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You may not take your betta fish for a walk, but this aquatic pet still needs daily activity. Petco shares how to encourage daily exercise and play into your betta fish's life.
Updated on July 17th, 2026
Learn how to care for semi-aggressive fish, recommended diet & aquarium setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to care for Paradise fish, recommended diet and aquarium setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to take care of Danios, recommended diet and tank setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Learn how to test your aquarium water. Poor water quality stresses fish, which leaves them susceptible to disease and possibly death.
Updated on October 23rd, 2025
Hi Emma. Pucker looks fine. There is a little difference in the before and after images. This could be due to diet or water quality/chemistry. Continue to monitor him and feed the color enhancing pellets. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. Symptoms that may indicate a problem include lethargy, loss of appetite, clamped fins or difficulty swimming.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Hello, I recommend checking water quality parameters first for any fish displaying abnormal behavior. For starters, I'd recommend keeping your fish in a larger tank as it is much easier to keep the water clean over time. This website is a good reference for basic betta fish care: https://bettafish.org/care/ I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Bettas are carnivores and need food high in protein. There are many foods available for your betta that can be bought at your local fish store or cultivated at home. Here’s a quick list to get you started. Remember that like people, a variety of foods allows your fish to get a balanced diet. *Frozen or live bloodworms or bloodworms in gel *Frozen or live brine shrimp or brine shrimp in gel *Frozen or live daphnia *Frozen glass worms *Frozen beef heart (can be purchased at your supermarket or butcher) *Frozen tubifex worms (live tubifex often carry parasites or bacteria and is better avoided) *Frozen mysis shrimp *Live white worms *Live grindal worms *Live flightless or wingless fruit flies *Live black worms. Frozen foods should not be confused with freeze-dried. Freeze-dried foods may cause digestion problems leading to more serious medical issues when fed in excess. If possible, try to avoid feeding dried pellets, flake or freeze-dried food. Some foods are marketed as “For Bettas” but could cause digestion problems due to indigestible fillers and low moisture content. You will usually find these in packages near where bettas are sold. These pellet foods absorb water and expand in the fish’s stomach 2x or 3x their original size. Some bettas react badly to them, often suffering from constipation, bloating or even swim-bladder disorders. If you’re unable to feed your betta anything but dried food, you should soak the pellets in a glass of tank water for about 10 minutes before feeding them to your fish. This will give the pellet a chance to expand to its full size before your fish ingests it. One of the most common mistakes people make with their betta is either overfeeding or underfeeding their fish. A betta should be fed every day or nearly every day. It takes a betta about 2 weeks to starve to death so if your fish doesn’t eat for a few days due to illness or adjusting to a new home, don’t panic. A good rule of thumb at feeding time is this… A betta’s stomach is about as big as his eyeball and should not be fed more that amount at a time. This translates to about 3 bloodworms or brine shrimp per feeding. If you feed pellets, this equals about 2-3 soaked pellets per feeding. A betta can be fed this amount once or twice a day. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Thanks for reaching out about Fun Ghoul and including photos. Not sure if fish become depressed, but maybe lethargic. Check and correct water parameters including pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Packages of food offered should be discarded after 2-3 months as vitamins degrade. If concerns continue, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
I would recommend to change his water again and make sure you have a water conditioner that is not expired. I would also recommend to upgrade Smitty to a 3-5 gallon aquarium with a filtration system and a light. These tanks tend to create a healthier environment because the water is moving. You could add in live plants to provide a little extra oxygen. I hope Smitty starts feeling better!
Updated on September 24th, 2025