TOP 7 TIPS For BETTA FISH LONGEVITY!

[@KGTropicals]

🛒*Check out our website and shop LIVE BETTAS and all of your aquarium supplies!* keepfishkeeping.com

[@ghostgaming7994]

Can we keep bettas with guppies

[@Kippy_Tood]

How many bettas do you have

[@hampton1315]

@@ghostgaming7994 usually you can depend on how big the tank is.

[@arecotz]

check my betta's collection @jtx23betta 🤓

[@jessicaaleman7813]

Hi When are they guys getting more Bettas?

[@hunneybadger]

I just committed to getting a betta and this video just summed everything up perfectly for a new owner. Spent over a month researching how to care for one and $150+ to set up the tank since I went full extra to be able to keep him at the office. Coworkers couldn't understand why. Finally, I had to explain that adopting a cat or dog is easy because they live in the same environment as you but you are responsible for CREATING a healthy environment for a fish. After two months, he's now the office's mascot. Folks come to "visit" him when they're stressed and have even gone as far as donating a dollar or two for his continued care, with talk of adopting a second office betta!

[@sharminsultana1425]

Coool

[@trashratzz]

That's amazing!! I'd luuuv to see the tank

[@jersey8382]

I am actually in the same situation now! I am spending 200+ (getting plants as well so extra money) and people in the office have donated! Just trying to convince them that it is worth it and my boss that I can take care of it 😅

[@pecosR0B]

9 months later, hopefully y'all got like 4 more bettas or some other tanks and fish 🙂

[@jersey8382]

Still working on convincing my boss and office manager 😄

[@AlexaKissLive]

Your poor husband 🤣😂 , this girl gets me every time “No more chicken and rice!!!!!!!”

[@danielleryan13]

Lisa...you are spot on with your advice. I'm new to this hobby and I have a betta in a 5 gal darkscape tank but I have a spare 15 gal tank that I want to move him into.

[@danielleryan13]

I'm hoping I am doing the right thing

[@drshrutikakankariya1017]

Good News ! I used to keep my betta in a small bowl , then I watched ur videos and got him a 5 gallon ! He is much happier now , and hes gonna get tank mates next week . Thank you so much for helping Iris have a better life !

[@christinascorner590]

That is great but I wouldn’t recommend keeping a beta AND rank mates in only a 5 gallon. I would at least recommend 10 gallons.

[@sharminsultana1425]

Dont keep any tankmates

[@christinascorner590]

@@sharminsultana1425 it has to be he right fish

[@adamellis3093]

Maybe 2 or 3 pygmy corys at a push but make sure your cycle is complete (test kit) and you would need to do room temp water changes at least once a week. Betta to keep her on her own. Good luck

[@dillonh321]

@@christinascorner590 Amano shrimp or snails would be fine. Don’t get neocardina (cherry) shrimp because they will become food or glass/ghost shrimp because they are semi aggressive and can poke/scratch your betta.

[@dusk1947]

Good Video. I love seeing solid literature and references, not social media

[@sophiedawson8307]

A true betta fan when you carry the betta bible everywhere you go. I love that

[@fbasantajr]

Water conditions and food variety is key to keeping your Bettas healthy and happy.

[@abdielreyes5900]

Love extreme betta pellets I’m 13 years old and have 28 bettas and I feed extreme pellets and mosquito lava I’ve Been following you for a wile and learned a lot from Lisa and john

[@fishtv970]

Among the fish, Beta is so attractive. My heart beats every time I see it.

[@Dilberto88]

Thank you, Lisa. I lost a Betta due to ignorance, and he got ich. Our AC cooled his water to levels that he was not used to 70F. You and John are the BEST!

[@kaitlyndavis2451]

The "too big tank" thing happened to my betta when I first got him! I put him in a 20 gallon tank and he was circling the perimeter and glass surfing non stop for days. I moved him to a 5.5 gallon tank packed with plants and he settled right down.

[@mmt7463]

Same thing happened to mine, moved to the exact same sized tank with plenty of plants to explore (a few unexpected snail friends), and a floating beta log. He is now the most active and curious he has ever been.

[@haywardgarner4850]

Oh, wow! I never thought about this. Luckily, I have a big guy that loves to explore at home. On the other side of the coin, my betta at work hides behind a rock in a 20 gallon tank. Guess my MTS is about to get worse.

[@djlip685]

@@haywardgarner4850 honestly, as long as you add enough plants and hides, a larger tank shouldn't be too much of an issue

[@narwhal9852]

No tanks really too big. If you have alot of plants and decorations and dark places they should be just happy

[@johnbaker4500]

Mine is in a 42 gallon tank with lots of plants and plants he can use as hammocks to rest he's currently loving life and much much happier than he looked in the pet store which happened to know abostley nothing about betta tried to get him for three days each day was told we were not aloud him until I asked to speak to the manger who gave us nothing but attitude

[@plushpossum]

First, I want to say how much I love that you suggested a book that you are not affiliated with. That truly shows how dedicated you are to are to making sure folks have a guide to take care of happy Bettas! But you also answered a question I was going to ask the next time I was lucky enough to see a live stream. I have a 20 gallon tank with some "odds & ends" fish (3 Tetras and 2 Zebra Danios that survived longer than their buddies when I bought them to school in my 30 gallon tank a few years back, and a Bristlenose Plecolatapus! LOL!!!) ) I visited a Petco recently and they had a NOT SO PRETTY Betta that I just really felt sorry for. I named him Quasimodo. Anyway, he seems super happy in my 20 gallon, and he's getting along with everybody! But I was worried about what to feed him. I bought some Betta food, but how could I be sure he got that when I was feeding those others, too? Well, now I know that he doesn't HAVE to eat only Betta food. Blood worms and Bug Bites are among foods I was already feeding and he LOVES them!!!!! No worries now about the foods. :-) Thanks, Lisa. You're the Betta queen!!!!!

[@sneekyalexa2657]

I wasn't aware that a tank could be too big for a betta, it's good to know but I think that makes me continue to enjoy them because they can thrive in a 5 and 10 gallon and don't require something huge. I say this because it's a lot easier to convince someone to get a 5 or 10 than a 20 or 30! Personally, I have 3 boys and I let them have a few weeks at a time in a full 20g whereas the other two are in a divided 20g! I guess slowly transitioning to a bigger tank makes it less scary becaude my boys enjoy it! (This big tank has quite a few live plants! :D)

[@briant.4618]

My Betta does not seem to like his 29 very much. My peacock gudgeon fry are about big enough to put in the bigger tanks so I can put him back in a 10, I think

[@thejasminedragonmerchant6843]

Technically...there isn't such an issue as "too big" for a fish tank, the real issue isn't the tank itself. The issue is if the tank is huge AND it doesn't have enough cover for the fish to hide in and/or there are incompatible tankmates/decor. Put those issues together and it won't matter how big the tank is, you will have miserable inhabitants. Ex: If you put a Betta in say, a 30 gallon, great! They have lots of swim room and the ammonia buildup from fish poop/uneaten food will be much more diluted, so your fish won't get sick as easily and you can get away with somewhat less water frequent water changes. BUT if the Betta is in this tank but there's not enough plants or hides to keep him from feeling exposed, or if there's fish in there that bully him (tetras or pea puffers that nip fins, neons that have colouration that makes him think his turf is threatened by rivals, etc.), it won't matter that there's all that swim room. He will be unhappy and stressed, and that makes for a much more easily sick fish.

[@144928]

@@thejasminedragonmerchant6843 I agree ! I kept a betta in a 29 gallon tank, and he loved it. He would explore the tank, checking out every detail. I have had aquariums for 40 years, so I am not new to watching fish behavior. The larger the aquarium, the easier it is to control water parameters. I do not make Noah's arks out of my aquariums, it was just the betta, cherry shrimp, and elephant snails.

[@Atrocious1]

"Your poor husband" lol i freakin love you guys! You literally described half the "betta keepers" here in the states. Keep up the good work!

[@kathymimms8311]

I’m really loving my beta! He is my first fish and I can’t believe how much I enjoy him. He is a curious fun little guy! He love when I put new toys in the tank so I switch them out. All you info has helped me so much!

[@snapdragon2441]

My betta is my first fish too. I put a floating log in his tank today. The instructions said “your fish may take a couple of days to get used to it”. Nope! Swam straight up to it, nudged it with his nose a couple of times and dived through the middle. Betta’s have so much personality, mine is definitely not the shy retiring type.

[@caprisanders5912]

What kind of toys do you use? I've been trying to find some stuff for mine but I get nervous without knowing if they are good or harmful to them!

[@brianp6180]

Lisa, I love your passion for your fish. You take great care of them. Watching you I now want to get a betta. I’ve kept fish for almost 30 years but I never had a betta. I will be buying one soon. Looking for the perfect hell boy 👹. Been watching your inventory for just the right fish. Also I loved the Jay Wilson bit! 😂

[@IAmNoeyes]

I got all my Betta as Baby fry so small so I gave them all birthdays of the day I rescued the fry. Hahah She said "You got your photos and your 12 likes".

[@MissBeth19]

Gutted as our Betta, midnight passed away a few days ago. We had him almost 9 months from my LFS. He was in a 8gal planted tank by himself. Mixed diet and regular water changes. Didn't know how old he was when we bought him but I think he was getting old, as over the last few months he wasn't swimming around much and a few nights before he passed he stopped eating :( S.I.P midnight :(

[@sleepyjid]

im sorry for your loss, the thought that one day my betta will pass away makes me tear up, i love him so much and i love his personality... so i feel you :( ... im sure that your betta lived a happy life, and you should be proud of you because you made midnight live a wonderful life !

[@MissBeth19]

@@sleepyjid thank you so much 💝

[@thejasminedragonmerchant6843]

S.I.P. your little buddy 😞 Unfortunately, Bettas can often come from subpar conditions (breeder-provided Bettas notwithstanding) before being found and bought by their new fishkeepers, and those early months can be pretty formative in how well their immune system and overall health holds up when they finally encounter someone willing to take them home (my current Betta, for instance, is adopted from someone who bought them from a chain store with an ocular tumor. They went from a cold, ammonia-filled cup at the store, to a 5-gallon filtered tank with a few silk and real plants with the old owner, to a 7 gallon heated, filtered, heavily planted tank with me). At the 5 gallon when I first got to see him, his fins were full and he didn't show signs of disease, but he was listless, kept bumping his eye into things and recoiling, and was skinnier than he was supposed to be b/c the owner said the eye caused him to struggle a lot to eat since his sight was so bad (the reason he was adoptable was b/c they were worried the Betta would eventually get sick and starve since they couldn't find a way to get him to regularly eat properly, even after several months). I adapted by feeding him stinky live food with tweezers and a very small plastic bulb pipette, and now he's lively, more colourful, and eats like a champ). Ok, I've got off track. The point is, it sounds like you did a lot for your pet. Most Betta owners wouldn't spring for a private 8 gallon (definitely above and beyond the 5 gallon minimum!), or a varied diet, or remember to change the water often so the fish won't get sick from ammonia poisoning from their own poop. Sometimes pet store fish can live for years and years, and some others unfortunately only stick around for less than a year. It's not your fault, it's bad conditions from the early days at the store and/or genetic issues from way back that took your pet early. Your fish was just lucky enough to have had you to give them a good life, even if was shorter than expected.

[@MissBeth19]

@@thejasminedragonmerchant6843 thank you ❤️

[@renajsh]

I grieve with you.

[@Zoraxan77]

I have a beautiful blood red Betta with blue eyes that lives in my 26gal bow tank. He loves swimming with my small group of Harlequin Rasboras. To this day, I still wonder how I got lucky with finding a peaceful Betta when I normally get cranky ones who don't like tank mates. lol

[@Vcaser]

I’m so glad that you pointed out that a tank can be too big! I upgraded Martok from a 2 gallon to a densely planted 10 gallon, and it’s just right for him. The plants provide resting spots at all levels, as his finnage makes him a lousy swimmer. He appeared to be grown when I got him, so don’t know how long he will be with me, but he is living his BEST life 💕

[@TheRocketpony22]

I feel like this was good timing. I've never heard of a betta living for 9 years, that's truly unbelievable. Just lost two of my betta's this week, one female in a 40g community tank that went from completely fine to found dead within a day, all other fish and parameters good in the tank (had her close to 2 years), and one small male in a 10 that had been going downhill for 6 months, some combination of damaged fin rot/fungal issues, that I just couldn't seem to solve with erythromycin or mild salt or cattapa leaves (had him closer to 3 years).

[@pecosR0B]

my King Betta Houdini had been looking depressed in the 40 gallon (as my centerpiece because I want mostly schooling fish) but as I've slowly added more to avoid spiking the bioload he's gotten less depressed looking and a little more active. Thankfully he doesn't chase down fish and bully them, he just slowly approaches them and likes to remind them who the big boy in the tank is lol

[@Gk22632]

How’s he doing now?

[@lacey_luv4011]

We have a male Betta (and two Mystery Snails). Thank you for the videos! My 5 year old and I watch them and talk about good fish keeping as well as environment preservation. We would love a video on Betta behaviors, like building bubble nests, flaring, activity level (ours is very active), etc.

[@christinecho779]

I love your plant room! Can you do a plant room tour??

[@kyliecrown533]

My betta had too big of a tank when he was first bought. His original owner put him in a 10 gallon while trying to rehab him from the cup. He bit his tail and it got tail rot. She moved him to a smaller tank and he did great. I got him and his tail started growing back like crazy and he’s made his way up to a 10 gallon and happy with his cory cat tank mates

[@sergeiz.5815]

Good info. Just got my first halfmoonBetta male . I got Betta flakes and different treats from the pet store. I think needs bigger tank 3 gallon seems small?

[@karac5337]

Bigger is usually better. As long as you maintain good/great water quality and give them a couple of places to rest (leaves and cave) while still leaving room for him to get around easy, he should be fine. Then you can have a goal to upgrade the lil fella's home in a few months. A 5 gallon takes up almost the same amount of space as my 3 gallon cylinder tank. But the added 2 gallons gives more floor space for him/her to explore and get around.

[@pjp9383]

@@karac5337 Those extra 2 gallons also make a big difference to the stability of water quality! 💜💚💙

[@tiffakang4525]

Yaaaaay! Another news special!🤣

[@UpperAquatics]

Thanks for sharing! I'll have to check out that book. Also I'm super stoked to say that the store I work at I work at is letting me upgrade the betta cups to bigger cups. Its the most we can do with permission from corporate. The next step is to get a betta wall built after I talk with corporate.

[@jd4364]

The petsmart near me now has bettas in the bigger cups. They also updated their betta wall w special lights at the bottom that warm the cup for the fish. I was so impressed I bought two bettas there.

[@sergeiz.5815]

You answered my question about containers for Bettas

[@mehhhh5588]

Thank u Lisa!! Very informative and insightful!! And omg - 9 years?! That's a new found understanding! Yes I always wonder how old my bettas are at point of purchase. Especially for giant bettas where the Sellers could possibly conceal the actual age and sold a full grown giant at a higher price (cuz of its size) but telling the Buyers that the giant is still at a young age.

[@lizardhierophant8293]

My rescue, Timbo, is not my pet but family. I ❤ him.

[@gazup3183]

Bettas are now my favorite fish

[@christinacyrus3824]

My goodness this video really shows Me how much you really love these fish. BRAVO!!

[@Kat-id3zi]

Lisa: "Take care of this fish because he didn't pick you, you picked him." Me: "Apparently you haven't met my betta, Sir Bubbles. Seriously, this little guy definitely picked me and I couldn't be more happier. I'm glad I've stumbled onto this channel. The amount of care both John and Lisa put into these little guys is just phenomenal.

[@evalikesred]

Bettas are very much like cats. You *think you are picking them, but in reality they actually pick you. Happened to me twice 😅

[@langenandanimals]

great video and I love the plants in the back

[@CJBlack265]

Thank you, Lisa - just got some catapa leaves to add to my rescued betta 's tank💕👍

[@jwaquatics8871]

Such a perfect video for beginner and more advanced fish keepers! 👍👍

[@aquamate]

Great tips, My betta definitely got upset when I moved him into a larger tank.

[@MsCutepandalove10]

I lost a betta a couple of months ago due to swim bladders disease:( I was so sad and I was extremely heart broken. Now that I allowed myself to heal, learned to stay on top of tank maintenance and not over feeding. My new Tropical Betta is doing excellent and he’s so happy ❤️

[@bonnieeden228]

Great info. Thank you Lisa

[@finthefishsep20toma]

Thanks for the video you guys!

[@markh.williamsauthor7286]

Good video. Also... Beautiful plants in your home. I cant keep land plants alive.

[@flyingchangeequine91]

"but I'm awake all day! So I'm burning calories!" You did not have call out my exercise routine like that Lisa! 🤣

[@eyadjamus7126]

Awesome video. I love Betta fish and have always kept one (peacefully too) in my community tanks.

[@tiffakang4525]

Tell me you're a grandmother without telling me.... peep the wooden rocking horse in the back.

[@betsybenson6417]

I keep my betta fish in a 3.5 gallon tank but years ago and this was before I knew about the proper way to care for them my first betta Indigo (Indy) was in a vase and he lived to be 2.5 years old I do use the cup my current one came in to check his health and injuries he might have gotten after I cleaned out his tank each week then put him back in there

[@Doomshroom33]

4:29 the most beautiful Betta I’ve ever seen

[@lbreithart]

We have our betta Karl... Or should I say Karl the magnificent. He is beyond spoiled and has his special fluval tank with 8 different snacks, plants, hammock ,toys and floating log. He is beyond spoiled and I just adore him.

[@mdotschrody]

Great tips. I really hope the news people find that poor hungry naked man.

[@maddybritton3265]

Earlier I tried using my cats laser pointer and I put the red dot on the bottom of my bettas tank and he started chasing it around it’s so cute. Even my females chaser the red dor

[@kezzstar24]

My boy Fagan (blue betta) has moved from a cup (ugh!) to a 3 gallon tank to a 17 gallon tank and is now in a 26 gallon tank (just moved today...long story) with 14 neon tetras and Majima the bristlenose pleco. Hopefully he likes his new home. I want to try and get some more surface plants for him to sit around in, unfortunately my local aquarium didn't have any.

[@katphish30]

Most aquarium stores don't sell floating plants because they're usually very invasive and that makes them a potential liability if customers aren't responsible. You can find any floaters you want online, though. I just bought some nice water spangles on Ebay.

[@paulmccarthy7467]

Some great information on bettas. good feeding tips for there diet and overall health. That book looks awesome. Best order the biggest pizza ever John be soon home lol

[@RikoStan]

I hope this doesn't hurt our relationship, but I don't care for bettas very much. :) I still watched the video though, just because you guys are awesome.

[@junshimaguchi]

i have 2 bettas (double tail and bumbo half moon) with fin tear or fin rot, they are in a 5 gallon tank with neon tetras, with indian almond leaves and salt. been feeding them bloodworm and pellets, still not seeing improvement. they look healthy though, looks energetic and alive. but their fins are not healing.

[@amysanchez3699]

Have you tried that blue antibiotic? And do you have a heater and water changes like every day? I think they should be quarantined but hopefully Lisa will answer you.

[@themute9354]

Bettas shouldn’t be with other fish in such a small tank. 10 gallons or larger of you want fish tank mates, I’m willing to bet that it’s the tetras harming its tail, or stressing it out.

[@nate9626]

The “your poor husband” 😂😂😂💀 everybody knows exactly the kinda person she talking about

[@40Bethy]

I had a betta for 5 years he was a very happy fish

[@petroman-cg8tt]

Lisa Great Video, Great Information

[@sergeiz.5815]

What kinda plants in your living room? Are those rubber tree plant s I think they are called ?

[@shandicormier2919]

The oldest beta I ever had lived to the ripe old age of 11 she was a purple grindle F shortfin and she would eat live pinheads from tongs and solve simple puzzles for bugs 🕷️

[@jd4364]

Wow! Where do you find a purple betta?

[@mgb7140]

This is an amazingly helpful channel. Thank you so much!

[@ProducerAlex]

The news break is so funny I died

[@AmyLeeJimSan]

I am from Puerto Rico and I do not sleep with AC. I only use the ceiling fan and a floor fan to cool off in the night. I have two bettas and have been thinking a lot about the setup of their tanks. I've been debating if it would be wise to put a heater into each of their homes, considering they are tropical fish, and we live on a tropical island. (which is always hot, except when it rains) Some guidance would be super appreciated because my daughter and I really love our little Raboot and Ponyo!

[@sergeiz.5815]

Interesting info about the large tank syndrome :) I miss my large house :)

[@vinceolshove1499]

Bettas do OK in 2G each everyone kind of agrees. I have a perfect spot in my kitchen china cabinet/hutch cut out for a 10 gallon. (I have other tanks, but I never had Bettas so this is why I am asking you). I don't want to get just one Betta in a 10 because we both get to pick a fish, but I don't think 2 (F) is a good because if you want a sorority you need an odd number I have heard. Can I do three female bettas with 10 or more cardinals or something like them, heavy plants and maybe some shrimp in a 10? I am thinking the most peaceful ladies in different colors at a big box so I can rescue them from 8 ounces of water and let them enjoy some space. Do you think this can work out OK?

[@sharminsultana1425]

Google says u can keep 5 female bettas in 10 gallon

[@arcadacameron381]

I don’t think the large tank was the problem, i bet he was just bored since nothing was in there

[@AlexaKissLive]

Comment for the algorithm

[@rainbowfishtalk4573]

I hope John makes dinner sometimes too!

[@KGTropicals]

I make dinner in the drive thru

[@rodneywalat8956]

@KG Tropicals What? No barbecue? Barbecue is man's favorite sport.

[@rainbowfishtalk4573]

@@KGTropicals LOLOL but just to warn you unequal balance of domestic labor is a sociologically significant predictor of divorce :) LOLOL

[@arthurheine5631]

I think the main problem with larger tanks is the height Maybe a larger long tank that keeps the height usually found in 5/10 gallons would be fine?

[@KGTropicals]

Absolutely!

[@arthurheine5631]

@@KGTropicals that's good to know! I'd love to have a long riparium on my office one day with a betta and a school of ember tetras

[@naegwut]

Digging the houseplant jungle

[@sathiguha774]

I got a red crowntail betta fish,his name is Fred. Have been keeping him in a community tank for over 3 yrs. He is looking pale,but I didn't see any changes in his appetite or behaviour. He also flares during excercise. Is this normal or some kind of disease??

[@jasonsalinas4596]

Glad you mentioned the study! Can not find it, can you put it in the description? You forgot to mention temperature, breeders keep babies at the higher end of the spectrum to increase metabolism and growth rate. This also shortens life span

[@rootsnwhiskers8351]

Such a good point!

[@ellenm4560]

Another great video Lisa! I really want a Betta but I'm not allowed another tank 😒😂

[@typicallyusual6984]

Wow, gorgeous fish at 4:20! What kind of betta is that?

[@cassandraluvlee4567]

My betta just made his first bubble nest!!!

[@ImperialisticGamer]

Do you have a tutorial on how for set up tank before getting a beta

[@melissacourchesne2121]

I thought I was the only one who know The Betta Bible book! It' s really complete for infomation and history about betta. The experiment of Walt Maurus about a longevity of nine year old bettas was exceptional (From my knowledge it was the only experiment reference for extreme longevity of bettas). In fact a betta live 2-3 year in average in good care and condition. A betta who live more than 3 years isn't common and depends of multiple factors (condition, exercise, food, genetic, etc).

[@jamesmerritt4032]

I bought a tank for a Betta and was wondering if I put it next to my tank with my Terra's and danio's, do I need to put something in-between to block the fish's view of the other tank or not?

[@LBitoeverything]

Is it ok to change 25 % water every day for my betta tank ?... my current routine is to change it every week and I do use RO water however after 24 hours of water change I do start to see minute dust particles within the tank. As days progress it gets more and more prominent. I know this is happening because I have a Rimless tank which is placed lil far away from the backyard entrance door so dust is always my enemy. I thought a skimmer will take care of it so bought a hang-on filter with a skimmer. This hang-on has bio media inside and mechanical media on the waterfall outflow however I still see those particles. So now as you know everything I thought will be necessary for you to answer. Please let me know if it is ok to change 25% water every day. 🙂

[@phillipbruni2434]

Thanks as always, very informative❤️ (Lisa at her finest🙌) My sons tank, is getting treated 10 gallon, his Beta has pop eye. So far he’s showing more activity but the eye is still popped

[@phillipbruni2434]

Oh and water conditions are right on the money

[@awaterkeeper6427]

There, I got my Lisa fix for the week!!

[@patriciawhite1206]

Thank you your probably talking about me ..I was stressing out so bad ..I'm getting..and not ever letting housesitters feed them or have access to food..

[@MIKoenig44]

Loling at the special news report! Good stuff as always....

[@sststr]

Do you have a video about caring for an elderly betta? I have one that is probably about 3 years old, and he doesn't move much most days, and it is a struggle to get him to eat. He only eats things that are on the small side (New Life Spectrum Betta Small pellets seem to be about as big as he is willing to eat any more, though I still try a variety of things of various sizes just in case he decides he wants something else). He won't move to get food, it has to be dropped directly onto his mouth, and even then he is often a bit too slow and it just bounces off or glances down past his mouth. And some times even when he gets a bite into his mouth, he spits it out after a few chews. And even though I put him in a tank with only 6" of water depth, that's deep enough that my success rate at getting food into his mouth is only about 1 or 2% - almost everything that goes in is wasted. Most days he won't eat more than 2 or 3 pellets (and rarely more than 1 pellet at a time, I have to try feeding him many times throughout the day, often with no success), although once or twice a week he will eat considerably more (6 to 10 pellets), and some days he won't eat anything at all no matter how much I try. It makes me very sad to see him so disinterested in eating :( He can still see fine - when he does bother to swim around he navigates the tank just fine, and when I'm around I can see his eyes moving to follow me, so he's not failing to eat because of vision trouble. And it's not that he's sick - this started about 7 months ago and has been getting steadily worse, and if it were a disease he wouldn't likely still be around after 7 months untreated. Lately I've noticed sometimes he is flopped completely on his side at the bottom of the tank, in a completely open and exposed part of the tank, no attempt to be in/under cover at all. I think he's just sleeping, and after a while he'll get right up and move along like nothing is wrong, typically over to the filter (a Sicce Nano Micron) which he will support himself against so he can stay vertical. His colors are still ok - faded some from his youth, certainly, but he's not completely losing his color. I had an orange betta that died earlier this year from velvet and he turned white before the end, so I know what it looks like for a betta to lose his colors, and this surviving betta (blue body with red fins) isn't anything like that. I know he's getting old and that no doubt explains everything, but what can I do to make it as comfortable for him and as easy for me as possible? Especially the feeding thing.

[@JohnSmith-pw1gf]

This lady is so condescending.

[@gnulmd2]

I need some advice. Just started to use seachem prime, stability, matrix and pristine in my 10L tank for betta fish. pH has always been around 6.5-7. However, noticed that pH is 5.6 today, do not understand what could have caused this. 50% water change done every 5days but filter sponge not changed. I opened up my filter and it has a very strong chemical smell of matrix and filter sponge is dirty.However, I understand from the seachem website that these products do not alter pH. Appreciate some pointers.

[@TCgirl]

I am SOooOo glad you said this about those who think battas are just part of their decor. It's so distressing to think about.

[@SpinsterSister]

"Sometimes they don't even take the stickers off"!! Love it!

[@cosmoplakat9549]

I read that they're 4-6 months old by the time we buy them, and I'm assuming that's about how old Cosmo was when I got him in February, as he wasn't full grown and he was a galaxy koi but that turned into almost solid blue over the next few months. He made his first bubble nest in April. I'm going to "celebrate" his "birthday" on September 14 by getting him a cup of live adult brine shrimp for a b-day present. We're moving soon and I can't wait to see if possible different water parameters will make him change color again.

[@nozr1383]

I am very upset with this video! I was hoping to see John running around in the background of the news segment.

[@KGTropicals]

Trust me I considered it, I didn't wanna lose all of our subscribers though ha ha

[@nozr1383]

@@KGTropicals but i bet you would have gained a whole different fan base.

[@amysanchez3699]

I bought Lucifer (he's red) from a crappy pet shop in a plastic cup with an inch of water. The stupid woman gave me huge pellets and said break them into 3 pieces and feed him one per day. I'd never had a fish before and knew nothing. He was only in a slightly larger bowl at that time without a heater. He bloated and was floating on his side for 2 days. I freaked out and looked online and discovered not only frozen peas, but that I didn't know how to take care of him. He survived and then got fin rot. Again, I treated him and the fins grew back beautifully. I then got him a 5 gallon heated tank with filter and decor, and a snail. His aquarium sits right next to my guppies so he doesn't feel lonely. He sees fish all day but he doesn't puff up at them. Last week I gave him a tiny chunk of beef. I'd given him some before and he went crazy, attacking it and really loved it. This time he was so excited and charming that I fed him more and... he was bloated and could hardly swim, like a red butter ball kind of waddling through the aquarium. I was awake all night stressing and worried I'd killed him but the entire next day he did nothing but poop and was soon back to his debonair self. I've had him for almost 6 months now and would be distraught if anything happened to him. Now he gets mostly crushed krill. Lulu is my ❤ and I think he's happy because he bubble nests constantly, but I'm still learning new things all the time, like that he's probably sick of krill so I have to keep stalking Lisa's videos.

[@littlemidwestrebornsdolls]

I had two male bettas. Each in there own 5 gallon tank. My Dumbo eared betta, Monet is great. I got betta Buddy about 3 months later. I do test my water, have a heater, and a filter. Water changes. Also, my tanks are planted. I have had lots of trouble with my plants. But finally, my plant education, is much better and my plants are doing well. However, the point is my second betta Buddy suddenly died. I don't know what happened. Monet is fine. I also feed 3 different foods. The Xetreme pellets, brine shrimp, and blood worms. Thanks for the recommendation of The Betta Bible book. I will be getting that.

[@brandonjeffries2128]

So I have a 55 gallon betta sorority (5 females with 5 Harley Quinn’s) and I keep getting sick bettas. I do weekly water changes and always check it. Before this they are all very active fish and even eat together and stay close to each other without flaring so why am I having so many issues? From what I can tell none are aggressive and I feed them every other day (baby shrimp, bloodworms, flakes, and some treats. Currently having mouth rot issues and it’s so upsetting that I might end up getting other fish even though I love bettas.

[@Wazy614]

Could you make a video on keeping stingrays

[@ziggo420]

Our little guy we got from you guys is happy and healthy but never got his color back. He's in a 16 planted tank with 15 ember tetras. Sponge filter with micro USB pump. Temp is 78. He has one eye damaged in shipping and I don't think he can see out of it now. Besides that he eats like a hoarse and is very active but his color stayed washed out. Any advice?

[@rootsnwhiskers8351]

Hey Chad, you may want to try putting him in a tank alone for a while and see if his color perks back up. Its possible he's stressed due to tank mates and alot of activity. I'm sure you'll notice a difference 😊

[@ziggo420]

@@rootsnwhiskers8351 thank you!

[@AliGatorSix]

I put live cherry and rainbow shrimp in my tank (not tiny ones), my betta fish attacks all of them... and have ended up with a few fatalities, feel kind of bad

[@watashiwaruijidesu8090]

My Betta is currently in a heavy planted 20 gallon tank all alone. And he is super active and curious about everything. Planning on making it a community tank, but for now I'm gonna let him enjoy all the space alone since he also came from a cramped up cup full of his own poop.

[@krishill9877]

I'm in the same exact boat (tank in process of being set up/big basin of water justa going then realized didn't want a mosquito breeding ground on my hands...so betta acquired sooner than planned). Betta was super tiny when purchased a few weeks ago and today was the first time he flared, ever (I think). He put 150% of himself into that flare he caused himself stress lines? Two light colored vertical lines where his 'flare folds'(?) would be. He's fine now, lines disappeared. But, I think ina 20L he'll be okay without mirror exposure.

[@TheRedComyn]

I have a very spoiled, long-lived, and healthy betta. This video is great advice for less experienced owners.

[@loganryan1317]

Does the broccoli have cheese on it?

[@daleh9333]

You start with 1 tank 1 betta then it’s 2 tanks 2 Bettas and so on it’s dangerous haha

[@weaverdc292]

A tip for allowing your Betta to have a large space without it being overwhelming is a slow change up tanks. Start with five, go to ten, go to 20. And with every tank fill them, practically overfill them, with plants and decor. Bettas love having multiple territories and with lots of plants and live decor like rocks and wood it won't be too much space and overwhelming for them. They'll actually love it. And if you have a larger tank like a 20, try putting in some other fish. Bettas lvoe being in a community and the other companions will help them feel not so overwhelmed in a larger tank.