Feeding Bettas

[cuticom]

Hey guys, I'm going to be getting a Beta fish sometime soon. I was thinking with food and that, I've read they like liev brine shrimp? I dont ahve the first idea where i could get Brine shrimp BUT, from what I've read sea monkeys are a hybrid brine shrimp. I've got a couple of sea monkey colonies here and was just wondering whether a Betta would like to eat those?

Otherwise it'll be Betta pellets and freeze dried blood worm, i just thought some live food would add a bit of fun and interest to its diet.

Emma

[PhoenixFirewall]

My beta ate sea monkies just fine. I also provided a variety of foods for him. Tetra flakes one day, the specialized beta flakes the next, the pellet stuff the day after. They will also eat freeze dried blood worms, tubifex worms, and if you have access to any standing water with mosquito larve, they like that too. But you are correct, they will eat pellets and freeze dried foods just fine.

[cuticom]

Oky doky thanks, i'll order another sea monkey colony then. Lol we have plenty of mossy larvae but i'm afraid the gold fish already have dibs on it (we have three outdoor ponds, full of goldfish)

Is there anything else betta fish need? I currently have a very simple tank set up of a 27 litre tank with a heater then just some gravel and tank decorations. We're getting a betta either Sunday or Tuesday. I also may get him a couple of girls, it dosnt seem right having one on its own with no freinds around.

Emma

[jnmrcs]

I don't think it's a good idea to put female bettas with him. At least not until you want him to spawn.

[cuticom]

Well we just got a red boy, i fell in love with an Angel fish tho, so once hes settled we may go back and get the angel fish, that or some albino catfish. i didnt realise that females and amles would definately breed.

Emma

[cuticom]

The food we got him is a mixture of drided red flakes and dried brine shrimp he gulped the lot dwon.

Emma

[kimmers318]

I could be mistaken, but I don't think angels would work too well with a betta...they have longer fins that the betta may decide to nip at, so do some research first. I don't keep angels so I don't have any experience.
One of my bettas does fine in my 64 with tetras, corys, sparkling, honey and a dwarf gourami, bolivian ram and clown loaches...but there is plenty of room to avoid each other if need be. I watched him closely for a week when I decided to try it....he wore himself out flaring at everyone at first, but no actual contact was ever made and now all is well. The other fish acted like he was some kinda silly ass getting in their face and looking goofy! I have been pretty lucky with an odd mix in my large tank because most of them are fish that were supposed to be somewhere else and didn't work out, so what started out as a planned tank has become the misfit home!

[jnmrcs]

I use to have 4 angels with my male betta on a 30 gallon tank. I was worry about the betta fighting the angels but that didn't happened. They weren't friends and from time to time one (the betta or the angel) decided to bother the other. But at least they didn't fight the just flatered at the other and try to scare the other.

But be aware, that was my betta. This is my second betta and they are very different. The first one I have was more aggressive that the one I have now. So I think it will depend on the actitude of your betta.

[William]

Bettas and angels in the same tank can work. I have kept the two species togheter in well planted aquariums. It would however depend on how large your aquarum is?

[cuticom]

27 Litres or 6.5 Galleons

[William]

That are to small to keep angels over any amount of time. (they will likely out grow it in a month or two.)

Angels can grow quite large and should not be kept in tank that are lower than 20 inches in height.

[cuticom]

Oky doky thanks, I'll look into some other fish then, Plays, guppys or ctafish probably. Platys dont appeal to me that much though. We used to have some in a community tank and apart from Pearl the goldfish eating them (I know I know, goldfish arent sposed to live in tropical tanks, but the goldfish ahve always thrived in it) they didnt do much

Emma