New Beginnings for my Betta

[newbetaowner]

Refer to thread here for background info:

Old Forum

So I returned the females and filter, it wasn't a problem, and picked up some new stuff.

You can see some pictures of my new aquarium setup here:

New Aquarium for Betta

I went to all 6 petstores in my city to find what I was looking for.

Minaku, believe it or not, while looking for a suitable powered filter, I came across one that looked A LOT like the Azoo filter you recommended. I wasn't sure though, but the resemblace was striking. The main difference was that this one was branded as a "Petcetera Side Filter". (NOTE: Petcetera is a pet store chain in Canada, www.petcetera.ca). When I got it home, I compared pics, and I believe that it is EXACTLY the Azoo Palm Filter... SCORE.

I also picked up a thermometer, which told me that the temp in the tank was in the LOW 70's, so I also got an Aquarium Systems Inc Visi-Therm 50W heater.

I picked up some Jungle Labs Ammonia Chloramine Eliminator (because it was the only one I found that said it eliminated chloramine, chlorine and ammonia). Also got some Jungle Labs aquarium salt.

Finally, some bloodworms in gel, frozen.

I've added BettaFix and salt to his small bowl; salt and ammonia chloramine eliminator to his tank, set the heater to 80F, and turned on the filter. When the week is done (a full BettaFix treatment) I'll move him to his tank.

The filter is next to the heater to circulate the hot water.

QUESTIONS:

1) How many bloodworms should I feed my betta per serving? I gave him 5 tonight, and it seemed like he could have eaten 5 more. They're tiny little things, but I know he's got a tiny stomach.

2) How does feeding him flakes in the morning, and bloodworms at night sound?

Again, thanks for all your help.

Phill

[bcroft]

What I do is treat the bloodworms as treats. I give my bettas flakes or pellets, then if I think they're still hungry I give them a blood worm or two.

[Rachel]

newbetaowner said:

1) How many bloodworms should I feed my betta per serving? I gave him 5 tonight, and it seemed like he could have eaten 5 more. They're tiny little things, but I know he's got a tiny stomach.

Bettas love bloodworms and they're a great additon to their diet! I wouldn't feed any more than that at a time. They can act like little pigs when it comes to feeding time. The amount to feed at meals depends on the age, activity level of the fish, etc. Look for a very slightly rounded belly. My adult males get about 3-4 bloodworms at a meal.

2) How does feeding him flakes in the morning, and bloodworms at night sound?

That sounds like an ok mix. To tell you the truth, flakes usually aren't that great of a diet for bettas (often vegetable based w/filler when bettas are carnivores). In regards to processed food, pellets are often a slightly better addition to the diet. Look for foods high in protein with a bit of fiber and low in ash. Of course, better choices overall are frozen/live/in gel foods, but not everyone chooses to feed these. Adding the bloodworms is a great step to a more varied diet. Check out the HB food page for more ideas.

[newbetaowner]

Rachel,

The flakes I'm feeding him are Tetra BettaMin, and the top listed ingredients are: Fish Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Dried Yeast, Shrimp Meal, Brine Shrimp, Potato Protein, then some oils and chemicals...

If I would be better feeding him pellets, what ingredients should I look for? Is the pellets/bloodworms an optimal choice? Should I look for foods with different ingredients to give him a more varied diet?

Thanks,

Phill

[seanadg]

I have a question for you too Rachel - when you say you usually give him 3-4 blood worms, are you talking frozen? If I am feeding freeze-dried, do you think that's enough? The freeze-dried bw are so small, and he eats them so fast, I was wondering if I should feed more. I've been giving 2-3 pellets in the am and 3-5 freeze-dried bw in the pm.

Thanks!
(Phill, hope you don't mind me crashing your post here, I thought our questions pretty related)

[Rachel]

newbetaowner said:

Rachel,

The flakes I'm feeding him are Tetra BettaMin, and the top listed ingredients are: Fish Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Dried Yeast, Shrimp Meal, Brine Shrimp, Potato Protein, then some oils and chemicals...

These are somewhat better since they have the brine shrimp pieces added to them. I can't remember the nutritional facts of BettaMin offhand, but I think they are higher in protein than other flake choices so it would make them better suited for bettas.

If I would be better feeding him pellets, what ingredients should I look for? Is the pellets/bloodworms an optimal choice? Should I look for foods with different ingredients to give him a more varied diet?

Well really what you want to be going for is a variety of foods in his diet. Even feeding a few different things is good compared to the same food at every meal, every day. The problem with both flakes and pellets is that they are highly processed food, so they are going to contain fillers and things that may not be the best choice for bettas. Bettas are carnivores so they require a high percentage of protein in their diet, with a bit of fiber. Most processed betta foods do try to accommodate this general idea and some even add additional vitamins and minerals, so they do have some beneficial aspects. In general, it's helpful to read the nutritional stats when determining a flake/pellet to feed as most will have similar ingredients (fish meal, shrimp meal, yeast...). It's different than say bloodworms or other live/frozen/freeze-dried foods that make great additions to the diet, are high in nutritional content, and do not contain unnecessary additives. Overall, variety in the diet and approriate feeding portions will help to keep your betta healthy.

[Rachel]

seanadg said:

I have a question for you too Rachel - when you say you usually give him 3-4 blood worms, are you talking frozen? If I am feeding freeze-dried, do you think that's enough? The freeze-dried bw are so small, and he eats them so fast, I was wondering if I should feed more. I've been giving 2-3 pellets in the am and 3-5 freeze-dried bw in the pm.

It sounds like what you're feeding is just fine. As long as he's not getting bloated after feeding him it should be ok. I don't feed freeze-dried bloodworms anymore (they make me sneeze!) but that's about how many I used to feed at a time. The exact feeding amount is subject to what you feel is appropriate for your fish too.