Betta Fish Care FAQ – 10 Rare Questions

While I do understand that a comprehensive betta fish care faq would include pages and pages of information, in this article I decided to avoid answering common questions like "what to feed betas with?", and concentrate on rarer concerns quite some of tropical fish lovers are having.

Q. I have a betta fish in a vase with the plant on top at my desk at work. Many people knock on the glass to get the fish moving. I keep a note on the container that says "Tap on the glass, Danny (the fish) will tap on your head!" Yet they continue to tap anyway. I have just heard that the sound vibrates the water and damages the fish. I and do not have a strong argument against this, so is that true or not?

A. Betta fish can't be injured in any way by tapping on the vase. The warning against tapping on the glass is because it might stress the fish. Some bettas are naturally very nervous and constant tapping on the glass causes them to dart around furiously. Most of Siamese Splendens are used to being bothered to a certain degree, so unless your fish is showing signs of being upset, (i.e. gets pale in color, etc.) you don't have to worry. But generally if you can persuade your colleagues to leave the fish alone, I suggest that you protect your betta from tapping on her home.

Q. Is there a way to keep a male Betta and a female Betta in the same tank, and prevent them from mating?

A. If they mate, simply do nothing - and the fry will not survive. Remember, that betta fish breeding takes time, efforts, skills and knowledge, so if you ignore the brood, tiny betas will not grow into mature fish. Also the male betta can eat its brood (it does happen). Just change the water as you normally would do, and it should prevent any problems,

Q. I bought a betta fish recently and I'm not sure how to tell whether it's a male or a female.
A. Usually pet stores sell males because they are more vibrant and colourful. Besides, finding a female betta can be a hard task and it's unlikely you bought a female.

Q. I have a Siamese fighting fish. If it lays on its side on the bottom will it die?
A. Not necessarily. Laying on its side doesn't necessarily mean death. Sometimes bettas sleep that way.

Q. My male betta seems not to like his food - first I tried Topfin Beta Bits - he kinda chewed them, but then would spit them back out. I just got him two days ago, but have had bettas before and didn't notice this kind of behavior in them. I'm considering buying him some blood worms, or brine shrimp to see if he'll eat those. So why is my fish nervous - just settling in, unhappy, or what?
A. Try soaking the Topfin Beta Bits a little to soften them before giving it to your betta. I'm sure your betta would love brine shrimp. Also, avoid overfeeding to prevent constipation.

Q. I have a betta fish. I am getting green stuff on the sides and the plants (fake). I will clean the tank and 2-3 days later, the green stuff starts showing up again. I have bubble scone in the tank and have recently changed it. With this fish being a betta, I cannot put other fish in with him. So getting one that cleans the tank is not an option. Can you give me some tips on how I might get rid of the slime?
A. Get some plants and add to the betta tank. Algae grows when there are no plants to compete with it. Also, cut down on the amount of food you're feeding your fish. Overfeeding isn't good for fish, and it spoils the water.

Q. I have had my betta fish for slightly over 2 years now. I have him in a one gallon tank, with gravel and one fake plant. I always keep the tank quite clean, but just lately I have been noticing one side of his gill looks kind of worn, and his one eye on that side looks a little 'puffed' and seems to bleed from an opening in the top from time to time. He's never had any fish disease before, and was always very active, and now, not so much. Do you know what could be causing his eye to bleed and his one side near his gill to look almost a dark grey, and worn? He also seems to be breathing very slowly.
A. Sorry to say, your fish is moving towards the end of his betta lifespan. He's getting weak and prone to all sorts of illnesses. If you can't stand to have him suffer, you can put him to sleep by placing him in a cup in your refrigerator. This will not cause him any pain, he will just sleep. You can learn more about betta fish lifespan.

Q. I have a male beta fish, I will be going out of town for two weeks and don't have anyone to watch him. Will he survive? Is there anything I can do to make sure he'll be ok?
A. First, this is a tough experiment on the fish. It's true that betas can live up to a month without food, but nobody will give any guarantee on this. Second, ask a neighbor or somebody at work to feed him about each couple of days. If that's not suitable, you can take your chances. Feed him heavily on live (blood worms, brine shrimp) and flake food for a week before you leave. If you can find some recently hatched fish fry that would be perfect. He should store up some fat that way.

Q. I have a male beta fish and my boyfriend has 2 African dwarf frogs and he is going on an errand and I am going to take care of his frogs so I was going to put the beta with the frogs. I'm not sure if that would be okay or not.
A. I'd avoid creating such a 'community'. I don't trust frogs, they can nibble on the betta.

Q. I purchased a 3 gallon divider betta tank for my children. Each side has a male fish. They looked fine at first, but lately one is getting very close to the divider bobbing up and down backwards so his fins go to the other side. Will they grow back? Do I have to remove one fish? And why do they sell these tanks if it's not a good idea to have two betta fish near each other?
A. The answer to the latter question is simple - the pet industry doesn't really care. They're marketing what they think is good for bettas.
You'll need to put the damaged betta in his own decorative gold fish bowl and his fins should eventually grow back (be sure to provide him with proper healthy food) - though they may not be a nice as they used to.

These are just 10 questions answered, so as you see the comprehensive betta fish care FAQ could go for over a hundred of pages! If you want your questions answered, please visit my betta care guide.