Re: Feeding Betta Cooked Pea Shell

Question
QUESTION: Hi, we inherited our grandson's beta so I've been researching how to take care of him. My question is, would a pea shell from a canned cooked pea work until we can get the money to get him medicine and the frozen peas (we are on limited income, paid once a month).
Thanks in advance.

ANSWER: Hello,
You never feed the Betta the shell.  The shell must be removed before feeding him.  Can peas are not recommended because they have lots of salt in them.  Is your Betta sick?  Please write back to me so I can tell you what you should do if he is sick.  Tell me what living space he has, the water temperature, and what is wrong with him.  I will be able to help  you more.  Right now I have nothing to go on, so I am wondering what is wrong.
Thank you
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm so glad I wrote because I totally misunderstood that.
I originally thought he was sick because he stayed at the bottom all the time and wouldn't eat when I fed him.  I found out my grandson (as well as 2 of my other grandchildren) were feeding him, this led to very dirty stinky water and I think that was the problem.  Before we inherited him they were giving him 5 pellets twice a day.  After I wrote to you I cleaned his bowl very well and moved him to a place on top of my desk out of the kids reach and where he sees us all the time.  He has started going to the top and swimming gracefully all over his tank (which we will need to replace also because it looks to be not quite a gallon.  My daughter bought it for my grandson and its a called a space bubble.  As I said he is doing better now and comes to the top when he sees my hand with the food, I drop his food one pellet or flake at a time so that I can watch him eat and don't overfeed him.  I think he is fine but we are already getting attached to him and I just want to make sure he gets the best care we can give him.  The reason I asked about the pea is because of how much they had been feeding him.  He looks to me to have a little puffiness underneath (around what I think would be his stomach area) at the point where the bottom fin comes out.  I apologize for the length of this, trying to give more background.  From research I know now that he needs a bigger bowl.  The temperature runs about 63-68.  I used tap water and beta treatment until I read that you should use bottled drinking water which I will be using from now on.  However, as I said, he seems to be doing much better I just don't want to take the chance of him getting sick.
Thanks again :)

Answer
Hello,
I don't know where to begin...lol  I will tell you that it is not good to use bottled water.  Bottled water is lacking minerals that fish need to be healthy, much like we need vitamins.  It is best to use tap water with a good water conditioner such as Stress Coat, or AquaPlus.  He has been overfed.  Five pellets is too much to give a betta all at once.  His tummy is the size of his eye, and we must always remember this when feeding them.  I know they are good a begging, and looking sad, but we must not give into them.  They should be fed 2-3 small meals a day ..example ..2 pellets for one meal.  He should fast one day a week, and on that day you should feed him the pea.  Seeing as he is swollen, I would give him a pea, and let him fast for a day so that he can clean out his system if he is constipated.  He must waste.
I know how attached we can become to our Bettas.  The are really smart, and it is so easy to love them.

Here is some information on Bettas that may interest you, and help you understand the Betta a little bit more:



Bettas need 5 gallons of water to be healthy, and happy.
In their habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but they have lots of room to swim.  
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases etc, is cruel.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
They need a heated tank.  Temperature should be 78-80 degrees.  They are tropical fish, and are cold under this temperature.  Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember  when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 (one) degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast would kill your Betta.)  The temperature should always be stable.  Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.  
They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves  They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   One teaspoon to five gallons of diluted aquarium salt may be added to his water, when a Betta is well.  
Aquarium salt helps them with stress, and helps with parasites.  However if a Betta is showing signs of a swollen tummy, salt should not be used.
They need a varied diet. This is very important.  Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one well cooked frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.    
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease.  A frozen cooked pea a week keeps them from getting constipated.  Always remove the outer layer of the pea, and cut it into small pieces feeding it to your betta one piece at a time.
They should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal.  We must remember that their tummy is the size of their eye.
Example:  2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important.  Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat.  There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas.  If you do not have a filter, change all the water in his tank weekly.
Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female.  The Betta male is a loner.  Females can be kept together in a big enough tank.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young.  (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die two or three years after we have bought them.)
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck.  They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms!  The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.   
This turns my stomach over.  Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.  
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water.  They end up dying, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them.  They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated.  If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time.  I have bred them, love them, and know what is good for them.
I hope this helps you understand the Betta a little better.
If you have anymore questions, do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda