Betta fish are generally sold in pet stores when they are fully developed, which is about six months old. Therefore, it is pretty evident that keeping and rearing a baby betta fish is certainly quite tricky. This is the reason why betta fry is generally raised by experienced fish owners and breeders only.
However, if you really want to raise a baby betta fish on your own, we should warn you that it is a highly delicate task, and any discrepancies in the process may lead to the fry’s death. Before discussing the necessary tank conditions and dietary requirements, you should know that getting a healthy baby betta fry is the hardest part. Betta fry is usually raised and taken care of by professional breeders. However, you can breed your betta fish if you have all the requirements.
Keeping A Baby Betta Fish
As stated earlier, keeping a baby betta fish can be an overwhelming task, but it is not impossible. If the necessary conditions are adequately met, one can easily take care of a betta fry. Just make sure that all the tank parameters and food requirements are up to the mark.
Tank Size
Choosing the right tank size for your baby betta fish is crucial as a tank that is too small in size can stunt the betta fish’s growth, and a tank that is too big in size may stress out your betta fish. Anything between the range of 2 gallons and 5 gallons is an optimum tank size for a betta fry.
The basic rule of thumb is to provide at least one gallon of water for every one inch of the fish. Thus, you should get a tank of at least 2 gallons to keep a baby betta fish. You should increase the tank size as your betta fish grows and becomes an adult.
Water Temperature
Betta fish generally require warm water to swim in. This is true for a baby betta as well. However, a betta fry needs warmer water than what is required for a fully grown one. Usually, a water temperature between 76 and 82 degrees F is considered ideal for a betta fish.
A fully grown betta fish prefers a water temperature of 78 degrees F. On the other hand, a betta fry needs a water temperature of about 80 degrees F. To make sure that the optimum water temperature prevails in the tank, you should add a water heater to your tank.
Substrate
You have only two options while choosing a suitable substrate for your baby betta fish. One is sand, and another is gravel. Betta fry likes to explore and dig through the tank substrate. Therefore, you should ensure that the substrate is not too hard for your delicate baby bettas.
You should avoid putting rocks as a tank substrate for your betta fish as it contains hard surfaces and sharp edges that may harm your delicate betta’s body. Thus, it would help if you only looked for a sand substrate or gravel substrate.
Dietary Needs
Feeding a baby betta fish is a challenging task as a betta fry eats quite frequently. You can feed live foods like daphnia, brine shrimps, mosquito larvae, tubifex worms, and grindal worms to your betta fry. Besides feeding live food to your baby betta, you can also try feeding them frozen live foods and crushed betta pellets.
A baby betta fish eats quite frequently. Depending on the age, you will need to feed your betta fry at least two times every day, sometimes even more. It should be noted that the food requirements change with a growing betta fish. If you wonder if baby betta fish eat pellets and flakes, then make sure to crush the pellets before feeding.
Water Quality
The water should be of the highest quality and should suit your betta fish. To ensure that the water is safe for your baby betta fish, you should add a sponge filter to your tank. This will provide a steady water current in the tank and keep the ammonia and chlorine levels in check.
Besides adding a water filter to your tank, you should also conduct periodic water changes in your tank. However, you must be very gentle while making these changes and make sure not to stress out your betta fry. Depending on the tank size, you should change your tank water almost every week.
Baby Betta Fish Growth Chart
Ideally, a betta fish is fully grown after about 7 months. They can, however, continue to grow if proper care is given to them. On average, a betta fish can grow up to 2.5 inches in length and can live up to 2 to 5 years in a tank under proper conditions.
Here is a detailed growth chart of a baby betta fish.
| BETTA AGE | BETTA LENGTH |
|---|---|
| 1 week | 0.20 inches |
| 2 weeks | 0.25 inches |
| 3 weeks | 0.34 inches |
| 4 weeks | 0.45 inches |
| 5 weeks | 0.60 inches |
| 6 weeks | 0.85 inches |
| 7 weeks | 1.10 inches |
| 8 weeks | 1.30 inches |
| 9 weeks | 1.55 inches |
| 10 weeks | 1.70 inches |
| 11 weeks | 1.90 inches |
Tank Mates For A Baby Betta Fish
It is not recommended to add other fish with your baby betta fish. This is because your betta fish is still very young, and the presence of other fish may harm and stress the betta out. However, you can keep another betta fry with your baby betta fish.
Even though you can keep two baby betta fish together, you should remember that this is true only up to certain age. After about 8 to 9 weeks, your betta fish may start showing its colors. This means that your betta fish will start showing its aggression. So you should separate the baby bettas after they have shown their colors.
FAQs
How to make a baby betta fish grow bigger?
Limiting stress, providing protein-rich food, ensuring adequate tank and water conditions, and regular monitoring of a betta fry may lead it to grow bigger.
What age to betta fry get color?
After about 8 to 9 weeks, your betta fry may start developing its colors.
How many babies do bettas have?
Betta fish usually lays about 30 to 40 eggs. However, some betta fish can also lay up to 500 eggs at a time.
How many betta fries will survive?
A betta fry has a survival rate of about 90%, so most of them will survive.
Do male bettas eat their babies?
NO. After the female betta has laid the eggs and the eggs have been fertilized by the male betta, the male betta will carefully put every egg in the bubble nest using his mouth.
How to tell if a baby betta fish is male or female?
If a baby betta fish develops larger fins and vibrant colors, it is a male betta fish. If the fish develops smaller fins with comparatively dull colors, then it is a female betta fish.
How long can a baby betta fish go without food?
A betta fry can go a maximum of 3 days without food. Baby bettas eat more frequently compared to grown bettas as they are in the developing stage.
Final Thoughts
Even though taking care of a baby betta fish is quite handy, you should not refrain from doing so. As long as you fulfill all the requirements of your betta fry, you should not face any problem. So what is the best place to buy baby betta fish? You can either breed your baby betta, or you can purchase one from a professional breeder.
