# Conditioning my fish?



## Iman (Feb 6, 2011)

So how do I condition my fish for breeding? I haved heard several people say that they feed their bettas until they look likethey are going to burst, also I have heard that you don't always need to feed them live food. So what are your suggestions? :?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Basically they need high protein foods. Betta's love live foods, but you don't have to use them to condition. Instead you could use frozen foods like f. blood worms, daphnia or what ever is available in your area. Just cut off a small piece at a time and .... defrost (?) (sorry can't think of the right word) before feeding. Don't defrost the whole cube - keep it as fresh as possible. 
I'm not sure of man made foods though (I've never used them)

You don't have to feed them till their bellies are ready to pop. I feed until they begin to slightly bloat. Too much feeding is believed to cause more harm than good.


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## Iman (Feb 6, 2011)

Thanks


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## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i have freeze dried bloodworms. 4.00 with free shipping on amazon. pretty good deal considering it will last like 6 months i think. 2-3 of them a day is fine and it makes my fish more active/healthy.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

DONT USE FREEZE DRIED BLOODWORMS! They expand in the stomach of the fish and this can cause several health issues.


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## monroe0704 (Nov 17, 2010)

MrVampire181 said:


> DONT USE FREEZE DRIED BLOODWORMS! They expand in the stomach of the fish and this can cause several health issues.


I've heard that as long as they're rehydrated it's ok.. Is this true? In theory, this would combat the expanding in the fish.


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## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

well whats the best food for conditioning then?

Amazon.com: Freeze Dried Bloodworms for Bettas - 0.04 oz.: Kitchen & Dining

that is what i have.


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## Biomess (Jan 1, 2011)

Freeze dried bloodworms have almost no nutrition! If all you feed your betta is the freeze dried stuff, they will eventually get sick from a lack of nutrition. Someone else posted their fish as being sick and all they fed were freeze dried bloodworms, I suggested pellets and their betta is doing much better!
You need to be using a pellet food for the main staple, but if you're conditioning, I would use live foods or frozen food.


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## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

yeah ive got good pellets, but freeze dried bloodworms are all i got for conditioning. where can i get a cheap food for conditioning?


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## Biomess (Jan 1, 2011)

If you have a Petsmart or Petco nearby, I would look there. They have a small refrigerator next to their tropical fish where they keep frozen food. Petsmart has frozen bloodworms for like $3.99 and you get 30 separate cubes for easy feeding.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I agree with what Indjo said. Feed until they look full but not fat. I'll dig through my pictures and see if I can find one to show for example. It's like.. you know how you feel when you eat a good meal compared when you eat Thanksgiving dinner? The difference between full and STUFFED. You want them to be full.. not stuffed 

As for the freeze dried vs frozen. The freeze drying process takes away most of the nutrients from the food so is basically candy. If you want to feed it once or twice a week as a treat its fine but not as a normal food and NOT as a conditioning food. I prefer to feed nutritional treats like live white worms and brine shrimp instead of freeze dried foods but to each their own.


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## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

ah yeah i almost bought a frozen cube brine shrimp actually from that fish place for pretty cheap.


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## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

so anything frozen will still keep nutritional value? i guess its the same thing as our human food. when you get those banana freeze dried chips, they lost all their nutrional value and are just a snack food right? good 2 know.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

freeze dried bloodworms should be fed very sparingly and should always be rehydrated before feeding to prevent digestive problems.


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