Congratulations on your new Betta friend! We are happy to help you keep your new friend alive and healthy for a long time! Read below for detailed instructions on what to feed, how often to feed, and how often to change your new pet’s water.
A little background on your new fish: Betta is short for ‘betta splenden’, a breed of Siamese Fighting Fish from the Far East. They are native to shallow beds of water and rice patties, and have evolved to be highly territorial, so they will naturally fight any other Betta that they come in contact with, so it’s important that you keep your Betta alone in his tank.
They are also one of only a few breeds of fish called Anabantids that can breathe air using lungs instead of their gills like most fish, meaning they can live in bowls without any oxygenation or air pumps required. They actually prefer the still water so that it’s easier for them to go to the top of the tank and breathe. Your Betta has a lifespan on average of 1-3 years, and is very easy to care for.
Follow the instructions below and you and your new pet are sure to have lots of great memories together!
You were provided with one of the best foods for Bettas, Hikari’s Betta Bio-Gold. This is a simple and easy-to-feed food with all the essential nutrients to keep your fish healthy. We recommend feeding 2-3 pellets of food every 1-2 days. Your Betta’s stomach is the size of its eye, so it needs very little food to be full. Any extra food given to him may be eaten but will not be good for him and will just lead to the water getting dirty quicker resulting in more frequent water changes that can stress your fish and lead to illness.
Changing your Betta’s water should be done about once a month. If you are having to clean it more often, you may be feeding your fish too often and the extra food is just going to waste. When you do change the water, simply pour the fish with their current water into a bowl or cup to hold while you rinse and refill your Betta tank. You may rinse your tank under sink water (do not use any soap), but you must refill the tank with Purified, Bottled Water at room temperature. When your tank is refilled with the purified water and it is the same temperature your fish is used to, you can simply place the fish back in the tank. Do not feed him that day as he may need the time to recover and adjust to the new water before his appetite returns.
If you fish becomes lethargic and does not eat for more than 5 days, he may not be heppy with his current environment. Be sure that the temperature where his tank is located maintains a stable temperature throughout the day and night. If his water warms up during the day and cools off at night (like in a window setting) or has constant ups and downs (being underneath or near an A.C. vent), he may get stressed and lose his appetite and not be as active. If he develops white spots on his fins that look like tiny polka dots, he may have a common disease called ‘Ich’ that results from water temperature changes and other stress. We sell several different products to treat this disease at the Farm and welcome you to come out to the Farm where we can help you get your fish better quick.