I bought a fish

Question
to tell you the truth I don't know what kind of fish I have but they told me at the pet shop to feed him only once a day and in the food package that I bougth it says that fish should be fed several times daily, and to feed up to four times daily. what should I do?

Answer
Hi Corina;

I suspect you have what is known as a "Betta" or "Siamese Fighting Fish". Very pretty fish that are available in many different colors. Males have long flowing fins as adults. They are fairly easy to care for. The word 'Betta' is commonly mispronounced so here is a web link to help you; http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/B0217800.html

Bettas only need to be fed once or twice a day. Fish food makers know they can gain a better profit if they can get you to do it more often. But it will foul the water and/or make your fish sick so it's best to feed only 2 to 4 little pellets a day. If it's a flake food, feed maybe 4 little flakes. They don't require much and the food is dry so it will absorb water. It's good to let the food soak for a few seconds so it doesn't go into the fish's belly too dry. It can cause indigestion which can be fatal in fish when intestinal blockage follows.

Here are some betta sites to help you know nore about them and their proper care;

http://www.flippersandfins.net/BettaCaresheet.asp
http://www.healthybetta.com
http://www.bettatalk.com

If I'm wrong about the type of fish, let me know what he looks like and I will do my best......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins