JillFlorio

A quick comparison of some popular Betta fish food.

Boromir, my blue Betta, is a picky fish. He looks at new food offerings with deep suspicion. He likes his Bio-Gold Betta Fish pellets, and that’s really it. But since it’s better for my Betta to have a variety of treats in his diet, I’m still trying to get him to sample other wares.

Click on poster to order from Art.com

Most people know it’s important to give their good quality Betta protein sources. The old Betta Peace Lily Vase, touted as a complete ecosystem, is generally understood as a slow death for these carnivorous fishies. It’s possible to make the vase idea work by removing the plant each time the Betta is fed, which is annoying. But assuming the Betta will graze on plant roots is just cruel. Please be a responsible pet parent and feed your pet specifically Betta-prepared meals!

Here are three preparations that work, with comments on what aspects don’t. The links here will take you to my full-length reviews of each product on this site, as I add them:

• Hikari Betta Bio-Gold Pellets: basically fish kibble. Boromir loves it. He gets a few in the morning and a few in the evening. He eats every one and begs for more. The product’s first ingredients are fish meal, wheat flour, milt meal, Antartic krill meal, gluten meal, clam meal and cuttlefish oil. Only 38% protein, but still plenty for my little carnivore. Vitamins A, D, E, K, B (a complex of them) and C are listed, as well as a slew of minerals. I would call this a premium fish food. Cons: too many kibbles come out of the packaging and it’s hard to put them back in. The smaller package isn’t reclosable (the larger, more economical 20 gram size has a decent seal).
• Top Fin Bloodworms Freeze-Dried Treats: Boromir only eats these when I wiggle them in his water, to simulate living things. I think it’s enjoyable for him to ‘hunt’ them - he drags them underwater and has his way with them. I like that these bloodworms are actual whole foods, not processed like the kibble described above or the flakes mentioned below. Bloodworms are 50% protein. Not bad. The cons: Bloodworms do not make up a complete diet, so deal them out like the special treat they are. I also have to be careful not to give him too much, since these eventually sink to the bottom and start rotting away, making a mess in my gravel.

  Bloodworms are bug larvae, by the way. Cool, huh?

• Tetra BettaMin Tropical Medley Betta Flakes: the packaging calls this ‘the vibrant blend’, and contains fish meal, ground brown rice, dried yeast, shrimp meal, wheat gluten, brine shrimps and potato protein. So it’s full of quality protein (50%). The cons: Boromir won’t touch it. Too highly processed? The pieces sink to the bottom and make a nasty gravel soup. Also, the container is flawed in structure - the light little flyaway flakes make a red mess on my counter every time I open it.

In which the author moves her betta fish to a better home for good.

The Lovely Blue Betta Fish

My Betta fish used to live in a bowl, just like most bettas I’ve seen in homes and offices. The truth is, B. splendens can certainly live that way. Bettas are adapted to live in very tiny spaces - originally evaporating rice paddies in the Orient - by gulping air from the surface into their labyrinthine lungs.

But merely ‘living’ isn’t being good to your pet. A betta can live for many years with good care. I decided to treat him as a family pet should be treated - given the best food, toys and housing for his needs. An actual tank would provide a better air-to-surface ratio, more water for a cleaner environment overall, a decent amount of gravel (for a buildup of beneficial bacteria), and more room to swim about.

So, today I moved Boromir, my blue 1 year old betta, to a 2.5 gallon rectangular tank, a $9.95 purchase from PetSmart. I added gravel (which I didn’t use in the bowl at all), some decorations to swim through, and used dechlorinated water to fill it up.

Then I added my betta. I saw that it was easier for me to watch my fish, gazing through a straight-sided tank wall, rather than around a curved glass bowl.

Boromir immediately seemed intrigued by it all, swimming through his new decorations, touching everything with his “feelers”. Looking closely, I noticed his colors were not as bright as when I bought him, and that his fins were a little crumpled looking, from being cramped up in his bowl.

“Spread your fins,” I encouraged him. I figured he’s been so used to a small space that he’d forgotten about being a fish. Guilt kicked in retroactively, and I felt a warm sense of well-being in providing him a nicer home.

life in a fish bowl

I also picked up a variety of betta foods, since it’s better for your fish to have a varied diet. Now he has Blood Worms Freeze Dried Treats(.28-oz can) and Bettamins Flakes in addition to the Betta Bio Gold Pellets that I’d been giving him. Maybe his colors will pick up as a result.

I also made sure to place his tank in a busy area of my home - out of drafts and direct sunlight, of course. Since Boromir is a curious betta, I know he will enjoy having people and cats and dogs to watch, in between patrolling his piece of real estate.

Some Better Betta Books:

The Betta Fish, AKA Siamese Fighting Fish, is a popular, inexpensive pet. It’s nearly impossible to resist their soulful doggy eyes and gorgeous coloring when you see them in the stores. And while the betta can be a simple fish to keep, they do have specific requirements to keep them alive, healthy and happy.

Betta Buy From Art.com

Their official name, Betta splendens, seems to allude to the splendor of their long, flowing fins. These fish were orginally much more drab, with shorter fins, and lived in the hot, humid rice paddies of the orient. They developed a way to breathe oxygen directly from the air, using a lung-like “labyrinth” organ. When the rice paddies experienced drought, the bettas could still get air, while living in muddy, shrinking water holes. Thus they could survive until the rains returned.

Basically, bettas don’t LIKE being cooped up in a tiny puddle, but they can do it. The key for handling those tiny betta bowls is doing daily water changes.

It’s usually a whole lot easier, and more fun for the betta, to house him in one of those nicer one or 2.5 gallon mini-tanks. Or go bigger! While you don’t need to provide a ten gallon tank for a single betta, you might decide you want to. I have a gorgeous ten gallon planted tank with a single, beautiful betta and a small school of cory catfish.

Bettas don’t like being cold - and as an original inhabitant of oriental rice paddies, they probably consider your home’s room temperature too cold. Invest in inexpensive aquarium thermometer (a stick-on one will do), and think about placing a small heater in your tank. If your betta sits clamped and lifeless in a huddle near the bottom of his home, it’s too cold! Make his life better by heating the bowl or tank to the mid-70s. You will be pleased with the difference in his happiness, as he swims and struts and enjoys life!

The betta is commonly known as the Samurai Fighting Fish, and it is very true that males will attack each other to the death. Never house them together. Don’t put a female betta in the tank either - chances are very high he will attack her, too, or at least harrass her to death. And think carefully about placing bettas in a community tank, where the tables are turned - some other fish look at the long, colorful fins and nip them mercilessly. Do your research. There are many threads in the BellaOnline Fish Forum that discuss appropriate tank-mates for bettas.

Feed your betta one grain at a time, several times a day, or only 3-4 grains once a day. Bettas have a stomache about the size of their eyeball, and too much food will give him bloating pains, constipation, and possibly swim bladder issues (which is often deadly).

Use special food made for bettas - floating pellets are the best. Your betta will quickly learn you are the caregiver and will be very excited when you approach!

Here is a great Betta care book. You can click on the picture of the book to learn more about it from Amazon:

Read through the index of Betta Care Articles here at the BellaOnline Fish site, and poke around the extensive thread postings about bettas in the forum. You will quickly get up to speed on how best to keep your bettas happy.

You just bought a pretty little betta fish. Congratulations! Here are the easy (but important) steps to know for setting up his new home.

• If your betta is in a cup or bag, place him on your counter in a safe place while you prepare his new home.
• A betta is happy in almost anything waterproof. A large bowl or small tank aquarium is most often used. You will want to wash the item in clean, HOT water, without any soap or other cleanser. Remember that soap would be toxic to your fish.
• Wipe down the tank with a clean cloth or paper towels.
• Add any gravel, caves, toys or decorations. You will, of course, have already cleaned these items under hot water! On old decorations, algae or “crud” can be cleaned off with a new toothbrush, or by lengthy soaking in hot water.
• Add your warm or room temperature tap water. Decide what temperature your betta’s water will be and try to get that established before you add your pet. A small aquarium thermometer is invaluable for fixing water the way your betta will like it.
• Add dechlorinator in the amounts recommended on the bottle. This makes water safe for your betta. If you lack a dechlorinator, let the water sit out overnight to “clear” the chlorine. You will need to get some dechlorinator eventually, however. Fortunately, it is pretty inexpensive and ften adds a bit of beneficial slime coat additive. NovAqua and Stress Coat are good choices. Usually all you need is one drop per gallon of water…and the bottle lasts a long time.
• Add whatever else you decide you need to the water. Some people like a bit of aquarium salt as a propylactic (disease preventative); and there are all kinds of ways to mess with yor water chemistry, like adding pH remedies. My feeling about these things, in general, are to avoid them. Your betta will adapt to the water pH you already have…and improperly added pH chemicals can burn your betta. Salt is fine, but I dislike adding any extra ions to the water unless I have to.
• FINALLY, float your new betta, still in his bag or cup, right in the new tank. After 15 minutes the temperature in his traveling bag should equalize with the water in his new home.
• Gently tip your betta into his new tank or bowl. Discard water from the bag or cup (that water is probably dirty - remember, you cannnot SEE ammonia/urine).
• Place your betta habitat in its new spot. Keep the tank or bowl out of direct sunlight, away from drafts, and off of electrical appliances.
• That’s it. You don’t need any filters, bubblers or other appliances. This is one simple fish, as long as you keep his water clean and the temperatures stable.

Now you can name your betta and enjoy your curious, personable new pet. These articles will help you prepare to be a great betta parent:

Getting Started with a Betta Fish
Betta Care - Life in a Tiny Bowl
More Betta Care Basics

Care for your bettas right!

Of all the under one gallon betta tanks, this one is my favorite. While a 1.5 to 2.5 makes a better overall betta habitat for most people, a smaller tank works well for betta parents who prefer massive, frequent water changes.

The tank comes with a plastic plant and gravel, has an easy flip-top and built-in carry handle (nothing to snap off), and has a large bowed front viewing area. Since the tank has a long axis, it’s easier to see and vaccuum out the inevitable bottom cruds. Also, your betta can watch you more clearly through the viewscreen, making his life more enjoyable.

The plastic plant that comes with the tank could possibly shred a male betta’s fins, although it’s not as sharp a plant as some I’ve seen. If your male has a very intricate tail, or you are worried about fin rot, then remove the plant and go for a live or silk one instead.

Overall, this is a nice small habitat suitable for a conscientious betta owner. I prefer it all other one gallon mini-tanks. This would also make a nice holding pen to place small fish in temporarily while you clean out the main tank, or as a transportation device. It’s a little small for a quarantine or hospital tank for community fish, but might do in a pich, if you add a bubbler and some kind of heat source.

These little bloodworm treats are fun to keep around to supplement the diet of your fishy pets. The Top Fin Freeze-Dried Bloodworms are a good source of protein (50%) and fiber (15%), and it’s important to keep a few treats on hand to make sure your fish get a variety of nutrients and trace minerals.

I like that they come in a little plastic can that is easy to open and also keeps the bloodworms from getting crunched. It’s important with the bloodworms to keep them as intact and long as possible, so you can wiggle them for your fish.

Why wiggle? Sometimes fish don’t recognize these dried little fuzzy lumps as food. With certain pets, like bettas, I have to wiggle the larger clumps of the freeze-dired bloodworms before the fish show any interest. Bloodworms in the wild are insect larvae - yum! Some fish go right for them: my kilifish and South American cichlids, in particular, really like them.

If you use the treat consistently, your fish will quickly learn these are nice treats and will love to eat them. It’s a good idea to keep offering treats to your fish, even if they don’t really like them at first.

Remember to remove any uneaten clumps of bloodworm after a few minutes, so they don’t eventually sink to the bottom of the tank and start rotting. You can use a turkey baster to suck those right up if the clump has scattered too far to grab by pinching them out.

Fish Food and Treat Basics

You can order Bloodworms from Amazon here:

This product handles a lot of tasks at once, which is nice, but the container leaves a little to be desired. This product is mainly marketed to remove excess ammonia from current fish tanks, however, and there are times this will come in handy.

Ammo Lock 2 works well to eliminate BOTH chlorine and chloramine from tap water - a nice feature if you have chloramines in your municipal supply. The product does not add electrolytes or assist in slime coat production, but it does bind up ammonia to help reduce gill stress.

The product, by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, is helpful for removing ammonia toxins between water changes. The product information indicates that ammonia is not eliminated so much as converted to a non-toxic form that nitrifying bacteria will still use. Ammonia converts to nitrites and nitrates via the helpful bacteria that feed on those chemicals. I would caution people not to soley rely on this product to keep fish safe from ammonia! You still need to do water changes. It is far more important to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your tank, than it is to try to “cheat” the system via ammonia-converting chemicals.

That said, you can certainly use Ammo-Lock to help keep ammonia levels under control between regular water changes, when you need to extend a day or two between water changes, you have accidently overfed your fish, or when new fish are added to the bio-load. For really ammonia-sensitive fish, this product is a must-have for those ammonia-spike emergencies.

Just remember that this product is not a panacea and you still have to watch your cycle levels.
The Ammo-Lock bottle itself does not come with any way to measure how much liquid you are using. You can not squeeze out drops or measure out ML, as with some nice, easier bottles on the market. For larger tanks, you might want to eyeball your pouring methods, as many experienced aquarists do. For people just learning about keeping fish healthy, you will need to keep a teaspoon measure handy. One teaspoon treats 10 gallons.

Overall, I would recommend having a bottle of this product on hand for its rather handy, emergency applications, and to use a different water conditioner (one that helps promote slime coat) for regular dechlorinating use.

Here is a link to this product for information from Amazon:

All Aquarium Water Conditioner Reviews
All Aquarium Product Reviews and Bella Fish Shop
Articles on Aquarium Basics

Find the right mini-tank or small aquarium for your betta pets. These blurbs lead to my full reviews of common betta tanks.

The Betta View Hex
This is a small home for the majestic and solitary betta fish, but there are worse ones on the market. While I would not recommend this pint-sized habitat as a permanent home, it´s certainly a good place to use temporarily for your little fishie.

Aqua View Plus
The triangular acrylic tank comes with an undergravel filter system, pump, airline tubing, airlift tube, one plant, and a hood with both plastic protector AND light! Fantastic.

Betta Bow-Front Kit Product Review
The Penn Plax Betta Bow-Front Kit is suprisingly well-thought out: the bow-front makes for the best view possible, without the slight distortion you see in the Betta View Hex.

You don’t HAVE to have gravel or any floor covering in a betta bowl or tank - some people do very well just keeping their tanks clean, though water changes and daily maintenance with an aquarium vacuum or turkey baster. If you have many bettas and small betta containers, it can be a lot easier to just do lots of 100% water changes and not worry about gravel.

However, if you have gallon or larger betta tanks, you will probably want to add to decorate with some pretty bottom cover. For bettas, it’s important to select a smooth-edged gravel that will not catch delicate, flowy betta fins.

Remember that once a betta rips his fins, he is very susceptible to picking up the fungus that causes fin rot. So it is super crucial to use a smooth gravel with your betta males. This is not as crucial with short-finned plakat betta males or betta females.

A smooth gravel will have rounded edges - check for rough spots before using. You can use any size gravel, however, with bettas: gravel size is not as crucial as it might be with goldfish, who like to mouth gravel, or as with cory cats, whose barbels break off against large-sized chunks.

Lots of betta owners like to use those large, smooth glass stones from craft stores - just make sure to be diligent about cleaning up poops and uneaten foods. Cruds frequently slip under large gaps between stones, leading to unhealthy, foul water. Again, just keep things clean.

Bettas don’t care what color gravel you use, either. I like to match my gravel with a theme. A stream floor theme with real rocks, real plants or natural-looking silk ones is complemented by a brownish mix of gravel. A sandy gravel can simulate the sea floor. Black gravel goes really well with a black and white theme, or with a more “day glow” decor. These are just some ideas and most people really enjoy the tank decorating aspects.

To add gravel, make sure you rinse it first under running water - keep rinsing until it runs clear and all the dust is removed. You can use either hot or cold water. Do not use soap. Then add your gravel to the tank, followed by decorations, water and dechlorinator. You can add your betta when the water reaches the temperature you normally use.

Bettas, Gravel and Fin Rot
Betta Caves and Bowl Decor
Betta Care Archives

Here is an Amazon link to a good-sized tank I’ve used for a betta (large enough to decorate but a nice slender profile that won’t take up your entire desktop):

If you have a betta in your office as a “work pet”, make sure you lavish the same care and attention on your little fighter fish that you would at home. He will pay you back by being an engaging little work buddy and lowering your office stress level! Make sure you read through my articles about betta parenting to give him the best possible office home.

The Pros to having a betta at work - He will probably get lots of quality time looking at his favorite thing - you - and there is probably lots of other neat activity for him to watch during the week. Bettas are a personable, curious fish and like stimulating environments. Make sure you provide him a little cave to hide in for those times he would like to retreat, and a nice silk plant to rest on and swim under.

You could use a live plant instead of silk, but those are more work. You will probably have enough to do with your betta in the office environment, so don’t worry about live plants unless you are experienced and want them.

Also, they can survive not being fed over those long weekends (fasting clears out their GI tracts and keeps them healthy). You also don’t have to worry about those vacation trips if you understand these concepts about absentee fish care.

The Cons - Offices are often unheated over weekends, which can be deadly for your betta fish. Temperature swings will make a betta prone to getting ich and other diseases. Also, office environments can be kept too low for a betta to enjoy life - he needs temps of at least the mid-70s. This can be alleviated with a small heater or portable light, a thermometer, and a large enough mini-tank to handle the heat.

Things to keep in your office drawers for proper care - fresh betta food (pellets are a great staple food), a small gravel vacuum or at least a turkey baster for cleaning up the bottom cruds, dechlorinator containing a slime coat additive, a new styrofoam work cup for moving your betta when you clean his tank, a small aquarium thermometer and a towel to wrap around the tank over weekends (if you are not using a heater).

Don’t forget to give your betta a name, too, and let your coworkers know he is an honorary employee in the stress release division. Do not let coworkers feed your fish (too much food is actually deadly) or bother him too much (tank tapping, putting weird things in his bowl, etc). He is an individual, a real living thing, remember. You should take him home if you cannot ensure him a safe office environment.

I also do recommend you print this article out to keep in your desk, or to give to a co-worker who has a betta and wants to make sure his pet gets the best care! Print out any related articles you wish - I have linked to a few in the article above. In November, a PDF BellaOnline eBook on Betta Basics will be available for easy printing or PDA portability. Please sign up for the FREE Fish Newsletter if you wish to be informed of when the book is fully published and available for purchase.

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Betta Articles Index
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Amazon Link - Hikari Betta Bio Gold Pellets