Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

How to care for a baby betta fish: tank, water changes, food, heat?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Fish | Unknown - Fish | Male

I got a baby betta fish and was wondering how do I care for it : as in habitat , water changes , feeding and heating

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on January 30th, 2018

Mushu is very cute! Betta care is very easy. Ideally, a 5 gallon tank should be used to house your Betta. A smaller tank can be used, but the maintenance (water changes) will be much more frequent.
A filter is always recommended otherwise water changes will be required every few days to maintain water quality. With a filter, 20% water changes can be done weekly or every two weeks. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Choices for conditioners include AmQuel Plus, NovAqua, StressCoat, Prime or StressZyme.
A small submersible heater is necessary since Bettas are tropical fish. They do best in slow moving water between 78F and 80F.
You can feed a pelleted diet such as Hikari Micro Pellets until he grows bigger. Baby brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms and blackworms can also be fed. Feed one or twice daily. He should only need 2-3 pellets at each feeding.
The conditioners and food can be found in the aquarium section of the local Petco.
Please request a consultation to discuss care in greater depth or post another question in the Forum if necessary.

9Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on April 8th, 2018
If everything is within normal limits, try soaking the pellets in some garlic juice to stimulate his appetite.
If possible, turn down the flow of the filter to reduce any strong currents. Fast moving water can be stressful to Bettas who prefer slow moving water.
A bit of plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt or Epsom salt) can act as a general tonic to reduce stress, improve gill function, treat minor infection and aid in any recovery. Dissolve up to 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water in a cup of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for 10-14 days then reassess his condition. Partial water changes can be done to decrease salinity afterwards. Be sure to use aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on January 4th, 2018
Unless your betta is ill with something you know needs treating, putting medication in the water likely isn't going to do anything, and may actually stress out your betta more.

Poor Pippa doesn't look like he has much room to explore, rest or be himself! Bettas are best kept in tanks with filters and heaters just like other fish, along with plants to hide and rest on, and things to check out, rather than a bowl, and moving him to one may help keep him from getting ill or becoming too stressed. If you're worried about the water quality, you can also bring in a sample to most local pet stores to have it tested and make adjustments as needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on October 30th, 2017
Ask family or friends if they would like him. Bettas are easy to care for and if he isn't seriously ill, basic tank maintenance and easy treatment may help him to recover. I am concerned that another fish may befall the same fate.
What you can try is a simple water change daily. Use conditioned water (my favorite products are AmQuel, NovAqua and StressCoat) that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Many times, daily water changes can solve tank or health issues. Bettas do best between 78 F and 80 F. A small heater, light and filter in an appropriately sized tank is all you need. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

How often and how many pellets should I feed my new baby betta fish?

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 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Is my 5.5-gallon tank filter too strong for a new baby betta fish?

If you can adjust the filter flow, it should be fine if you turn it down. If not, you may need to use something to redirect the outflow to decrease current strength. You can use a piece of sponge or pre-filter in the intake to prevent a small fish from being drawn into the filter. Although live food is nice, it can be difficult or time consuming. Live food can be purchased online and typically includes instructions on care and feeding. Food companies all offer "micro-pellets" for smaller fish which is also an option.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Is my baby betta fish eating enough? How much should I feed?

While she is a baby, you can feed her twice a day. Only feed as much as she can eat in a minute or two. If you feed too much the feed will fall to the ground and then contaminate the water.Later, when she is grown up you can change to feeding her once a day. Your fish figured out that you feed her when you come near the tank, So it is fairly normal for her to beg.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Is my betta fish sick? It won't eat, changes color, and spits food.

That looks like a very small tank for sweet Cherry. Bettas really do best in a larger space, I would consider 2.5 gallons the absolute minimum. The larger the tank, the safer the water conditions will be. They also need a filter and water heater. They are tropical fish and really need the water to be 78-80*F. Hopefully this is just a husbandry issue rather than a disease. Check out this article for more advice: https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet_column/betta-fish/

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What fish can I put in a 3-gallon tank, and how to change water?

The small size will limit the species of fish as well as the number. White Cloud Minnows or Guppies would do fine in a small tank. You could keep no more than 2 or 3 fish total. If you are looking for company for your Betta, the same species can be kept. Other options include Otocinclus (Otos), Corys, Platys or Harlequin Rasboras. Again, no more than one or two in addition to the Betta. Water changes for any tank are simple. Change no more than 30% total volume at a time. Use a water conditioner to remove harmful chemicals and make sure the water is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Rinse the filter in tank water, not tap water, to preserve beneficial bacteria. Vacuum the substrate every couple of weeks.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My new betta fish won't eat his pellets. Why is he spitting them out?

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 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

How often should I change water for my betta's salt treatment?

The frequency of water changes depends on how many fish you have in the tank with your betta, how large the tank is (i.e. how many gallons it is), how often you are feeding (more frequent feedings often results in more wasted food and more poop, so it can dirty the tank more quickly), and if you have any live plants present. The amount of salt that is needed also depends on whether you are adding salt just for maintenance or if you are treating your fish for stress or disease. My advice would be to get all of this information and contact your local pet store or aquarium store as they can then help to guide you on these specifics. Alternatively, you can gather all of this information and I can also do a consultation with you as well, whichever is easiest/most convenient for you.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share