Betta Questions

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AtlantisTreasur

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May 24, 2009
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Someone told me that putting a mirror in front of a betta and letting him flare his fins at it for a few minutes a day is a good exercise for it. i have heard that bettas will crash into their tank walls to get at other bettas can happen so i know i would have to watch it but is it good to put a mirror in front of my betta for a little while and why?

Also, someone told me that a fasting day once in a while is good for a betta. Is this true? if so, how often should i let him fast?

Thanks to everyone who replies:)
 
There are some books out there that recommend flaring (in moderation, prior to feeding) as healthy stimulation for a Betta. I remember reading an article a while back that showed if you "chase" the Betta around a few minutes each day, with a net, that it will increase their lifespan as well. I don't know about fasting though.

I've got a nerf dart that one of my Betta, Balky, will flare at if he even thinks it will be near his tank. My other Betta, Larry, won't flare at anything ever.
 
It depends on your betta, really. If he has enough room and is already swimming and flaring plenty, then you really don't need to do anything. If he pretty much just sits there and seems to get no exercise, then you may want to try it.

If he seems aggressive and attacks the glass (actually running into it), then you shouldn't because he might hurt himself. If he does nothing when you put the mirror up, then don't bother cause it's not doing anything.

As for the fasting, some people believe that it is good for bettas to fast, and if they are getting a poor diet, then it might be good to let it rest for a day. Just skip 1 day of feeding.

IMHO, I think it's better to feed a small amount of quality foods daily. I like to alternate several foods so that they get something different every day. Option include bloodworms, daphnia, mysis shrimp, etc. I like frozen foods the best for nutrition and ease. But freeze dried foods work fine. I just soak them in tank water or a vitamin solution first. You could also use garlic juice. Fish loooove garlic! And it's good for their health and even helps with getting rid of parasites (I also dose with a med, but garlic irritates parasites and encourages the fish to eat). Peas also help with constipation. Constipation is the reason some people choose to skip a day of feeding.
 
When I had a betta it would flare at the betta on the food container. I fast all of my fish every other day. They do not have any problems, and I could feed daily. I would rather err on the side of caution though. With all the problems I see on line about fish having digestive problems I have started this feeding schedule from the first day I had them. Lately I have been feeding my guppy tank daily as I have fry, and don't want the parents eating them.
 
I have read that some breeders and fighters put bettas in a bucket with a powerhead to swirl the water and let them swim in the current for 5 or 10 minutes to keep thier strength/stamina up. Not sure this is required for normal aquarists though. Would stand to reason that if exercise is good for us if our bettas don't have a lot of swimming room it may be useful for them to get some time at the gym now and then.
 
Excersise is definitely good for betta. One of my 3 bettas is living in Eclipse tank. Current was too strong for him at first, he was mainly staying in the corner. I was going to buy him different tank but couldn't get it right away. Month later he was swimming everywhere and now is the strongest betta of all three.
 
jm1212 said:
i would not chase your betta around the tank with a net as "exercise." it just doesnt seem like a good idea to me
Click to expand...

In defense of the article, chase is a strong word. I can't find the article right now, I found it several years ago while I was writing a report on anabantids. What they described was not a violent high speed chase, but merely coaxing the Betta to move for several minutes everyday.

I don't do it myself, but it was an interesting article.
 
as others have said, exercise for your lil mr betta is a good thing. whether it be putting a mirror up to the tank or 'chasing' him with a net or similar tool.

ever notice if your bettas get all 'huffy' when you are mucking in the tank or bowl? mine used to come flare at my hand when i would move plants, etc. it was cute. i used a mirror as well to stimulate them (before i had female bettas).

another thing i did was house a female in a big bowl (don't bash please!) beside the male's tank with a big plant placed in the same rear corner as the side the bowl was on. this allowed for enough interaction, yet there were some breaks in the line of sight. kept mine like that for at least a year, and all my bettas were happy and thriving.
 
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