# How much should I feed my baby betta?



## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

I bought a baby betta at petco, and bought Hikari Tropical Micro Food for it. I have it in a heated 5.5 gallon that stays at about 80-81 degrees. How much should I be feeding it of the Micro Pellets, and how often? Thanks for the help, and please reply as quick as possible, I don't want to feed it until I know for sure I'm not going to be overfeeding or under feeding. And in case it helps to know, he (I'm calling it a he until I know for sure) is around 3/4 to 4/5 of an inch including his tail (can't tell exactly, kinda hard to measure a fish) . He already is a bright blue, his growth probably got stunted at the store. He has stress stripes but they are already not as noticeable as when I got him. And I don't want to here about arguments of how bad it is to buy baby betta fish, and how hard they are to keep alive. I figure if he does die, I'd rather have him die in a 5.5 heated then die in that sad cup at the pet store.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Also he keeps squeezing his tail so that it's pointed, but once in a while he will loosen it so it's normal. Is this a result of stress?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> I bought a baby betta at petco, and bought Hikari Tropical Micro Food for it. I have it in a heated 5.5 gallon that stays at about 80-81 degrees. How much should I be feeding it of the Micro Pellets, and how often? Thanks for the help, and please reply as quick as possible, I don't want to feed it until I know for sure I'm not going to be overfeeding or under feeding. And in case it helps to know, he (I'm calling it a he until I know for sure) is around 3/4 to 4/5 of an inch including his tail (can't tell exactly, kinda hard to measure a fish) . He already is a bright blue, his growth probably got stunted at the store. He has stress stripes but they are already not as noticeable as when I got him. And I don't want to here about arguments of how bad it is to buy baby betta fish, and how hard they are to keep alive. I figure if he does die, I'd rather have him die in a 5.5 heated then die in that sad cup at the pet store.


Sorry I cant quite answer your question, but frozen foods would be healthier for him... go here for info: http://bettacarecentral.weebly.com/baby-betta-care.html
Try asking in the breeding section, those people have more experience in caring for betta fry and might be able to give you an amount.



Kassidy47 said:


> Also he keeps squeezing his tail so that it's pointed, but once in a while he will loosen it so it's normal. Is this a result of stress?


It is normal for them to do so; are his fins usually spread out? If he is constantly closing his fins, they are clamped and he is just used to too cold of water. Im sure he is fine and may get better with the warm water.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Well the fins are like that like 70 percent of the time.... And I don't have access to frozen food...


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> Well the fins are like that like 70 percent of the time.... And I don't have access to frozen food...


He is probably just used to the cold water the pet store provides :roll:
He will be fine and get used to the nice warm water ;-)

Frozen foods can be purchased at stores such as petco or petsmart...
The reccomended food is new life spectrum growth formula if you still cant get frozen.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Ok I'll try to get that food, thanks! Any idea how much to feed?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> Ok I'll try to get that food, thanks! Any idea how much to feed?


According to your measurement, your betta is roughly 6 weeks old..
I cant find an exact amount to feed, but typically betta's stomachs are the size of their eye. So base your daily feeding off of that.. If he looks bloated, lessen the amount a little bit.

Good luck.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

How many times should I feed a day, 2 or 3?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> How many times should I feed a day, 2 or 3?


You can do 2 or 3. 3 is better because it lessens the chance of bloating. 
extra info.. the water changes and tank cleaning is very important for the betta's health.

Unfortunately, stores such as petco often times sell "Baby bettas" properly called _Betta fry_. The reason I say this is unfortunate is that these fry are too young to be sold, most people do not know take care of them properly and baby bettas have a weak immune system making them more prone to illness and disease. Baby bettas have special requirements. Sometimes betta fry can get stressed if placed in a large environment (unlike most adult bettas). Your betta fry should be in a *2-3 gallon tank that is heated to at least 80 degrees.* Your betta fry would do best on_* live foods*_ until it gets older. If you do not have access to live foods,it is reccomended to feed your betta fry Frozen baby brine shrimp or frozen daphnia- you can thaw one block and feed it 2-3 meals a day. Also new life spectrum growth formula is a good food, but may need to be crushed depending on your fry's size. Do 100% water changes every 2-3 days and use a turkey baster to suck out any remaining food or poop every day. It is best to let the water age for a few days to keep stress at a minimum. Do not forget- when doing water changes to float the betta in a cup to get used to the new water temperature. Betta fry are extremely prone to stress and are very fragile.
Photo source: http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/157/7/9/baby_betta_2_by_kelpish-d52kcfi.jpg

Usually you can tell the gender of a betta fry by the age of 3 months. To determine the age of your betta, go here: http://www.bettatalk.com/fry_growth.htm


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

So a 5.5 is too large?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> So a 5.5 is too large?


If your betta doesnt appear stressed, then 5.5 gallons is okay. 
The stess stripes might be there because young bettas have the stripes before developing color. 

Im not sure how long youve had him, but if after awhile he is always hiding or refuses to eat, then I'd say he is stressed. If he is acting otherwise, he is ok.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

And can I do a 25 percent water change daily instead of 100 percent every 3 days?


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

I just got him yesterday afternoon.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> And can I do a 25 percent water change daily instead of 100 percent every 3 days?


Reguardless of tank size, you need to do a 100% change every 3 days. Daily, use a turkey baster to suck up any poo or food you see floating around.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Ok, so maybe it would be smarter to have him in a smaller tank so it's easier to clean?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> Ok, so maybe it would be smarter to have him in a smaller tank so it's easier to clean?


Yeah, that might be ideal for you. Just be sure you can heat whatever you put him in ;-)


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Ok, I have a 1-5 gallon heater that I'm not using so I could use that. Hahaha now just to get my mom to let me have another tank.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> Ok, I have a 1-5 gallon heater that I'm not using so I could use that. Hahaha now just to get my mom to let me have another tank.


haha! Since he is about 6 weeks, by 11 weeks old he wont really require any special care, just regular betta care.

So in about 5 weeks he should be ready to go in the 5.5 gallon tank with regular water changes.. If it is filtered and NOT cycled (and you arent trying to cycle it) do 1 water change per week. One week do a 50% change, the next week do a 100% change to rid of ammonia.

Do you have any pictures? id love to see the little guy!


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Yeah, it might have to wait though, I'm not home right now, I'm using my phone to post this. Unless there is a way to post a pic on my phone?


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Oh and after the 5 weeks can I do partial water changes everyday or every other day instead of once a week? But still do a 100 percent like every 2-3 weeks? Or is it better to do it the way you described?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

It would be less stressful and good water quality wise to do once a week at minimum for him once hes 11 weeks old. You can do twice weekly changes if you'd like. But be sure to do 100% water changes occasionally to rid of excess ammonia.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

K so I'll just do 50 percent every other week and 100 percent every other week?


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Oh and you said that after about a month I can just take care of him like an adult, does that mean I can feed him the adult's food too?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Yep, sounds good  NLS makes a betta formula as well, as adult food.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Yeah I already have 6 adult bettas, so I already have adult food. Im leaving right now to get a 2 gallon tank and the baby food you recommended.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

feed little bits at a time. babies grow fast so you can feed them a normal pellet size equivilent every time. 
watch his stomach. make sure it's full but not too round. 

when you see their stomach empty out again, you can feed them again. I used to feed my babies 3-4 times a day.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

I just got a 2.5 filtered and heated for my little baby! And I also bought some frozen (not freeze dried) brine shrimp!


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

So how much of frozen shrimp do I feed it? And lol how do I get it to come apart to feed him, its in a big block.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

How awesome I bet he will love it! 
You may need to baffle the filter - http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139

And since he is a very little guy, you can block the filter intake using panty hose or aquarium sponge/foam!


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> So how much of frozen shrimp do I feed it? And lol how do I get it to come apart to feed him, its in a big block.


I would take aokashi's advice (below), they know what they're talking about 
You can put one of the blocks in a bag and let it sit out and thaw. Try to spread it out in the bag in a thin layer. Then put the bag in the freezer. That way next time you can put your fingers on the bag and since it's a thin layer, the heat from your finger should instantly thaw it.

Or you can just cut the block up in tiny pieces if that's what you prefer ;-)



aokashi said:


> feed little bits at a time. babies grow fast so you can feed them a normal pellet size equivilent every time.
> watch his stomach. make sure it's full but not too round.
> 
> when you see their stomach empty out again, you can feed them again. I used to feed my babies 3-4 times a day.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks!


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

He won't get sucked up will he?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> He won't get sucked up will he?


If you tightly tie a piece of pantyhose (women's tights) around the intake, he can't get sucked up.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Alright and about the frozen brine shrimp, how do I get my fish to eat it? He will only eat food that floats and the shrimp sinks....


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Kassidy47 said:


> Alright and about the frozen brine shrimp, how do I get my fish to eat it? He will only eat food that floats and the shrimp sinks....


Hmm, could you hold it in your fingers at the surface? 
Or if you get his attention drop the shrimp right in front of him and he will probably chase after it to eat it...


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

But it's so slimy!!! It turns to like liquid when I put it in my fingers.


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## Kassidy47 (Jul 24, 2012)

Alright I figured it out! I was grabbing just liquid lol. All my bettas love it except for one of my adults, he prefers pellets. Does feeding 3 in the morning and 2 at night of the shrimp for adults and one in the morning and one at night for the baby sound good?


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