I never had much interest in bettas until I got my baby bettas. I found it difficult to find a lot of info on how to raise them properly in a home aquarium setting. While my methods may not be what some would agree with, my babies are beautiful, growing, and truly entertaining. Please feel free to pipe in with suggestions/advice!
So, I was browsing through Petco one weekend and of course I meandered over to the fish section (though I tend to stay away unless I am looking for something in particular, for this exact reason!) and I ran across some bettas labeled as baby bettas. They were small, ranging from around a half inch to one inch. Some were still not showing any color at all.
Well, I of course fell in love with a tiny 'black' baby. I already had a 2.5 gallon tank formerly home to a few ghost shrimp (who now abide in my 30 gallon). I took him (who later turned out to be her) home, with some soft silk plants. Set the temp to about 82 in her tank and set her free.
The next week, I ended up with another baby after becoming utterly fascinated with little Laura - this time a lighter colored male, who I correctly sexed this time! He also dwells in a 2.5 gallon beside my female. I may breed them in the future but that is a totally different topic.
This is the female (Laura, formerly Joseph) - her color changed a lot from when I got her, presumably because she is happy to be out of that cup. Typically she is a deep purple/blue, with her fins either maroon or blue.
And this is my much more photogenic male, Vladimir. Upon purchase he did not have a hint of red in him. His colors are now consistently this vibrant, and he has shown his ability to turn almost entirely red and flare his beard when very angry (he is not fond of the gravel siphon, haha!)
I feed these guys betta pellets, and betta flakes which contain freeze dried brine shrimp. They also get freeze dried blood worms as a treat. I try to break up their feedings into 3 small meals a day.
In a few months they will be getting a tank upgrade (30 gallon split between them, 15g each) which will be planted. For now, I do 50-75 percent water changes daily, using the gravel vacuum every other day, to prevent ammonia and growth hormone build up.
I have read they are very hard to keep alive, but with these methods my little guys are doing great. They swim actively all day, and go to sleep when I do. They enjoy hunting their flakes and pellets, and love to 'drown' their blood worms, by holding them at the bottom of the tank, releasing them and chasing them to the top, then repeating until they grow tired of the game and eat. I spend hours just gazing at them. Hard to think that two small fish can be as interesting as a fully stocked 30 gallon
So, I was browsing through Petco one weekend and of course I meandered over to the fish section (though I tend to stay away unless I am looking for something in particular, for this exact reason!) and I ran across some bettas labeled as baby bettas. They were small, ranging from around a half inch to one inch. Some were still not showing any color at all.
Well, I of course fell in love with a tiny 'black' baby. I already had a 2.5 gallon tank formerly home to a few ghost shrimp (who now abide in my 30 gallon). I took him (who later turned out to be her) home, with some soft silk plants. Set the temp to about 82 in her tank and set her free.
The next week, I ended up with another baby after becoming utterly fascinated with little Laura - this time a lighter colored male, who I correctly sexed this time! He also dwells in a 2.5 gallon beside my female. I may breed them in the future but that is a totally different topic.
This is the female (Laura, formerly Joseph) - her color changed a lot from when I got her, presumably because she is happy to be out of that cup. Typically she is a deep purple/blue, with her fins either maroon or blue.
And this is my much more photogenic male, Vladimir. Upon purchase he did not have a hint of red in him. His colors are now consistently this vibrant, and he has shown his ability to turn almost entirely red and flare his beard when very angry (he is not fond of the gravel siphon, haha!)
I feed these guys betta pellets, and betta flakes which contain freeze dried brine shrimp. They also get freeze dried blood worms as a treat. I try to break up their feedings into 3 small meals a day.
In a few months they will be getting a tank upgrade (30 gallon split between them, 15g each) which will be planted. For now, I do 50-75 percent water changes daily, using the gravel vacuum every other day, to prevent ammonia and growth hormone build up.
I have read they are very hard to keep alive, but with these methods my little guys are doing great. They swim actively all day, and go to sleep when I do. They enjoy hunting their flakes and pellets, and love to 'drown' their blood worms, by holding them at the bottom of the tank, releasing them and chasing them to the top, then repeating until they grow tired of the game and eat. I spend hours just gazing at them. Hard to think that two small fish can be as interesting as a fully stocked 30 gallon
