# teaching bettas tricks



## lunawatsername (Apr 20, 2011)

so i stumbled on a wonderful idea... teaching your bettas tricks! i found it yesterday, and i have already started working with both of my bettas with some success. my little girl will now jump out of the water and take a pellet off of my finger (i stuck it on by dipping my finger in the water). my boy is learning how to follow my finger all around the tank (for some fish it comes naturally, but for him it doesnt, so were working on it)  i think it is an awesome idea to teach your betta, or any fish willing to learn, because its a good workout, and they need the stimulation. it keeps the little guys from being bored. (it was also great to kinda show off to people in my family who thought fish were boring or dull. take that! lol)
some of the other tricks i found were flaring on command and swimming through a hoop, both of which are way harder to teach, but so cool. 
another cool thing you can do is put toys in the tank (little mirrors, something that floats that they can push around (im going to give them a cork to play with), and if you have a bare bottom, a marble=soccer!) and if you have nothing to put in the tank, decorate outside of it. a colorful stuffed animal, something shiny, anything they can explore and investigate. and when you clean their tanks, move the decorations around a bit, mix it up. maybe take one out and rotate a different one in. im sure they will appreciate a little change in scenery now and then 

i never knew before i owned one how interesting and smart bettas are. so, how do you keep your betta entertained?


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Those are some great ideas. I do the "follow the finger" game with my betta. I also have a game where he swims over to me, I put my finger right where he is, which makes him swim away, and then he swims right back. I also have my betta jump for his food.

The tank is next to my computer (it's a large corner desk, his tank is not over any wires), and he is showing interest towards my two monitors. I guess he's watching what I'm doing.

Right now I'm trying to find a miniature rubber ducky that floats so he has something to play with, but I can't find the right size.


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

A mini ducky-that is SO cute! Please let us know if you ever find one, I'd love one! <3


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## lunawatsername (Apr 20, 2011)

aw a little ducky would be awesome! right now i could only find a kinda big cork, so im soaking it in hot water for a while to clean it before i put it in my boys cage. wonder how he'll like it!  (and now im on the hunt for little rubber duckies too!) xDDD


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## denaliwind (Feb 27, 2011)

I have some mini rubber duckies, but unfortunately they only seem to float on their side. :/

One forum member has been training their betta with the R2 Fish School kit! It's really awesome, you should check it out. I wish I could remember the member, they had posted about it not too long ago.


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Lol, didn't think the rubber ducky would hit it off that well. I'll keep you guys posted if I find one. I have a floating shark right now, but it always goes on its side, plus it's way too big compared to bettas.


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I sorta play fight with them by getting up to the tank really quick and Aki flares at my finger touches it and swims away. He's also bitten me on several occasions doing this. I keep Maka busy by following her around in her tank as she swims about a lot and everytime she see's me suddenly she flips out. So cute!

Also: I wanna try the jumping thing but with Aki who tried to abandon ship before the net even went in the cup...Might be a bad idea.


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## lunawatsername (Apr 20, 2011)

Arashi Takamine said:


> I sorta play fight with them by getting up to the tank really quick and Aki flares at my finger touches it and swims away. He's also bitten me on several occasions doing this. I keep Maka busy by following her around in her tank as she swims about a lot and everytime she see's me suddenly she flips out. So cute!
> 
> Also: I wanna try the jumping thing but with Aki who tried to abandon ship before the net even went in the cup...Might be a bad idea.



i kinda do the same thing with Nahh, he flares pretty much every time i feed him with my hand lol he thinks he so big and bad! xDD and Meekish is so cute, if i go up to her tank really fast she come to the front and do a weird little dance thing sometimes, kinda like a "hey what are you looking at? my tank!" tehy are so adorable 

yeah i wouldnt have taught it to jumpers either... not the best idea. maybe the other one, if shes not a little jumper? its a cute trick  my lil girl can actually jump pretty high! good thing i always keep her top on her tank lol


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## CyerRyn (Apr 8, 2011)

I'm not sure if this would be considered a trick, but when I bought Bubbles it was because he would follow me when I passed his bowl and if I put my finger up to the glass he'd stick his nose against it and follow my finger whenever I moved it. (He made a liar of his name though, ever since I put him in the 10gal he's made one bubble nest and then stopped) He still follows my finger when I put it up against the glass and he's always 'front and center' the moment he hears my voice or see's me enter the room. At feeding time I'll play with him a little. I'll stick my finger in the water and before he can come bite me I'll move it behind him and he wind's up swirling in circles its really cute. The first time he ever got the chance to bite me was a couple days ago. I didn't know Betta's bit so he caught me off guard so I don't let him do that. It's just really cute.. no matter where he'll follow my finger and I can make him dance. :twisted:


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

My guy follows my finger and he bites too! He's also jumped out whenever I put my finger above the surface of the water. He Doesnt jump unless there's food on my finger...he's soooooooooooo smart!!


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## BlueHaven (Jul 17, 2010)

I put a monopoly statue of Gandalf and some stones in front of Thai's tank. Whenever I try to move them away or switch them around he swims over and stares at what i'm doing, like he doesn't want them moved!
He flared at me once when I did that, lol


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## Bettagirl10 (May 3, 2011)

I have taught my Bettas to jump but one.Hes very sick. You have to see Phineas!!!! He is the king around the tanks.He could beat up a crayfish.Hes my first and fav!!!!I will get a pic.


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## Goomba3 (Jan 20, 2011)

Here is the link to the R2 Fish Training School thread that somedudeathome is doing with his betta Hercules. Last I saw he's gotten him to swim through a hoop, a tunnel, and a chimney. If most of my bettas weren't so dumb, I'd love to try it, too.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=65629

Loki is the only one that I can do any sort of trick with. He'll follow my finger along the tank, chase pellets along the surface, and dive for sinking pellets. The other three are just derr.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Haha! Some bettas are lazy. More like "Food? No? Then nvrmind, I'm gonna sulk now." lol


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## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

If I hover my finger over the surface my HM king stares at it intently for a few seconds, jumps, then I give him food because I don't want to just tease him XD Also if I put my hand in the water he comes and sits in it, and he rubs against my fingers sometimes, he sometimes bites my finger lol and of course he also follows my finger : )

It can actually be a little annoying sometimes because I'm trying to change the gravel filters, or put the air tube back in my air stone and he wants to be next to my hand XD I actually have to push him out of the way sometimes, but he comes right back lol

I've had this Betta for two weeks O.O he is really amazing and I love his character XD My other HM king I bought today is very shy and will take much longer to tame.

That's my big boy XD he's so huge, he came right up to the glass


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

It looks like he's smiling. Lol


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