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Post by Terry on Jun 18, 2003 0:59:40 GMT -5
I recently bought a new betta. I have 3 different food sources: Wardley Betta food (black round pellets), Tetra BettaMin(flakes), and NutraFin(freeze dried Red grubs). My old betta loved the freeze dried grubs and would gobble them instantly. My new fellow swims right past them, and often ignores them, even at times tasting and spitting them back out. He also tried the black round pellets once and spit them out (he won't even look their way now), and the flakes of BettaMin is not considered either. Today, he did take one bite of red grubs, but not too enthusiastically. He's making bubbles and seems happy otherwise. Also, I haven't read about dried grubs anyway on the web site. Is it okay to feed Betta's these? I've read that I should remove uneaten food after a few minutes, but my fellow doesn't eat at once. Should i leave the food in? WIll he eat it after it has gotten soggy? Oh, so many questions?
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Post by Jenny on Jun 18, 2003 3:12:39 GMT -5
First, if you got your betta in the last couple of days, don't worry that he's not eating. Many of them need time to settle in first. If he seems happy otherwise, just give him time (up to a week, then start to worry).
Pellets are the best food for bettas to have, so you should probably try to get him to eat the Wardly's. Flakes mess up the tank quicker, and it is hard to control exactly how much they get. However, I find that none of my bettas like the wardly's much. They prefer Hikari's betta bio gold. HBH betta bites are also highly recommended.
About the red grubs, they are okay as a treat maybe once a week or less, but they are not good for a steady diet. They are too rich and can lead to constipation. I would not start out trying to feed him these, because he can become spoiled and not take pellets. Just hold out on him. He won't starve to death if food is available.
Don't leave food in the tank for too long, just for a few minutes. It will disintigrate and dirty the water very quickly. However, I have been known to take the pellet out of the water and dry it on peice of paper, and then offer the same one again so as not to waste food.
Other than the food how are you keeping your betta. What size tank and what type of water treatments are you using.
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Post by Terry on Jun 18, 2003 11:37:21 GMT -5
Thank you so much. I will try to find the Hikari Bio Gold pellets.
My boy's tank is not a gallon, maybe 3/4 's of a gallon. I was unaware of the importance of the tank size, and plan to up grade that soon. I also use de-clorinzation drops to the aged water. I read recently about the sea salt, but am not sure if I am to use it in the water when the betta is healthy or just if he gets sick, as it seems like it is a treatment for disease. So I haven't used it yet.
I changed my boy's water yesterday (after feeding him 3 kinds of food), and he is making bubbles already this morning, and seems active.
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Post by Jenny on Jun 18, 2003 14:11:36 GMT -5
3/4 of a gallon is not too bad for the betta, but he would probably appreciate something bigger eventually. I had one in a vase that size for a couple of months, and he was perfectly happy. Just make sure that you change the water often enough, about every 5 days for that size.
I don't know if sea salt is the same stuff as aquarium salt, but if it is, it is a great thing to use in the tank all the time as a disease preventative. I use 1/2 tsp per gallon when my fish are healthy, and that can be increased to 1 tsp per gallon when they are ill with something like finrot, ick, or parasites. The only time when you should not use salt is when your fish is bloated or you suspect they have dropsy.
It sounds like your fish is happy. One last thing, does he have a name?
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Post by Terry on Jun 18, 2003 17:37:23 GMT -5
You have been so helpful and encouraging. I will start using the aquarium salt (that is what I have), and proceed to a large tank.
My boy's name is Dartanion. He's a boy with attitude! But seem to be happy, as the new bubble nest indicates!
Thank you again! I have so enjoyed the web site, and have appreciated the your help.
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Post by Jenny on Jun 18, 2003 17:50:54 GMT -5
Heh, it's what we're here for. We love bettas, and want to help as many as we can to have a happy life. I'm glad we could help yours. If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask.
I love the name. I've been a fan of it ever since the french figure skater acted him out and won silver in the olympics. He was awesome.
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