Here are some neat tips and tricks related to Bettas, some of them are based on my own experience, some are from other betta lovers. If you have any other tips, for bettas and would like to share it with others, email me and I'll put it up.

Betta Tips #1: Keeping Bettas in Community Tanks - an alternative to culling

Someone once asked about what to do with the excess bettas that they have, many betta breeders cull their bettas by discarding the poorer quality bettas. I do not enjoy culling my bettas unless they show signs of physical deformity, and so I often have to find ways to clear off the excess bettas. Over the years, I've given many bettas to friends and relatives, but it has come to a point where almost everyone I know of has received a few bettas from me. Now here is an alternative to culling, ever thought of keeping bettas in community tanks? I've always kept a tank full of bettas. Yes, that what I said, I keep a tank full of bettas, not just the females, but the males as well. It is possible to keep male bettas together only if you have not separated them before (i.e. never place a jarred male in these tanks or he will start fighting with all the other males). You will also need to keep them in a densely planted tank to provide ample hiding place for the smaller and less aggressive males. It is also advisable to provide a small current by means of a powerhead or air pump, this way, the bettas will not get a chance to stay in one place and fight (make sure you have a corner in the tank where the current is minimum so that the bettas can rest). Little fights between the males cannot be avoided in such tanks but these fights are never serious and their fins may tear a little. You can also include bettas from different spawns as long as the size difference is not too great. Note: Never place your show quality bettas in such tanks or you will risk torn fins that often never heal perfectly, thus only use the "runts" from your betta spawns.

Betta Tips #2: Encouraging Nest Building

Saw this tip somewhere and recalled a similar experience. Have you ever tried to breed a betta when he wouldn't build a nest? I did! Had a male that wouldn't build a nest. Hmmm... got another male with a nest? Guess what? Scoop up the other male's bubbles, using a spoon (-: you may notice him frowning at you for this, but continue anyway :-) and insert them into the container of the male that won't build a nest. It works!

Betta Tips #3: Raising Bigger Bettas

So you want to raise bigger looking bettas, huh? Here's a few tips on how to do it. First and most important of all, provide a constant supply of good quality food. This applies to all types of creatures, a constant supply of good food means more nutrition and thus giving it a chance to grow bigger. Next, change the water regularly, make sure that the water conditions are optimum. A cleaner living environment prevents the fish from getting sick. Now the third trick to growing bigger bettas relate to exercise. I find that keeping my bettas in a small tank that has a little water current almost always result in growing bigger bettas. My guess is that in order to stay in one place, the bettas will have to fight the current. In this process, it is actually exercising and we all know what exercising does to a body (look at Arnold's body from The Terminator!!!). However, make sure that the water current is not too strong and make sure you provide some resting place for the bettas (a piece of PVC pipe works well) in case they get too tired. One side effect (maybe a good side effect) from this is that when the current is absent, the betta will look as if it's flaring with all its fins open to the maximum.

Betta Tips #4: Conditioning a Difficult Male

While Bettas are relatively easy to breed, there are often cases where the male betta simply refuses to mate. If re-preparing the breeding tank, changing the female do not result in a successful mating, try doing this. First, isolate the male for a couple of days, keeping him in a dark corner of the room. Then place another male next to him (in another jar of course) and let them flare for 2 hours or so. Finally, you can go back to Step 5: Introducing the Male/Female of Breeding Bettas.

Betta Tips #5: Artificially Hatching the Eggs

Most male bettas and loving father and will tend to their eggs and fry's with full attention often refusing to eat any food offered to him. However, some males (usually the younger ones) seem only interested in the mating process and completely ignore the eggs after spawning is complete. There are 3 ways to deal with this problem. First, leave the female in the breeding tank and remove the male instead. Some females will tend to the eggs just as males do. Secondly, leave it as it is and the eggs might actually hatch and usually the paternal instinct of the male will take over and he will start looking after the fry's. Last, if all else fails, try hatching the eggs artificially. First, remove the male and all other things from the breeding tank leaving only the bubblenest and eggs in it. Next lower the water level of the tank to about half an inch. Then, pick up any eggs that have fallen to the bottom using an eyedropper and placing them on top of the bubblenest. Finally, cross your fingers and hope that this works. If all goes well, the eggs should hatch in 36-48 hours. As the water level is only half an inch deep, the fry's should not have any problem swimming up to the surface for air. Once the fry's are free swimming (usually 3-4 days after hatching), raise the water level by an inch each day. This method seems to work as well maybe even better than hatching the eggs naturally, I've actually hatched about 300-400 eggs artificially from a single spawn.

Betta Tips #6: Healing Damaged Scales and Fins

Sometimes, an accident happens and you may have damaged the fins of your prized betta or maybe the fins of the betta were shredded during mating. While fins do heal after some time, most however, do not heal properly and the new growth may look different in color. There is a type of Japanese medication for fish that comes in a small packet form containing yellowish powder/granules. While the actual use of this medication is unclear (some claims that it is a miracle cure for all fish diseases), I found that it is very effective for healing damaged fins and scales. Although it does not ensure 100% recovery and repair to the fins, I find that using it will speed up the recovery and the new growth actually looks better as compared to natural healing. Directions: Put about 4-5 granules of the medication for every half-gallon of water. Stir the water to help dissolve the granules. The water should appear yellowish in color, very much like when tanic seeps out from a driftwood in a tank. Place the injured betta into the water and feed accordingly. Change the water totally every 2-3 days and prepare the water again. Repeat until the damages have healed or until they stopped healing.

Betta Tips #7: Weaning the Fry to Other Food

Here's a trick to help wean your betta fry's to dried food such as flake food. First, get a few baby guppies (these should be the same size as the fry's or smaller than the fry's) and place them in the tank containing the betta fry's. Guppies feed on almost anything offered to them and so when the betta fry's see the guppies eating the dried food offered, they'll follow quickly.