Why isn’t my baby betta growing?

[Califedjsbewkf]

I bought a baby female betta about 5 months ago. She’s been very happy, healthy, and active, however she hasn’t grown in size much at all since I got her. Is it something I’m doing wrong or do they just grow really slow?

 

[Colin_T]

How big is the fish?
How often do you feed it?
What do you feed it?
How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
What is the water temperature?

 

[Califedjsbewkf]

How big is the fish?
How often do you feed it?
What do you feed it?
How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
What is the water temperature?

She’s a little less than an inch long
I feed her these micro pellets, about 3 or 4 a day
I do water changes, about 20% about once a week
She does not have any gravel or substrate in her tank
I have a small heater in there, I usually keep the tank in the 70’s, I feel the water and it’s luke warm however my thermometer isn’t that reliable

 

[Colin_T]

You should feed the fish a variety of dry, frozen (but defrosted), and live foods to optimise their growth. You can use frozen bloodworms, brineshrimp, daphnia, prawn/ shrimp, fish.
You can use live aphids, small flies, mosquitos and mozzie larvae, daphnia, brineshrimp, weevil larvae, ants. Just make sure they are free of chemicals and pesticides.

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You want to do a bigger water changes when growing fish. I change about 75% of the tank water each day in my rearing tanks. If you only have a few fish in the tank you can do a big water change a couple of times a week.

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You should have a thin layer of sand or gravel on the bottom of any aquarium with fish so the fish can't see their reflection in the bottom, and so they know there is a bottom. It helps with their orientation, so they know which way is up and down.

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You want the temperature between 26-30C (79-86F) to grow tropical fish quickly. The optimum temperature for growing most tropical species is 28C (82F).

If you don't have an accurate thermometer, go to the pet shop and get a new one. Check a number of them at the shop and get one that has the same temperature as the others. Sometimes they are faulty at the shop and have a different reading to most of the others.

 

[FishGuest5123]

You may want to try some fry food or grow food. I have a baby goldfish not growing right now and I feed her New Life Spectrum Grow Fry Food. I feed it 3 times a day. I also feed her crushed goldfish pellets at 2 of the meals. Baby fish need several meals a day. Good luck!

 

[Chloe07]

I was wondering too about my betta not growing, mine looks like adolescent. His body excluding all the fin is about 1.25 inches. he is halfmoon. Is he too small for a healthy betta? I feed him mix of omega betta pellet and bugbites for small tropical fix. Sometimes little dried bloodworm soaked in tank water.
What is the best brand for blood worm? and is how many are recommended in one meal? I feed him twice a day.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I was wondering too about my betta not growing, mine looks like adolescent. His body excluding all the fin is about 1.25 inches. he is halfmoon. Is he too small for a healthy betta? I feed him mix of omega betta pellet and bugbites for small tropical fix. Sometimes little dried bloodworm soaked in tank water.
What is the best brand for blood worm? and is how many are recommended in one meal? I feed him twice a day.

Bloodworms are good but dried ones don’t have a lot of nutritional value. Purchase frozen bloodworms and feed a few each day. If he is healthy, then he’s fine. A lot depends on genetics. Good luck!

 

[Chloe07]

Bloodworms are good but dried ones don’t have a lot of nutritional value. Purchase frozen bloodworms and feed a few each day. If he is healthy, then he’s fine. A lot depends on genetics. Good luck!

He was healthy, even though he was small. It was my ignorance making him sick before. Now he is fine but still... maybe he didn't have much chance to grow back then because he was sick.
I will try the frozen ones thank you!