Grooming Betta | How To Enhance The “Wow” Factor? |

Betta fish or Siamese fighting fish is the most beautiful and popular fish species in the aquarium industry. However, grooming is a particular way to enhance the beauty of your fish. So, here I share my years of experience with you about grooming betta fish, especially in competitions and shows. 

What Is Betta Grooming? 

Grooming is an art that hobbyists can follow to help their fish to gain their best version. So, as a hobbyist, you have to be aware of this and follow the correct path. However, grooming is the best way to achieve the ultimate appearance of your betta. It not give only a brilliant look but also provides a chance for your fish to live a long and healthy life. Here you can groom your betta fish in many ways. You can groom your betta in terms of size, color, and fierceness. Generally, grooming betta fish is a pretty easy task. You can get results within a short time. 

How Do You Groom A Betta? 

As I mentioned above, you have the ability to groom this beautiful fish in terms of size, color, and fierceness. So, let’s see them one by one. 

Grooming Your Betta Fish For Size 

If you want to groom your betta fish for size, you should provide space for fish for swimming and live freely. Simply when it turns to groom for size, you have to provide a large container, tub, or tank. Generally, many fishkeepers tend to rear betta fish in small bowls. But if you want to groom your fish for size, it is not good practice. You should also avoid community tanks if you want to make your betta bigger.

Grooming Your Betta Fish For Color 

Here you get help from color-enhancing formula or extract. It will directly cause you to get the best-looking betta fish. However, if you have a solid color betta, you can use 1 drop of blue or green fish medicine to 1 liter of water. This compound can be used in addition to the regular aquarium/ rock salt pinch. If you have any colorful bettas like Nemo Galaxy, there are many best natural options for you.

Dried ketapang leaves/ Indian almond tree leaves or dried banana leaves with a pinch of aquarium salt per liter of water work best to groom your fish’s color. Here what happens is when the dried ketapang leaf/ Indian almond tree leaf or dried banana leaf soaks in water, it will cause to turn the water dark brown after a few hours.

Consequently, the betta fish mutate and develop their body color. However, you should clean the leaves before using them. Another added advantage of this natural option is that the ketapang water will help to improve the health of sick or weak fish. It is a natural remedy for your betta fish. 

Grooming For Betta Fish For Fierceness

In this case, the easiest method is to quarantine your fish in a dark place. Here you should guarantee that there is no light in that place. Also, you should keep the fish in that location for a period of one week. After finishing the quarantine period, you can have betta fish that become more fierce and flare more often. Simply this will strengthen and widen the fins of your betta. 

Things You Should Consider? 

When you groom your male betta or female betta, there are essential factors that you should be highly concerned about. These are listed below. 

Water quality 

You should maintain the water quality at an optimum level. Here you can perform water changes always. Because it will help you to keep the water quality and consequently it causes to fast the growth of the fish. Also, frequent water changes will lead to the prevention of diseases. In addition to that, you should keep the water parameters at the ideal level. 

Water volume

When grooming your betta fish, the most important thing to remember is to provide adequate space for them to swim freely because it will directly affect the size of the fish. There are two types of betta fish that are short-finned and long-finned. So, if you have a short-finned betta fish, you should have at least 4x6x8 inches of the tank. On the other hand, you can go with 2.5 gallons tank (6x8x12 inches). 

However, these are the minimum preferable tank sizes. But my recommendation is always to try to go for a large tank and allow them to live in a large space because a better space will help your fish grow their body and fins properly. 

Feed 

Another important factor is feeding your betta fish properly when grooming. Here you should feed them with high-quality and nutrient-rich foods. Because foods will cause to enhance the growth and coloration of your betta fish. So, when you choose fish foods, you should be highly concerned about these matters. Here you can provide a wide variety of live foods. So, you feed your betta fish on brine shrimp, shrimps, tubifex, daphnia, blood worms, and mosquito larvae.

But when you offer mosquito larvae, there is a risk of entering diseases in your fish. So, you should care about it highly. In addition to that, you can provide high-quality betta pellets. You can go with the foods mentioned above without any trouble. Because these nutrient-rich foods can help fish reach their optimum growth and development. 

Filtration 

You should choose high-quality filtration for your betta fish tank. The filter system plays a significant role in keeping the tank water clean. 

Special Note: It would be best to choose a betta fish to groom with good genetics. Because they have high potential when grooming. 

How Do You Groom A Bettas Color?

You can use color-enhancing formulas and extracts. So, here you can use 1 drop of blue or green fish medicine to 1 liter of water for solid color bettas. Also, dried ketapang leaves/ Indian almond tree leaves or dried banana leaves with a pinch of aquarium salt per liter of water are the best natural options to enhance your fish’s color. 

Why Should You Groom Your Betta?

Most hobbyists tend to groom their bettas to participate in shows and competitions because they need to enhance the overall appearance of their bettas. However, if grooming can enhance the appearance and health of your betta, why do you hesitate? 

Can You Trim A Betta Fish Tail?

Yes, you can trim a betta fishtail if there is damaged and diseased tissue or severe cases of a droopy tail. But do not conduct fin cutting without proper knowledge and reasonable reason. Here it would be best if you had the below things. 

• Towel 
• Cup of water
• Rubbing alcohol
• Brand new straight razor

After finding these things, you can follow below simple steps.

Steps

1. First of all, fold the towel and pour the water onto the towel 
2. Take the razor and clean it properly with alcohol 
3. Then lay the betta fish on the wet towel and cover its head. 
4. Spread out its finnage 
5. Then press down with the razor but not drag. Generally, you can trim around a third of the tail. But if your fish have to serve fin rot, you can cut as much as half. 

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