# Super young betta, any special care needs?



## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

Just visited petsmart and saw this little girl. There was one other her size already dead so I couldn't leave her there. She is literally an inch long and cant believe that she was even there. Fins are all still clamped and we cant even sex it because it is so young. Can this betta eat pellets, or should we stick to bloodworms or something else? what special care should a super young betta like this get? (or am i wrong and is it older then i think?)


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

ooooo......it looks pretty young. Well first you'll need a tank (absolutely bare bottomed to make it easier), keep the temperature in the mid 80's, and do daily 100% water changes. You'll also need to feed live foods (microworms, vinegar eels, baby brine shrimp) with frozen foods (bloodworms, baby brine shrimp). How big is this betta?


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

She said the bettas an inch long... ^^


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

HE said the betta is about an inch long, but my gf is quick to correct me in the fact that she payed for it and is going to be caring for it lol. currently it is in a 1 gal critter keeper with a gravel bottom and a 50 watt preset heater right at 77-78* should we move her to a divided 10 gallon with an adjustable heater for now?


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## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

How cute. Just got back from Petco myself (had to stock up on some Betta pellets). My neighborhood Petco had a huge display of Betta's male and female, looks to be a recent shipment. Saw 3 real small juvenile females like yours on display.


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

Can you get a sea monkey kit? Those would be good for her...Awww shes so lil!!! 
I say sea monkey bc its hard to find brine shrimp eggs where I'm at..maybe different where you are.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

Update: a local petshop is closing a location and is liquidating it's supply so we got her a 5.5 gallon tank for $11 and a 50 watt heater for $12. Currently the temp is 86* and there is another pet shop that has brine shrimp eggs and hatchery in stock so we are going there tomorrow. I've never delt with shrimp or feeding live food to a Betta, so how does this work really? Hatch them in the tank with her?


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

Thats awesome! You rock for getting that for her. 

I have a brine shrimp hatchery kit that hangs inside a tank & it says they take 18-24 hours to hatch...I haven't used it yet though, sorry  I think its easy though, you just put them in & they do their thing, then you can suck them up
with a siphon tube or turkey baster & feed it to her...


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

You can also feed her Hikari micro pellets. They're very tiny and she should be able to eat them.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

Update: We can see what appears to be a very small egg dot on the belly so we are calling it a girl for now. yesterday just before going out to buy live food, be split one of my pellets (already fairly small) in half and soaked it before putting it in the tank and she ate it. she has already noticeably grown, and her fins are less clamped and we can see substantial new fin growth (fins have doubled in size). she is also continually perplexed by the heater light, every time it comes on she just stares at it until it goes off.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

here she is, examining that light


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

You might want to turn that heater down to about 76 if you have it set to 80. A 50 watt heater can be a little overpowerful sometimes for a 5.5 gallon tank and running a fish constantly at 86 degrees for a prolonged amount of time is not ideal.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

right now it is keeping the water at 86* consistently, we should turn it down?


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

If someone else mentions it, I would. 86 is a little too high to keep a betta at for long-term and I know a lot of users only keep it that high if they're treating a sick betta. It speeds up their metabolism. I have that problem in my 5 gallon tank sometimes. In order to keep the temperature at 80, my heater is turned down to 76.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

ok, Mrvampire do you wanna chime in?


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

Aww how cute she stares at the light! 
Good I'm glad she's eating, that's a great thing  She'll be a monster girl in no time.
I heard also that 86 is for treating sick bettas, or when QT new ones to kill any internal bugs.


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## Waterbottle2 (Sep 8, 2010)

adorable!


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

turned the temp down to 82, she has become super active and has already doubled in size! she is gonna wind up being my biggest girl i think!


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Don't be suprised if it turns out male. Young males also get egg spots.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Ajones108 said:


> If someone else mentions it, I would. 86 is a little too high to keep a betta at for long-term and I know a lot of users only keep it that high if they're treating a sick betta. It speeds up their metabolism. I have that problem in my 5 gallon tank sometimes. In order to keep the temperature at 80, my heater is turned down to 76.


 On a betta this young 86* is preferred for better growth and development.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

ill go ahead and turn it back up then


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Well as long as the temp is within the 80* range it's fine. I just prefer warmer temps for faster growth.


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

he/she is certainly growing fast, already about 2 inches long, and the fins just keep on filling out.


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