Train Your Betta Fish

The Siamese fighting fish, or betta fish, fights other fish in nature. Although bettas prefer to live alone, they will play with you if you train them.[1] Start by training your betta to follow your finger. Once your fish has mastered this skill, you can teach her more tricks like jumping or flaring. Learning tricks will help your betta fish to avoid boredom and receive exercise.

Steps

Preparing to Train Your Betta

  1. Get to know your betta. Although it might surprise you, betta fish can recognize you. They actually can become attached to their owners. If you spend time near your fish, she is more likely to recognize you. This will help in training.[2]
  2. Check your fish’s well-being. Make sure your fish’s color is bright and clear. Her fins should have no tears or holes. The scales should be smooth. Your fish should not move in a sluggish manner. Instead, she should swim quickly. Bubbles on the water’s surface are a good sign that your betta is doing well.[3] If you want to train your betta, she needs to be in top condition.
  3. Gather snacks for training. Purchase snacks like freeze-dried bloodworms for your pet. These are good training treats because they are breakable and small. Betta also eat tubifex worms, mosquito larvae, and daphnia (small crustaceans).[4] While treats and food are great for training, overfeeding your betta is dangerous. A full-grown adult male betta should eat maximally two to three pellets or three to four bloodworms per feeding. He should be fed twice daily.[5]
    • If your fish's body is swollen, cutback feeding. She could be constipated. You can detect constipation by looking at the fish's digestive area from the side. If it is swollen, she likely is constipated. You also might notice a lack of defecation. If this happens, do not feed her for two days. Then feed her a piece of the inside of a pea (not the skin). The piece should be the size of her eyeball.[5]
    • Be sure to thaw frozen food before use.[6]
  4. Wash your hands. Before you work with your fish or are near her tank, wash your hands. Use hot water but do not use soap. Soap can be toxic for fish. When you finish a training session, wash your hands with soap.
  5. Get your betta's attention. Softly tap on the glass and see if she looks at your hand. If not, give her half a worm or a treat to get her attention. Once she focuses on your hand and her gills move quickly, you can begin training.
    • Do not tap very hard or hit the tank repeatedly. You will shock your fish.

Training Your Betta

  1. Teach your fish to follow your finger. Drag your finger across the front of the fish tank or bowl. If she moves towards it, reward her quickly with a treat. If she does not notice you, shake your finger until she notices.[7] Move your finger in multiple directions. First, move your finger to opposite sides of the tank. Next, move your finger vertically up and down. Reward your fish each time she follows you.[7]
    • Train her for three to five minutes at a time over several days. Proceed to other tricks once she consistently follows your finger.[8]
    • Once your betta can follow your finger, teaching other tricks will be easier.[7]
  2. Train your betta to flare on command. When a male betta sees another male in nature, he flares.[8] Flaring consists of a betta stretching her fins and opening her gills as much as she can. Bettas then look twice their size.[9] You can teach your male or female fish to do this pretty trick. Flaring provides exercise, prevents boredom, and promotes bubble nest building. Bubble nest building consists of male bettas methodically blowing small bubbles in clusters on the water's surface.[10] Only perform the flare trick three to five minutes a day or you can overexert your betta.[8] Follow these steps:
    • Gather a small mirror and a red or black-capped pen. Use the same colored pen throughout training so your betta will recognize the pen.
    • Place the mirror in front of the tank.
    • Once your betta flares, place the pen next to the mirror.
    • Repeat this process two to three more times.
    • Once your betta instantly starts to flare, remove the mirror and leave only the pen.
    • Give your betta food or a treat each time she flares.
    • Continue until your betta flares each time you show the pen.[7]
  3. Teach your betta to jump. Jumping is a natural habit for betta fish. To train your betta, use a feeding stick and place half a bloodworm on it. The food should be within reach of the fish. Starting with the stick underwater, have your betta come to you. With the next try, move the feeding stick closer to the water’s surface. Have your betta swim to you. Then move the stick to the water’s surface. Your betta should swim to you. Lastly, move your stick slightly above the water surface. Once your betta recognizes that she can get food from the stick, she will jump for it even if the stick is out of the water. After she nails the trick, you can substitute your fingers for the stick.[2]
    • By halving your bloodworms, you can avoid over-feeding your betta. Remember, she should have a maximum of three to four bloodworms in one sitting.[5]
    • You can train your betta to recognize a feeding stick, a thin stick with a curved end for attaching food, during her normal feeding times.[2]
    • Bettas naturally jump when excited or scared. Purchase a lid for your fish tank to prevent your betta from jumping from the tank.[11] She can still jump when you remove the lid to feed her.
  4. Train your betta to swim through a hoop. Gather a pipe cleaner. Bend the pipe cleaner into a circle with a two inch diameter. Hang it on the side of the fish tank. The hoop should be perpendicular to the side of the aquarium and touching it. Move your finger along the outside of the tank in one direction through the hoop. Each time she swims through the hoop, give her a treat. Repeat this process until she regularly swims through the hoop. Gradually decrease the hoop size until it is slightly larger than one inch in diameter. After she is comfortable with the trick, move the hoop farther away from the tank’s sides. Continue until she can swim through the hoop while you hold it in the center of the tank.[12]
    • This is one of the most difficult tricks so do not be discouraged if it takes a while.
    • Be sure that your pipe cleaner is brand new and does not contain toxins that could harm your fish.
  5. Keep trying! Your betta will eventually figure out that if she does what you ask, you will reward her. Do a training session once per day. Be persistent.[7] Do not overwork your betta, though. Make sure she has sufficient time to rest and relax.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.petsit.com/facts-about-betta-fish?id=327278
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://bettafishhome.com/how-to-train-your-betta-fish-to-do-betta-tricks/
  3. ↑ http://www.petful.com/misc/tips-for-raising-betta-fish/
  4. ↑ http://pets.petsmart.com/guides/betta-fish/caring-for-betta.shtml
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://nippyfish.net/sick-betta/bloating-and-constipation/
  6. ↑ http://www.petco.com/assets/caresheets/fish/Betta.pdf
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 http://bettacare101.com/tricks/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 http://www.myaquariumclub.com/some-tricks-and-toys-to-entertain-your-betta-6148.html
  9. ↑ http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_behavior.htm
  10. ↑ http://nippyfish.net/behavior-2/bubble-nests/
  11. ↑ http://aquariadise.com/betta-than-a-bowl/
  12. ↑ http://bettacare101.com/tricks2/
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