitely get a sponge filter, and a bubbler knob and adjust the flow accordingly.
Now on to feeding. If you’re feeding him pellets you shouldn’t need to pre-soak them. I’m you wanna feed him daily I would suggest 5-10 individual pellets. But if you like giving him hefty pinches just switch to feeding every other day to every third day. He won’t mind going a day or two or even the rare week without food. Also you said that you’re giving him a variety of of frozen food. Please don’t go over board with this. Blood worms are kinda like candy a treat but should not be the staple of his diet. Maybe once a week as a little treat. Also you might wanna add more decorations to enrich his life. Bettas are curious energetic fish. They like to play and explore. It’s not rare for them to get bored or depressed. Or if you’d prefer get him some tank mates if his in a 5 or 10 gallon. Guppies or something around that size. The movement and occasional mock hunt, will certainly enrich his life. This will also help with over feed seeing as that the other fish will eat as well. It will also curve his desires to eat out of boredom. I hope this helps you.

 

HI Youta14
Casper is a beautiful betta!
It seems like he is a delta tail. Meaning his tail is split. Though there's a chance his tail was damaged.
Now on to feeding. If you’re feeding him pellets you shouldn’t need to pre-soak them. I’m you wanna feed him daily I would suggest 5-10 individual pellets. But if you like giving him hefty pinches just switch to feeding every other day to every third day. He won’t mind going a day or two or even the rare week without food. Also you said that you’re giving him a variety of of frozen food. Please don’t go over board with this. Blood worms are kinda like candy a treat but should not be the staple of his diet. Maybe once a week as a little treat. Also you might wanna add more decorations to enrich his life. Bettas are curious energetic fish. They like to play and explore. It’s not rare for them to get bored or depressed. Or if you’d prefer get him some tank mates if his in a 5 or 10 gallon. Guppies or something around that size. The movement and occasional mock hunt, will certainly enrich his life. This will also help with over feed seeing as that the other fish will eat as well. It will also curve his desires to eat out of boredom. I hope this helps you.

Delta tail Bettas do not have a split tail. They have a tail like a Halfmoon but it can't flare out as much. Casper is either a Double Tail or his tail has been torn somehow. Also 5-10 pellets is too much unless it is split into 2 feedings and even then 6-8 is better. Bettas will attack male Guppies or any fish with a lot of color or long fins. They are actually better off with no other fish in the tank as some will nip at the Betta's fins. Mystery or Nerite snails are good companions but really not much of anything else. They do like plants and decorations. Things to swim through and under and places to rest and/or hide.

 

HI Youta14
Casper is a beautiful betta!
It seems like he is a delta tail. Meaning his tail is split. Though there's a chance his tail was damaged. I would suggest reducing the water flow. Regardless if his tail is damaged or not he’ll appreciate it. I see you have bubbler for him. If you and bubbler as well as HOB I would order a sponge filter and remove the HOB. If you only have the bubbler definitely get a sponge filter, and a bubbler knob and adjust the flow accordingly.
Now on to feeding. If you’re feeding him pellets you shouldn’t need to pre-soak them. I’m you wanna feed him daily I would suggest 5-10 individual pellets. But if you like giving him hefty pinches just switch to feeding every other day to every third day. He won’t mind going a day or two or even the rare week without food. Also you said that you’re giving him a variety of of frozen food. Please don’t go over board with this. Blood worms are kinda like candy a treat but should not be the staple of his diet. Maybe once a week as a little treat. Also you might wanna add more decorations to enrich his life. Bettas are curious energetic fish. They like to play and explore. It’s not rare for them to get bored or depressed. Or if you’d prefer get him some tank mates if his in a 5 or 10 gallon. Guppies or something around that size. The movement and occasional mock hunt, will certainly enrich his life. This will also help with over feed seeing as that the other fish will eat as well. It will also curve his desires to eat out of boredom. I hope this helps you.

Delta tails aren't like this. They're more like halfmoons. Also, 5-10 pellets a day is far too much. Feed 1-2 SOAKED pellets, 3 maximum. To be honest I doubt the tail is damaged as there are no rays in the gap.

 

I have kept bettas constantly since I was 15. I got delta and double confused because I’m a dork. I’ve lost 3 last year one being 5, and the other two being 3. Please do not say bettas should be a lone. They rarely cause problems. I feel bettas do best in community tanks. I also feel that 5-10 pellets it’s not too much for a betta to handle.

 

He's beautiful! What size tank is he in? Is it filtered? Heated?

 

I put my first Betta in a 10 gallon community tank and quickly had to remove him because the other fish just kept chasing him and nipping at his fins. He wound up hiding behind a rock where nobody could get at him and wouldn't even come out to eat. Some people will say that if another fish attacks a Betta, they will regret it. That is not the case. They are only aggressive towards their own kind or fish that resemble them with long fins or bright colors. Otherwise, they are total wimps.

 

I have kept bettas constantly since I was 15. I got delta and double confused because I’m a dork. I’ve lost 3 last year one being 5, and the other two being 3. Please do not say bettas should be a lone. They rarely cause problems. I feel bettas do best in community tanks. I also feel that 5-10 pellets it’s not too much for a betta to handle.

10 fully soaked pellets wouldn't physically fit in a betta's stomach. I don't think 5 even would. Three pellets makes one of mine look bloated. What's the logic behind your 5-10 pellet strategy?

 

Well I agree with you that discretion needs to be used when dealing with bettas. I find it’s best for the betta to be the first fish in the community. They time to setup their territory. Bettas are territorial for the most part. But also think about if you were forced into someone else and the bullied you. You’d find yourself to be the meerest you’ve ever been. No matter how bold a betta is he might become meek give the right circumstances.

 

Well I agree with you that discretion needs to be used when dealing with bettas. I find it’s best for the betta to be the first fish in the community. They time to setup their territory. Bettas are territorial for the most part. But also think about if you were forced into someone else and the bullied you. You’d find yourself to be the meerest you’ve ever been. No matter how bold a betta is he might become meek give the right circumstances.

Being the first one in and having like 2 weeks to stake a claim would definitely be better. In my case he was the last one in and I just wanted to get him out of the bowl he had been living in. Sadly , he had to go back in the bowl which was fairly big, about 2 gallons, but with no filter or heater. He did live another 2 years in there though.

 

10 fully soaked pellets wouldn't physically fit in a betta's stomach. I don't think 5 even would. Three pellets makes one of mine look bloated. What's the logic behind your 5-10 pellet strategy?

Mine can eat 4 non soaked pellets and never get bloated. The pellets are very small though. They are the HikarI Betta Bio-Gold minI pellets. The Bug Bites pieces are about the same size with some being slightly bigger. My Betta is a pig. He'd eat all day if I let him. I just drop the pellets in one at a time and in less than half a second, they are gone.

 

Fully soaked? If you eat a soft bal sized portion of cotton candy. Does your stomach hold a soft ball sized amount of air? No the air dissipates as you chew. The same goes for the pellets most of the water dissipates as the pellets eaten. Well not as extreme, with the cotton candy being growing around 100x and the pellets getting 2-4x larger the sentiment is the same.

 

I’m very glad to hear he had a decently long life with you. I’m sure he was happy and friendly.

 

Benny literally attacks his pellets. He is less enthusiastic about the crumbled flakes but will eat them. When I give him flake food, I turn the filter off so it stays in one place.

 

My current betta Henry is a spoiled little guy. Those he’s very aware of when to stop eating. He really likes fulvats goldfish blend, though he he somedays he completely ignores the goldfish’s scrapes for the bottom feeders pellets. He’s not super enthusiastic about blood worms but man when a loach decides its gonna eat a snail he’s joining in on that meal.

 

You're Betta is beautiful.
When I first got my male dragon scale I kept him in a 5.5 gallon. I added a few neon tetras to keep him company and all was good until the 2nd or 3rd day. The bigger neon tetra thought it was a fun game to sneak up behind him and nip his fins. After a day or two I noticed my betta would hide in a corner afraid to swim around his tank.
I moved him into a 2.5 gallon temporarily, and he was much happier. Now he's living the good life in a planted 5 gallon. I plan to give him a nerite snail as a tank mate but that's about the only thing I would add.

As for food he gets a couple or 3 bug bites, or betta pellets twice a day. Once or twice a week I'll substitute these for either brine shrimp or frezef dried blood worms. I know he'll eat flakes but I haven't offered any lately since he already loves his current diet, but I may add some to his menu later. So far he has a great appetite and has not shown any sign of bloating.

 

I would like to thank you all for your responses. I certainly will try to give a lot of variety and not give too much bloodworms.

He's beautiful! What size tank is he in? Is it filtered? Heated?

He currently is in a 15 gallon. It is filtered and it is heated. I live in the Netherlands so I have to heat his tank or else he would be really really cold.

He looks like what they call a Double Tail. I have had my guy exactly 5 months now and so far so good. He gets 3 or 4 pieces of Bug Bites or HikarI Betta Bio-Gold pellets and they are not presoaked. Some days I substitute a pinch of crumbled TetraMin or Omega One Tropical flakes. Once a week he gets to eat 3 or 4 frozen bloodworms, Sometimes he gets a little more in the evening depending on how he looks. He has never gotten bloated and his fins and body have noticeably grown. He has gotten live flightless fruit flies a few times too and just in the last week he killed and ate the 2 Ghost Shrimp who had been with him for a month with no problems. I also have not fasted him at all for the last 2 months.

I think a very important thing is variety in what they eat. The same thing all the time is not good.
Daphnia is good but can cause problems if given too often. It has laxative qualities that can be beneficial but can also cause digestive issues.

I will certainly try to some of these foods you give your betta! Thank you for this information!

HI Youta14
Casper is a beautiful betta!
It seems like he is a delta tail. Meaning his tail is split. Though there's a chance his tail was damaged. I would suggest reducing the water flow. Regardless if his tail is damaged or not he’ll appreciate it. I see you have bubbler for him. If you and bubbler as well as HOB I would order a sponge filter and remove the HOB. If you only have the bubbler definitely get a sponge filter, and a bubbler knob and adjust the flow accordingly.
Now on to feeding. If you’re feeding him pellets you shouldn’t need to pre-soak them. I’m you wanna feed him daily I would suggest 5-10 individual pellets. But if you like giving him hefty pinches just switch to feeding every other day to every third day. He won’t mind going a day or two or even the rare week without food. Also you said that you’re giving him a variety of of frozen food. Please don’t go over board with this. Blood worms are kinda like candy a treat but should not be the staple of his diet. Maybe once a week as a little treat. Also you might wanna add more decorations to enrich his life. Bettas are curious energetic fish. They like to play and explore. It’s not rare for them to get bored or depressed. Or if you’d prefer get him some tank mates if his in a 5 or 10 gallon. Guppies or something around that size. The movement and occasional mock hunt, will certainly enrich his life. This will also help with over feed seeing as that the other fish will eat as well. It will also curve his desires to eat out of boredom. I hope this helps you.

I do have an air stone in his aquarium as well as a filter. I try to reduce the flow as much as possible, but I just want the water to be aerated. I have a SuperFish AquaFlow 200 on this aquarium as this aquarium is by Superfish and has a special compartment for the filter. I do face the outlet of the filter to the glass to reduce flow.
As for the decoration, I do have a lot of decoration and plants in the aquarium even if the pictures don't show much of it. Casper also has some kuhlI loaches on the bottom of his tank as tankmates, he doesn't seem to mind them at all.
I will certainly take care of how much and what I feed him, thank you!

 

Hello! I feed my betta’s 4 Betta pellets and 2 or 3 freeze dried bloodworms twice a day and they have been living for 5+ years now! Of course they get the occasional frozen brine shrimp . Sounds like the Betta that died before this one had dropsy which is caused from poor water conditions but is fatal unless catche early on. You should be doing %25 water changes weekly . Never clean the filter cartridge all the way or in tap water. Betta’s should have a 5+ gallon tank filtered and heated to 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit with minimal water current/flow. They need lots of entertainment or they will start biting there tail off, they need silk or live plants or they will rip their fin/tail , no sharp decorations or nippy fish.

Hope this helps!

 

Hello! I feed my betta’s 4 Betta pellets and 2 or 3 freeze dried bloodworms twice a day and they have been living for 5+ years now! Of course they get the occasional frozen brine shrimp . Sounds like the Betta that died before this one had dropsy which is caused from poor water conditions but is fatal unless catche early on. You should be doing %25 water changes weekly . Never clean the filter cartridge all the way or in tap water. Betta’s should have a 5+ gallon tank filtered and heated to 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit with minimal water current/flow. They need lots of entertainment or they will start biting there tail off, they need silk or live plants or they will rip their fin/tail , no sharp decorations or nippy fish.

Hope this helps!

Thank you! I do a 50% water change every week and after that I condition the water that goes back into the tank. I have a 15G / 60L aquarium for Casper now with the temperature at 25C/about 78F. I try to minimize the flow as much as I can and I currently feed about 3-4 HikarI Bio-Gold pellets twice a day, I did this with my previous betta as well, which is why I really wonder why that guy didn't make it. I have two plants in my aquarium with two decorations which in my opinion aren't sharp at all.