How to Entertain Your Betta Fish

Bettas are generally curious and social fish. Hopefully, I'll give you a few things you can do to help keep his curiosity sharp and maybe have some fun with him (or her).

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A Betta Fish
• Some ping-pong balls
• Balled up pieces of paper
• Various objects of shapes, colors, and sizes
• A mirror

1. Not so much "steps" but more like things to try with your betta. First is the mirror. This is a pretty typical way to get a reaction from your betta (especially males) as they will seem themselves and think it is a rival. This usually (but not always!) triggers their fighting instinct and you'll see them move about, waving their fins at their perceived rival. Also, you'll usually see their gills expand (called flaring) and some bettas may get particularly hostile (I've had some they will attempt to bite/attack the image). This may not seem like "fun" for the betta, but they are called "Fighting Fish" and I do think they get some enjoyment out of it. It's also safe and when you move the mirror away, they'll think they won the fight and get more confident.

2. Now we come to the more peaceful/playful - and perhaps even "educational" things you can do with your betta. One thing I notice is they seem to like following things that move. This is especially the case if it is the only moving object in an otherwise static environment. This is where the balled up pieces of paper come in. All I do is toss them in the air where the betta can see it, and let it hit the ground near their aquarium. Many times, they will see it and chase it. They'll then look down at it and try to move towards it to see what it is. This triggers their curiosity and helps also get them interested in their environment (making them even more curious).

3. Another thing you can try it putting some ping-pong balls in the water. Don't worry, it's safe (but wash them first if they were used for something else or you just bought them). Ping-pong balls will float and move around with the current, which can get them interested in them. Try to get balls of different colors because bettas CAN recognize colors and even have preferences (or hatreds) of certain colors. I had one betta that HATED the yellow ping-pong ball while it happily chased the others around for hours. But when it saw the yellow one, it would bite it and hit it away from the others! Perhaps your bettas will display such a nature if given a chance.

4. Another thing to try with the ping-pong balls is test your betta's problem solving skills. Yes, some bettas can do this. It's best to try this when they are hungry. What you do is set the ping-pongs balls to block of a corner of your betta's aquarium. Then put some floating food in the blocked off area. See if your betta can figure out how to get the food. It can be interesting to watch how they solve this problem. Some will use force. Some will try to squeeze between openings, etc.

5. Another thing to try is simply putting things around their aquarium for them to look at. It may not seem like it, but they do notice a chance in environment outside their aquarium, and changing what's in front of/behind/around their aquarium is a "change in environment" as far as their minds are concerned. This is where the various objects I mentioned needing will come in. Anything is fine. Lamps, pictures, rocks, pencils, memory cards, screws, socks, whatever. Your betta may even flare at it, especially if it has bright/multiple colors or patterns.

Tips & Warnings

• You can move other things in the water like shoe strings and such if you hold them and drag them along the surface of the water. Often, you'll catch their attention and they'll chase it and/or flare at it. Your finger works well for this.
• Bettas have good memories. Once they see something, they can remember what it is and how they reacted to it last time. They also recognize when they are seeing something new.
• If you see your betta just staring at something, leave it there, he/she might be trying to figure out what it is or what to do with it.
• If your betta is putting his/her fins on something you are holding in the water (or placed on the surface) and pause, they are trying to figure out what it feels like and what it tastes like. Their fins act like our tongues and fingers.
• Be careful about what you put in their water. They can move pretty fast and suddenly when they want to. They might catch up to and try to eat/bite/attack whatever they are seeing. Try not to use something they might bite/swallow that would hurt them (using their food is okay if not over feeding, but a thumbtack would be a bad idea).
• It's often suggested not to use the mirror activity for more than fifteen minutes or so to prevent too much stress or overexertion. They do know when to take a bit of a break (you'll see them stop, seeming to lose interest, but then resume the "fighting"), but still, they can be obsessed. You'll have to move the mirror away for them to fully stop/relax.

Resources

• One of the most recognized sites on betta information

[serendipituous]

on 7/24/2009 i just got a betta fish and im learning so many things every day. i didn't know my Betty could detect colors =). this is a great article. 5/5

[bettabreeder]

on 1/26/2009 You have some very interesting idea's here! Betta's really are very interactive fish and these suggestions will help people to be more involved with their pet. Another complication with mirrors, while they are good exercise, leaving one on the tank too long (one lady taped it there) can cause the fish to bite its own fins in frustration. Thanks for a good article!

[Paul11223344]

on 8/21/2008 A free book by the same name! "How to Entertain Your Better Fish":
www.funbettafishbook.com