is my baby betta developing normally?

[floralm]

I got my baby female betta about 5 months ago, and she's been thriving - happy, healthy, and super active. But here's the thing, she hasn't really grown much at all since I brought her home. I'm wondering, am I doing something wrong, or do betta fish just grow really slow?

[coltin]

To better understand what might be going on with your betta, could you tell me a bit more about her environment and care routine? For instance, what's her current size? How often do you feed her, and what type of food are you giving her? Also, how frequently do you do water changes, and what percentage of the tank water do you replace? Do you clean the gravel when you change the water? And what's the water temperature in her tank?

[floralm]

To better understand what might be going on with your betta, could you tell me a bit more about her environment and care routine? For instance, what's her current size? How often do you feed her, and what type of food are you giving her? Also, how frequently do you do water changes, and what percentage of the tank water do you replace? Do you clean the gravel when you change the water? And what's the water temperature in her tank?

She's about an inch short in length.
I give her 3-4 micro pellets daily.
Weekly water changes, about 20% each time.
No gravel or substrate in her tank, so no need for gravel cleaning.
I use a small heater, and the tank's usually in the 70s - the water feels lukewarm, but my thermometer's not super reliable.

[coltin]

To optimize growth, I'd recommend feeding your betta a mix of dry, frozen, and live foods. Frozen options like bloodworms, brineshrimp, and daphnia work well. For live foods, aphids, small flies, and daphnia are good choices, just make sure they're free of chemicals and pesticides.

When it comes to water changes, I've found that doing bigger changes more frequently helps with growth. I do about 75% changes daily in my rearing tanks, but with just a few fish, you could do a bigger change a couple of times a week.

I'd also suggest adding a thin layer of sand or gravel to the tank. It helps with the fish's orientation and prevents them from seeing their own reflection, which can be stressful.

For temperature, I'd aim for between 26-30C (79-86F) for optimal growth. 28C (82F) seems to be the sweet spot for most tropical species. If you're unsure about your thermometer's accuracy, try getting a new one from the pet shop and compare the readings to ensure you get a reliable one.

[SeaBidder]

You might want to consider trying some specialized food for your baby betta, like a grow or fry food. I've got a baby goldfish that's having some growth issues too, and I've been feeding her New Life Spectrum Grow Fry Food, three times a day. I also mix in some crushed goldfish pellets at two of her meals. Baby fish need to eat frequently, so try to get in several small meals a day. Good luck with your little one.

[caramel]

I'm also concerned about my betta's growth - he looks like an adolescent. Excluding fins, his body is about 1.25 inches, and he's a halfmoon. Is that too small for a healthy betta? I've been feeding him a mix of Omega betta pellets and BugBites for small tropical fish. Occasionally, I give him a few dried bloodworms soaked in tank water.

I'm curious, what's a good brand for bloodworms? And how many should I give him in one meal? I currently feed him twice a day.

[caramel]

I'm also concerned about my betta's growth - he looks like an adolescent. Excluding fins, his body is about 1.25 inches, and he's a halfmoon. Is that too small for a healthy betta? I've been feeding him a mix of Omega betta pellets and BugBites for small tropical fish. Occasionally, I give him a few dried bloodworms soaked in tank water.

I'm curious, what's a good brand for bloodworms? And how many should I give him in one meal? I currently feed him twice a day.

My betta's health is good now, thankfully. I think my lack of knowledge initially made him sick, but he's all good now. The only thing is, maybe he didn't get a chance to grow properly back then due to being unwell. I'll definitely give the frozen bloodworms a try, thanks for the tip!