In this blog we will discuss newborn baby betta fish.We will also discuss their growth and what is required for their proper growth and development.This blog discusses some new born baby betta fish care tips you need to know before you adopt your own.
Overview
In this blog
- What are new born baby betta fish?
- How are baby bettas born?
- How fast does a baby betta grow in aquarium conditions?
- What is the tank size for newborn betta?
- What are the right water parameters for newborn betta?
- Tank plants for newborn betta
- What to feed newborn betta
- How to feed newborn betta
- Are air pumps needed in baby bettas tanks?
- Do newborn baby betta need light in their aquarium?
- When to shift newborn betta to the main tank?
- What are the main reasons for newborn baby bettas’ early death?
- Summary
- Frequently asked questions
What are new born baby betta fish?
Newborn baby betta fish are also known as fry, after they hatch from the eggs. They are very delicate and fragile and need a lot of attention and care for 3-4 weeks by male betta fish and betta owners or breeders.
How are baby bettas born?
Betta fish or siamese fighting fish are bubble nest builders and build bubble nests also known as foam nests with bubble saliva and sometimes with the help of aquatic plants for keeping their eggs to protect them from enemies.
Newborn baby bettas begin to hatch from eggs in a day or two.The fry will stay near the foam nest for the next two weeks or so.
Remove male bettas from the aquarium after the fry are free-swimming.
Male bettas do not usually eat their own babies, but it would be better to care for newborn baby bettas, if you keep them in a separate aquarium.
How fast does a baby betta grow in aquarium conditions?
Baby betta fish start out as small eggs no more than 0.03 inches in diameter, but grow to about 1.9 inches in length at 11 weeks.
By seven months of age, the betta’s fins have reached their maximum growth, and it will be between 3 and 4 inches in length.
Newborn baby betta fish are considered fully grown when they are about 7 months old, but can grow even larger depending on the environment they are living in and the amount of care they are getting from their humans.
If you buy a betta at a pet store, it’s usually 6 months to 1 year old.
Baby betta growth chart
| Betta Age | Betta Length |
| 2 weeks | 0.25 inches |
| 3 weeks | 0.34 inches |
| 4 weeks | 0.45 inches |
| 5 weeks | 0.6 inches |
What is the tank size for newborn betta?
Newborn baby bettas are small, but that’s not the reason to house them permanently in tanks smaller than a gallon.They need to grow, and tanks smaller than a gallon can hinder growth.
- Keep alone in one gallon or more per baby betta.
- Baby betta fish should be placed in an aquarium of at least 2 gallons, but 2.5-5 gallons is the best size.
- Smaller ones are dangerous for their health and can hinder their growth, while larger ones can cause stress in them.
- Keeping many baby bettas together needs at least a 20 gallons tank.
What are the right water parameters for newborn betta?
- Ideal water temperature: 76-84F (24-29C)
- Ideal water pH- 7-7.2
- You should check pH daily with a good quality pH testing kit. If the pH is unstable, the appropriate stabilizer should be added to the water, the water should be tested at least once a day and the water should be carefully monitored everyday.
- Cleaning and filters:Additional water changes and use sponge filters.
- Sponge filters-Bettas need gentle filtrations in their tanks,so sponge filters are best for them.
- In normal filters the bettas fry would get sucked in.Simple and best choice is sponge filters for bettas.It is considered as best betta filter.
- Newborn baby bettas are known to produce growth-inhibiting hormones that slow the growth of other newborn baby bettas.
- It has a drawback as the other baby bettas will not grow to their fullest and you will end up with a tank full of baby bettas without proper growth.
- So it’s very important to maintain pristine water conditions in baby bettas tanks too to reduce the levels of GIH in the tank.It is also recommended to do water changes daily.
Tank plants for newborn betta
- Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana)
- Anubias barteri
- Java fern (Microsorum pteropus)
- Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
- Susswassertang (Lomariopsis)
- Floating plants are best for baby bettas tanks and make great covers and build foam nests too. Water sprites are known to grow very rapidly and are one of the easiest tank plants to prune.
What to feed newborn betta?
Offer different types of fish food.A baby betta fish requires different types of nutrition for its healthy growth.
Therefore,the pet owner must provide live grindal worms, blackworms, whiteworms, live or dried tubifex worms, and live or frozen artemia as the first food for this baby fish.
Infusoria and tiny free-living nematodes such as vinegar eels, microworms, banana worms, and walter worms, as well as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, fairy shrimp, and grindal worms are all great fry food.
Egg yolks are suitable for baby betta fries in the first few days of life. It’s also very easy to prepare a small piece of egg yolk for them.
These babies are probably not big enough to eat standard fish flakes, but can easily chew a piece of yolk.
How to feed newborn betta?
- Begin feeding fry the nematodes.
- By the time the baby bettas are a few days old, they should be big enough to deal with eating baby artemia.
- After a week, continue feeding the baby betta with baby Artemia.
- After three to four weeks you can continue to feed your baby betta with baby artemia.
- Baby fry should be fed a very small diet 3-5 times a day.
- It is recommended to feed your baby betta fish 2 to 4 mini pellets once or twice daily.
- You should feed your baby betta fish 1 or 2 bloodworms at every meal, and only one or two meals of bloodworm per week.
- Too many bloodworms can lead to constipation, swim bladder disease, high ammonia levels and illness.
- Egg yolks are one of the healthiest foods you can feed your baby betta fish to help them grow.You just have to boil an egg, then mash it into small pieces and then feed them.
- A baby betta fish can go 10 to 14 days without food, but there are many factors that go along with this long period of fasting.
Are air pumps needed in baby bettas tanks?
A baby betta tank doesn’t need an air pump because bettas have labyrinth organs and they don’t breathe through their gills,instead, they come to the surface to breathe oxygen.They can even survive in low oxygen levels.
Do newborn baby betta need light in their aquarium?
Baby bettas do need standard aquarium lights in their aquariums to know when to wake up and when to sleep.They prefer a darker environment during night time.
You have to switch on the tank lights during morning hours and switch off those lights during night hours every day.
When to shift newborn betta to the main tank?
Your betta fry can stay together until they start fighting. Male betta fry begin to show aggression when they reach the developmental stage and have brighter colors and longer fins.This usually begins at 8-9 weeks of age.
Once they start showing their color, which usually happens at around two months, the bettas can be separated into their new tank.
Baby bettas should be jarred somewhere on average 10 weeks to 3 months.
When male baby betta begin to be identified by longer fins, stronger colors, and attitudes, we can say they are ready.They flare to other fry and begin to tear each other’s fins.
Keep in mind:
- Jarring can start from 2nd month onward.
- If you breed your fishes in a large container like a pond, you will have to wait till 3-4 months before jarring.
- Some fish breeders jar bettas as early as possible to train their betta fish to be aggressive and this allows them to cull betta fries early.
What are the main reasons for newborn baby bettas’ early death?
- Poor water conditions
- Overfeeding
- Harassment by tank mates
- Aggression
Summary
- Newborn baby bettas are very delicate and fragile.
- Newborn baby bettas are not easy to care for,need special attention and care.
- Newborn baby bettas are not recommended for newcomers, as they need proper care from time to time,which would be difficult for a newcomer to understand.
- Newborn baby bettas should be grown separately.
- Jarring should be done when they display their bright colors and secondary sexual characters.
- Newborn baby betta can live up to three years if proper care is given to them.
- Being carnivorous they should be fed lots of protein food in their diets.
- Infusoria, a liquid diet is very important for newborn baby bettas health.
- They have a carnivorous diet and can be trained to have a wide range of food in aquarium settings.
- Keep the newborn baby tank water temperature stable around 76-84 degrees fahrenheit using an aquarium heater. If the temperature in the aquarium changes too quickly, it can stunt the growth of baby betta or kill them outright.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need for a baby betta care?
- A right size tank
- An aquarium heater:Heater is absolutely necessary. If you can’t afford an adjustable heater, don’t buy a baby betta fish
- Water care-Conditioned water is must for baby betta
- Tank filter- Either a Sponge filter or no filter
- Food-Live foods are best but if you can’t get live foods, feed them frozen foods too
Are newborn bettas aggressive?
No, baby bettas are not aggressive.Keeping two baby bettas in a similar tank is fine as they may not fight at first, but as they get older they will fight and kill each other to death.
Do new born baby bettas change their colors?
Yes,baby betta fish do change their colors,but the actual reason is unknown.
When does betta fry start swimming?
The betta fry will swim freely in about 5 days after hatching.
