# One Little Baby



## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

I posted a thread on this already but it was in the betta care section and after posting i realized that this would be a better place to get answers on this particular topic.

So i bought a baby betta at petco yesterday (yes theyre selling babies now) thinking it would be cool to see what he/she turned into. Kind of a mystery fish  however, ive never cared for a baby betta. so i have a few questions. Whats youre opinion on food? in the other thread i was told baby brine shrimp werent completely necessary but i can get them if i need to. right now i have pellets and freeze dried blood worms. I tried chopping up a blood worm last night for the baby but it was just slightly too big for him. he swallowed it completely (i saw it go all the way down to his belly) and then spat it back up. Also how old do you think he is and what age do they normally start to get color because this guy doesnt seem to have any yet. thats all i can think to ask right now so heres a picture of him/her (its about half an inch long maybe):


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

To get frozen BW to bite size, slice them before they thaw. You will get more than enough for one baby so don't take all of it - maybe just half of a slice or maybe less depending on his appetite. The long pieces are ok as long as the baby doesn't have a hard time getting it into it's mouth (make sure it's not too long). Otherwise it might have difficulty spitting the BW out if it needs to breath and will coke.

IMO babies are probably 2 months old - about 1.5-2cm. You can feed it what ever it will eat and as much as it will eat. Try to give it a balance of protein and fat. Too much protein or too little fat will make the body firm but thin and it will grow slower. Too much fat will make it ... sluggish (?) but will grow faster.

I often feed a combination of tubifex/BW and daphnia.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

im feeding him freeze dried worms right now. or at least since last night. he doesnt seem to care for them much but i think he ate the one from last night because i didnt see it this morning. I just put another tiny peice in there and he/she eyed it but didnt attempt to eat it again. will they eat crished pellets? also you said babies are probably 2 months old. did you mean mine is probably 2 months old or thats how old they are when they get their color? also if he starts eating freeze dried food can i keep feeding him that or is it better for them to eat frozen food? also should i soke the freeze dried food first?


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Personally, I wouldn't feed mine freeze dried anything. I prefer frozen. You should be able to find frozen baby daphnia and baby brine shrimp at your LP/LFS. Mine will eat crushed betta pellets at this age, but of course that may be because there is sibling rivalry going on. I've never had one fry before. Best of luck with your little one.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

baby bettas need special care. :I 

as i said in your other thread, stay away from freeze-dried. they're known to cause bloat in adults, and that wouldn't be good for a baby.

try to find baby brine shrimp, either eggs you hatch or frozen. frozen blood worms are another good choice. most pet stores sell them, you just need to ask for the frozen fish food.

what size tank are you housing it in? Chappy grew up in a 3 gallon with daily water changes, so be prepared to do ALOT of water changes. you probably don't have to do daily like i did, but i wanted to make sure i did everything right. they also NEED a heater. moreso than adults, because they're still developing.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

tpocicat said:


> Personally, I wouldn't feed mine freeze dried anything. I prefer frozen. You should be able to find frozen baby daphnia and baby brine shrimp at your LP/LFS. Mine will eat crushed betta pellets at this age, but of course that may be because there is sibling rivalry going on. I've never had one fry before. Best of luck with your little one.


thank you 



Luimeril said:


> baby bettas need special care. :I
> 
> as i said in your other thread, stay away from freeze-dried. they're known to cause bloat in adults, and that wouldn't be good for a baby.
> 
> ...


i just got some baby brine shrimp  theyre frozen and little cubes and they melted a little on the way home so theyre in the freezer now... soo how do they work? i just chop up the little frozen cubes and give him little brine shrimp ice chips? right now hes still in his cup. (since about 7 ish last night) i used a little syringe to get all the floaties out but i havent been able to change his water. ill probably try to do that after i get done posting this. when i get home though i guess ill put him in Antiones 5.5 gallon tank and move Antione into the 10 gallon i just got (it has a slate bottom. is that ok for them?) im getting another heater and have a thermometer already. do they need it warmer than adults? you changed 3 gallons of water every day for only one fish? im guessing its because of the stunting hormone? i think someone mentioned that earlier. i cant imagine their ammonia getting that high... what if i had him in a one gallon with daily water changes? would that not be enough? 

*Important side note: *Reading over my post i realize it sounds like i dont want to put a lot of work into raising this little guy or girl so i wanted to make sure you all know that im not trying to not give him the best home i just want to make sure theres not an easier way. i know theyre a lot of work and im not trying to slack off and not give him the best. i just want to know whats necessary to give him the best chance of survival. im asking about the one gallon to save on water but if he needed a 10 gallon id put him in there and leave Antione in the smaller one. I really want this guy or girl to grow up and be beautiful  and everyones help is greatly appreciated!


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

I was commenting on the probable age of your baby. They should have colored up by now. The picture shows that it's a light color - not clear what though.

I don't like freeze dried wormy food - worm's body parts are liquid. If you dry that you probably lose a lot of the nutrients. I prefer frozen food because they stay as they are - the difference is only they're not alive. 
BBS IMO is too small for it now. Frozen daphnia or frozen adult brine shrimp is better (live is better). 

If you want to keep feeding freeze dried, always soak it before feeding. You don't want it to expand inside the bettas belly, causing bloating. The same goes for pellets.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I thaw my frozen foods before giving them to my fish. I have enough fish, that I can thaw one cube and share it out with everybody. If you got the solid square type, just breat off a small section, thaw and feed. If there is more than the fish can eat, change the water. Babies should have warner tanks. Mine are between 80 and 85 degrees.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

oh wow thats quite a bit warmer. i have hikari brand frozen bbs and it just looks like theyre all blended up like a smoothie... should i still thaw it first? it seems like it would just mix with the water


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Frozen BBS or daphnia should not be like that. They should look the way they were when alive. If they seem blended .... they've gone bad and shouldn't be used.

Is it possible that the bbs are just very small that they look blended?


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

this is what i have: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11268250&lmdn=Product+Type

they could just be really ttiny... it looks kinda like frozen soup to me


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Hikari is a good brand. I think that the brine shrimp are just very tiny. You will see individual brine shrimp once you put them in the water.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

...are they the little pink fuzzy looking stuff?? are they really that tiny??


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Yes, I think you are looking at the legs, might make them look fuzzy.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

i mean them in general. like i stuck the frozen cube in water and it dissolved into what looks like fuzz... when its spread out it doesnt but theyre like microscopic almost?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Yeah thats normal. I feed BBS daily so that sounds about right.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

ok. i didnt realize they were so small! He/she seemed to have a hard time eating them :/ of course he/she seems to have a hard time eating everything so far... are they to small for him/her maybe? also how old are they when you can tell their gender? all this him/her he/she stuff is getting kind of annoying haha


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

heres a little collage of him  i promise the water isnt that dirty anymore!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

he's gonna be purdy when he grows up. :V


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

i really hope he/she does grow up  if he/she makes it a week ill be happy. usually when my fish die its within a few days... so im really hoping this one pulls through! im excited to see whether its a girl or boy, what tail type, what color. everything  its my little mystery baby


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

The best way to get them to grow is a lot of good food and large daily water changes.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I see a little yellow on the fins, since yellow isn't one of the dominant colors, unless it's a marble, you can bet on the yellow staying at least.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

MrVampire181 said:


> The best way to get them to grow is a lot of good food and large daily water changes.


 
Should i be more careful with this one during water changes? like take longer to acclimate? or can i just acclimate over roughly 30 minutes still? also can i use a 5.5 gallon tank with only about a gallon of water and still change it every day? or are 100% water changes in 1 gallon of water every day not enough?



tpocicat said:


> I see a little yellow on the fins, since yellow isn't one of the dominant colors, unless it's a marble, you can bet on the yellow staying at least.


that would be so cool to have a marble  i saw this beautiful one at petsmart yesterday. he was blue and white  wanted to get him but didnt really have room. i couldnt resist this one though. ill keep posting pics as he gets older (assuming he does) to document the colors  i do see some slight iridescence on his belly right around his pectoral fins


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## jeffegg2 (Apr 5, 2012)

Live and frozen food is mostly for conditioning bettas for breeding. There is nothing wrong with dry food IF you can get them to eat it. Of course the frozen or live would be more tasty for the fish.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

im slowly transitioning him to my water. filling up his cup slightly with Antiones tank water every 20 minutes or so. im not gonna put him in a tank tonight. its getting late and i have school tomorrow, but when i get home tomorrow ill be sure to switch everyone to their right homes


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## TheJadeBetta (Mar 31, 2010)

I feed my baby betta...Frozen Blood Worms, Frozen Daphnia, and Frozen Cyclops. I also have started feeding him Dry Tetra Flakes. I take some tongs and hold them under water for a bit. The Daphnia and Cyclops I use a turkey baster.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

he ate a crushed pellet! no problems at all  didnt cough it up once  i guess ill save the blood worms for Antione and when mystery babys mouth isnt so tiny


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

That looks like a yellow-cellophane little guy - congrats. He's a bit thin for me though. But he'll fatten up soon with a great mom like you. 

5.5g for him alone is very big. Filled to the top, plus a few live plants or a fliter, IMO you won't need that much water changes (though more is better) - but clean filters weekly. I have one in a 2g, half filled with plants and give 10-30% daily water changes (when sucking out gunk) and 50% weekly was adequate. Now it's fully grown at 4.5 months (4cm - body only). Just remember to siphon after feeding thus leftover food doesn't foul up the water.


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## NoahG (Oct 24, 2011)

Are we going to start up a betting pool of what we think the sex, color, and fin type will be?

Haha, this is mostly to subscribe, but also I'm admittedly curious as well.

Fortunately my area Petco hasn't started selling "Baby Bettas," though some of their females are _tiny_. So small. But they're colored up.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

indjo said:


> That looks like a yellow-cellophane little guy - congrats. He's a bit thin for me though. But he'll fatten up soon with a great mom like you.
> 
> 5.5g for him alone is very big. Filled to the top, plus a few live plants or a fliter, IMO you won't need that much water changes (though more is better) - but clean filters weekly. I have one in a 2g, half filled with plants and give 10-30% daily water changes (when sucking out gunk) and 50% weekly was adequate. Now it's fully grown at 4.5 months (4cm - body only). Just remember to siphon after feeding thus leftover food doesn't foul up the water.


That would be awesome  i always liked those! i thought his belly looked a little chubby (dont know if you can see it in the pictures) so i was gonna ask about it. i guess you just answered it though  he made it through another night so im pretty excited  i wasnt going to fill the 5.5 up all the way. maybe put 2 gallons in. thats what i did when Antione was sick. so ill go with your 10-30% daily schedule. then it will be easier to suck out the leftovers as well 



NoahG said:


> Are we going to start up a betting pool of what we think the sex, color, and fin type will be?
> 
> Haha, this is mostly to subscribe, but also I'm admittedly curious as well.
> 
> Fortunately my area Petco hasn't started selling "Baby Bettas," though some of their females are _tiny_. So small. But they're colored up.


haha that would be funny if we did X) im kind of hoping its a gir because ive never had a girl before but a male would be nice too. Ill definitely keep posting to keep everyone updated on his?her progress! my petco didnt have them listed on their price chart (they have variety but MAN are they expensive!) so i had to ask the fish lady there. she said theyve sold them before and the price used to be up but wasnt anymore. he was only 2$ so i got him  thats be awesome if it turned out to be one of the more expensive tail types


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

What size is it now?


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

still about half an inch. maybe slightly longer. i only bought him/her two days ago. the water is MUCH cleaner though. i couldnt really change it untill last night. i was just sucking up the debris in a syringe. looks much happier now though  i put some of Antiones IAL water in the cup so hopefully that will help


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

Mine can eat big BW and about an inch in size.May be feed him small ones.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

i just feeed him crushed pellets. he seems to like them and its easier for me. Antione absolutely loves the blood worms though haha also putting him in the 5.5 today  waiting for it to heat up now


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

well... good news, i think mystery baby might be a crown tail  maybe all baby bettas look like that but it looks like her rays extend past the webbing  also looks like double rays to me  
(possible) bad news: his fins have been clamped all day  last time this happened the betta died... with no other apparent symptoms... can this also be bad for baby bettas?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Could be stress being in his new tank with (probably) different water chemistry. Give him a day or two to adjust. If his condition doesn't change, try medication. My "first aid" med is usually IAL and salt which often solves stress issues but not real diseases. IMO the key is often getting him to eat which will help build his strength and immune system.

Good luck. Hope it's nothing serious.


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

Add some live plants so she or he can hide in it.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

indjo said:


> Could be stress being in his new tank with (probably) different water chemistry. Give him a day or two to adjust. If his condition doesn't change, try medication. My "first aid" med is usually IAL and salt which often solves stress issues but not real diseases. IMO the key is often getting him to eat which will help build his strength and immune system.
> 
> Good luck. Hope it's nothing serious.


the clamping actually started in his cup, but im happy to hear you say that because his tank has IAL in it already  so hopefully thatll help. how much should i feed him? i fed him one crushed pellet at a time 3 or 4 times yesterday. should i be feeding him more?


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

How is he/she doing today? I sure hope your baby is doing better in the new tank with IAL. I would try feeding and see how that goes. If they eat, that is always good news.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

I feed fry all they would eat - but I've never used pellets. I mostly feed live tubifex, daphnia, mosq larva, ant eggs Or frozen bloodworm and minced shrimp. So I'm not worried about bloating and have too few, if ever, to mention. 

3 - 4 times feeding sounds good..... during the following feeding schedule, is his belly still fat from the previous food? If he can digest his food fast enough, you can feed him more per feeding. But if he hasn't digested all of the previous food, then stick to your current feeding.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

His tail is still clamped but he eats pretty well  I've fed 5 pellets total today. 2 in the morning 3 after school. I guess I'll just up his amount until he starts gaining weight. How do I tell if he's digested it?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Is he pooping.?


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

mystery baby scared me just now... i just came home and he was lying still in the bottom corner of his tank... i moved the water a bit and he didnt move... but when i stuck my finger in he started swimming... phew... fed him 2 more crushed pellets and *just checked* there are a few (what look like) tiny poops on the bottom of the tank. fins looked a little less clamped at first but look clamped again now :/


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

OMGemily said:


> His tail is still clamped but he eats pretty well  I've fed 5 pellets total today. 2 in the morning 3 after school. I guess I'll just up his amount until he starts gaining weight. How do I tell if he's digested it?


Look at him before feeding in the morning.
Later look at his belly after feeding. It should be fatter.
When you feed again, is his belly still fat or is it thin like before he ate in the morning. Thin means he has digested his food and can take more per feeding.

BTW, after feeding my fry often looks as if they swallowed a marble. BUT REMEMBER: I don't feed pellets and don't know their effect. My food (except shrimp) are fairly easy to digest.


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