I Need Suggestions - Feeding My Baby Betta

[KathyLev]

I'm glad to meet all of you ! This is my first post - along with my first fish ! I bought my first 2 betta fish ... 2 males ( seperate tanks of course ) Flash & Flutterbutt . ( LOL - Yes - I name my fish !) Well - Flash loved to eat . My mistake - I overfed him and he died . Lesson Learned. Flutterbutt survived my good intentions ... but I needed another one. I went out and bought a female named Pee Wee. She IS a pee wee. I've had her for about 3 weeks now . Here's my question . She was so tiny when I got her - she couldn't even get her mouth around the pellets that I use. I crushed them up ... dropped them in the water ... and she just swam away. Now ,I bought live blackworms. All it took for her to eat - is to taste one .. she's hooked now( no pun intended) Now she won't eat anything else. She also doesn't seem to be growing ... she's still itsy bitsy. I expected 'some' growth in 3 weeks time. She's STILL only about an inch long. I need suggestions ... she's so pretty - I want her to outgrow her name of PeeWee ! Thank you so much !
Kathy

 

[*Bethie*]

I would suggest things like frozen brine (or baby brine)shrimp, frozen daphnia, or frozen bloodworms. What I do with them is cut off a little chunk with a knife, put it in some warm water, and stir it up until it is all thawed out. Then I take a turkey baster and feed them, although an eyedropper would work too. You can buy any of these at the big chains, like Petco or Petsmart.

Welcome to the forum, and I hope I helped!

*Bethie*

 

[modaz]

Flutterbutt........ thats a good name for a male
your girl wont should sizes of growing really, she sounds like a juvi so she will have slowed down on the growth rate now, she will grow if eating well, fresh Brine shrimp is good thing to use to build them up, give her time she will be ok. eventually if you persist she will start to eat other foods

 

[KathyLev]

I'm glad to hear that .... I wasn't sure if Blackworms provided enough nutrition like the pellets . As far as I've read - they are just a "treat" . I'll have to soak the frozen blood worms - maybe she'll eat that . Thanks for the tip !

By the way ......Having my first Betta fish - I can't believe how they ............

------ it's hard to explain ---------

------- people would think I'm crazy --------

--- But they seem to like interaction with people ! Flutterbutt has gotten so used to being scooped up into a "holding" tank while I clean hi s tank, he just let's me do it. Even when he's in his own tank .... he comes up to my finger in the water. I can even take the wooden skewer (that I give him worms with ) and stroke him along his sides.
I Think I might be totally in love with these guys .... I've never seen anything like this !

Thanks again ....hopefully PeeWee will grow and be healthy .

 

[*Bethie*]

Happy to have helped!

I find my bettas to be very interactive as well. They are very smart animals. They love to wiggle when they see me in the morning, and they always know when I'm going to feed them. They know who their momma is!

Don't worry, we won't think your crazy!

*Bethie*

 

[devon_charm]

Lol your not crazy at all - we all name our bettas and we are all well and truly hooked, just read some of the old threads and you will see i speak the truth.

As for feeding you lil girl the advice you have been given so far is spot on just give her time.

Love both the names by the way