Today, I went to Petco with the intention of just getting more fish food, but as I was scanning the bettas in their cups, I noticed a new "idea". They are now selling "Baby Bettas". How sick. All of them were dead except for one, so I bought her for $1.99 . Now, I have no idea how to take care of a betta fry so I need a bit of help. She seems very developed like a tiny tiny adult female. I don't know how old she is. Should I feed her flakes, since pellets are too big for her mouth? Or chopped up blood-worms? For now, I am floating her in an established tank so she can have a stable temperature.
What do you think I should do about feeding, housing... etc.
From what I've learned from other people, warm water (82-84 F) and tiny pellets or frozen baby brine shrimp will help. For pellets, try New Life Spectrum Small Fish Formula .5mm pellets. If you feed the BBS, try an eyedropper but be prepared to change the water a little more often to get out any uneaten food; BBS is small and can get everywhere.
Good luck with the little girl, I hope she makes it. :)
UPDATE: Lily has eaten some crushed up Betta flakes! Yay! But I'm a little annoyed because I bought her frozen brine shrimp- a special trip to Petco- and she won't even look at them! She only wants the crushed up Betta flakes, not even the blood worms. I guess I can still use them for my older boys.
Her stress stripes are still apparent and she's super pale. I can hardly tell she's a blue. But she doesn't appear particularly ill, more like she's stressed. She swims around a lot, even if she is very skittish.
I can't get a picture of her because she is so tiny, but she's very sweet. :)
Haha, that's a fish for you. You go out of your way for them and they turn up their little noses at it. Maybe when she gets older?
One of my girls stayed striped for a week and she wasn't even a baby so if your little baby is still striped for a few days but otherwise acting normally, don't worry. Remember, she's a little young to be out on her own so she's probably a bit scared. ;)
I had one but it died in 24 hours. Alot of people are having a hard time keeping them alive. If yours is eating and active, she should be OK. I also got a tiny CT female a few days before the baby and she is doing great. She is about the same size as the babies though.
Does she have someplace to hide? That may make her feel more secure.
No, actually Tikibirds, she doesn't! I have been floating her cup in a temperature stable tank before I put her in her new tank. See, I kind of impulse-bought her since I was afraid she would die. Once she is big and old enough, I may decide to put her in my community tank. Or, if she stays small and weak I will set up her own tank. So for now, at least until she eats well and looses her stripes, I will put up a bunch of plants around her cup so the other fish can't see her and she can't see them. I may even cut a piece of a plant off and put it in with her cup. Would that be alright?
That should help a bit, but if you have something she can hide in, that would be best althoug I am not sure what could fit into a cup.
The CT girl I had in a 1 gallon till I was satisfied she was not sick or anything. Then 2 weeks latter I added her to a 3 way divided 10 gallon and she is doing great. She wasn't labled as a baby but she is tiny.
Hello! Thank you for the reply. I may find a small jar to place in the tank so she can continue to be heated my the tank's heater but she will have a larger area to swim. I can use gravel and a cave with plants. Maybe this way she will feel more secure. Do you think I will shock her with a large space with only her? I know Bettas are not social creatures by any means, but she obviously is still a small fry and up until a few days ago, she was probably still with her siblings. Do you think this will be a problem?
Oh my goodness! Yesterday? Well you found him in much better condition than I found Lily. He is absolutely adorable! With the blood-worms, do to suggest I cut them up? She won't eat a whole one. She's very picky.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
Similar Threads
Baby Betta Fish
