I’ve had Betta fish all my life, since I was about fifteen years old. They usually live 3-4 years, and are completely beautiful and fairly low-maintenance. I always name them after wizards: I’ve had a Merlin, a Gandalf, and a Voldemort. Voldemort died about two years ago, and I just haven’t had the heart to get myself another one. Since Bettas attack other fish, they have to stay in their tanks alone. Seeing them just float around all day alone depressed me too much, and I haven’t gotten a new one since.
However, if I had read this article by Pippa Elliot at Wikihow, I think I would have been a better Betta parent. It shows how you can actually grow a bond with your Betta fish, and how to keep it entertained and stimulated. Now that I know that you can play with them, maybe I’ll get another one soon! Check out some of the tips here:
-Keep the tank in an active area, like kitchen or living room- they like to watch the action around them!
-Name your betta, and talk to it! It craves the interaction.
-Give it visual stimulation- write on the tank with a dry erase marker, move it to a new location, or switch up the plants/ tank decorations every now and then.
-Play with your betta! Drop a (CLEAN) ping-pong ball in the water, let your betta explore it! Move your finger around on the tank wall (don’t tap it), and see if you can get your fish to follow it.
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