Betta fish or also known as Siamese fighting fish often fight with other fish in their natural habitat. Although they prefer to live alone, they will play with you if you train them. Begin to train your betta to follow your finger movements. Once you've mastered this skill, you can teach other tricks like jumping or flipping. Learning these tricks will help your betta deal with boredom and train his physique.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparation for Training a Betta
Step 1. Get to know your betta fish
You may be surprised, it turns out that betta fish can recognize you. They can actually be very attached to their owners. If you spend time around fish, they are more likely to recognize you. This step will be very helpful in trying to train him. If you've just bought one, allow at least a week for the fish to recognize you. Bettas are ready to be trained if they swim closer when they see you.
Step 2. Check the condition of the fish
Make sure the colors are bright and clear. The fins are intact, not visible torn or perforated. Healthy fish scales should be smooth. Fish also don't look sluggish and should swim nimbly. Air bubbles on the surface of the water are a sign that the fish are healthy. If you want to train it, the condition of the fish must be excellent.
Step 3. Prepare food for exercise
Purchase fish feed, for example, frozen bloodworms, for your fish. This feed is a suitable food for training because it crumbles easily and is small in size. Bettas also eat mud worms, mosquito larvae, and a type of small crustacean called daphnia. While these kinds of foods and snacks are good for training, overfeeding can be dangerous. Adult betta fish should eat a maximum of two to three pellets or three to four bloodworms at a time. Betta fish should also be fed twice a day.
- If the fish's body looks swollen, stop feeding. Your fish may be constipated. You can detect constipation by looking at the digestive tract area from the side. If it swells, the fish is most likely constipated. You may also be able to tell by the amount of fish droppings. If this happens, do not feed the fish for two days. Then, give the peas without the skin. The size of the peas you give should be the size of a betta's eye.
- Be sure to thaw frozen food before serving.
Step 4. Wash your hands
Before training your fish or approaching the tank, wash your hands. Use hot water, but don't use soap. Soap can be toxic to fish. Only after you finish training, wash your hands with soap.
Step 5. Try to attract the betta's attention
Gently tap the aquarium glass and see if your fish see your hand. If not, give him some worms or other treats to get his attention. When the fish focuses its attention on your hands and the gills move quickly, you can start the exercise.
Do not knock hard on the aquarium glass or repeatedly hit the aquarium. This can startle the fish
Part 2 of 2: Training Betta Fish
Step 1. Train the fish to follow the finger
Move your finger across the front of the aquarium. If the fish follow quickly, reward them with a snack. If the fish doesn't notice you, move your finger until the fish notices it. Move your fingers in different directions. First move your finger in the opposite direction of the aquarium. Then, move your finger up and down vertically. Give the fish a snack every time it catches up with you.
- Train the fish for three to five minutes over several days. Continue practicing other tricks once the fish is consistently following your finger.
- It's easier to teach other tricks once your betta can follow your finger movements.
Step 2. Train your betta to develop fins on command
In nature, when a male betta sees another male betta, the fish will expand its fins. Developing the fins includes expanding the fins as well as the gill cover as large as possible. When you do this, the fish looks twice as big.. You can train both male and female fish to do this easy trick. Developing fins like this can exercise the fish's physique, prevent boredom, and encourage the formation of bubble nests. Bubble nest building involves the male fish precisely blowing tiny bubbles on the surface of the water. Practice this wing-expanding trick three to five minutes per day so you don't drain the fish. Also follow the steps below:
- Prepare a small mirror and a pen with a red or black cap. Use the same pen during practice so your hickey will recognize it.
- Place a mirror in front of the aquarium.
- Place the pen next to the mirror after the fish has developed its fins.
- Repeat this process two to three more times.
- Sometimes betta fish will be afraid and run away. Keep trying.
- When your betta finds it easier to spread fins, remove the mirror and leave the pen behind.
- Give him a treat every time he spreads his flippers.
- Continue until the betta will expand its fins each time you show the pen.
Step 3. Train your betta to jump
Jumping is a betta fish's natural habit. To train it, use a stick to feed it and place half the bloodworm on the stick. The food must be within reach of the fish. Start by dropping the stick into the water so the betta will approach you. On the next try, try moving the stick closer to the surface. Let the fish swim towards you. Then, move the stick to the surface of the water. Your betta should be chasing you from now on. Finally, move the stick slightly above the surface of the water. When the fish realizes it can pick up the food on the stick, it will jump to get it even if the stick is out of the water. Once your fish has mastered this trick, you can replace the stick with your fingers.
- Cutting bloodworms in half can prevent overfeeding. Remember, fish should only eat three to four bloodworms at a time.
- You can train your fish to recognize a feeding stick, a thin piece of wood with a curved end for placing food on, during regular feeding times.
- Betta fish usually jump when happy or scared. Purchase an aquarium cover to prevent the fish from jumping out. However, the fish can still jump when you open the lid to feed.
Step 4. Train the fish to swim through a hoop
Collect pipe cleaning tools. Bend the cleaning tool into a circle with a diameter of five cm. Hang it next to the aquarium. The hoop should be perpendicular to the sides of the aquarium and touching it. Move your finger on the outside of the tank in a unidirectional motion through the hoop. Each time the fish manage to swim through the hoop, give them a treat. Repeat this process until he can swim through the hoop regularly. Gradually reduce the size of the hoop until it is slightly larger than one cm. Once the fish are comfortable with the trick, move the hoop away from the sides of the tank. Continue until the fish can swim through the hoop while you hold the hoop in the center of the tank.
- This trick is one of the most difficult. So don't be discouraged if it takes longer to train.
- Make sure your pipe cleaner is new and does not contain ingredients that are toxic to fish.
Step 5. Keep trying
Your betta will eventually find out what your command is, and that you will reward him. Do this exercise once a day. Do not give up easily. However, don't overtrain it. Make sure the fish are getting enough rest. Don't force him to play if he doesn't want to. They are not there just to entertain you.
