What are the best ways to play and interact with my betta fish?

Check the water temperature. Bettas do best between 78 F and 80 F. Low temps can affect activity in fish. Afterwards, check water chemistry. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local pet store may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence ( 0 ppm ) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. Keep pH as close to 7 (neutral) as possible. Perform a partial water change if necessary to stabilize and/or to improve water quality. This may improve Blue's condition. If not, you may need to treat for infection using a broad spectrum antibiotic. Bacterial infections can affect eyesight. You can find an antibiotic in the aquarium section of the local pet store. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is most likely just normal behavior as he adjusts to his new environment. As he gets more used to you, he will become more interactive most likely. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for reaching out about Mr, Nugget. The only fruit that could be offered would be very small amounts of oranges for vitamin C supplementation, very small pieces for a short period of time. Fruit decomposing in the tank will reek havoc with the water quality. Good luck.

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.

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.

Most of the compatible fish are schooling fish that do best in groups of 4-8. This would include Neon Tetras, Ember Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras or White Cloud Minnows. That many fish may be too much for a 3 gallon tank. Other non-fish option include Ghost Shrimp, Zebra Snails or African Dwarf Frogs.

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.