Just bought a Marine Betta

[Dlionsfan09]

Looking for any general comments, do’s and Dont’s or advice from my fellow reefers on this fish.

I have about 75 gallon tank. Mixed coral reef with tons of softie corals. Tank stock is clownfish, tomini tang, Midas blenny and longnose hawkfish.

 

[Tahoe61]

@eatbreakfast

 

[lion king]

Cool, lets see a pic. I'm considering one for my new tank. The main thing I've heard is they may be difficult to start eating. If he's eating already you;re gold, if not try some ghost shrimp.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Neat fish!

They're predators, so they need meaty bits to eat, finicky ones will require live foods, I'd try saltwater feeder/glass shrimp first).

They generally don't get along with smaller fish (they'd rather eat them instead), they're good with corals. All of your fish except maybe the tang will be in danger of being eaten as the betta grows.

They don't move much but they look really cool, they'd prefer to sit still than get excited about stuff but I've heard they will eventually recognize their owner and feeding times.

 

[Tahoe61]

Commonly cryptic fish, not out and about in the presence of other more active and aggressive fish. May tend to be a tad nocturnal.

 

[Dancingmad]

Mine cruises around the tank in the evening (hunting time). When I first got him, he would hide. Approach the tank slowly to avoid startling him. Never had any trouble with pickiness (not to say you will or wont) - eats mysis, whole krill, pellets, flakes. Seems to like to pick a cave (or two) to post up and chill. I've had mine about 4 years now. Totally awesome fish.

 

[scchase]

IME while bettas do eat fish they specialize in small ones as well as small crustaceans, anything much bigger than about an inch they ignore. My biggest is around 8" TL though almost 3" of that is just tail and it's one of the biggest ones I have ever seen. They also grow really slow, so slow in general that while they were one of the first marine fish bred commercially they have not ever really taken off, partly because it takes so long for them to reach market size. If I remember right it is somewhere around 6 months just to reach an inch. Some are out and about all the time others hide nearly constantly, fortunately my latest ones lair is in a cave near the front of my tank where it is easy to watch. Finally with time every one that I have ever had has taken to pellets eventually, some have not ate anything for months before they do likely subsisting off copepods and the like.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I've kept full grown bettas with some pretty small fish without issue(barnacle blennies, baby firefish, pike blennies). However, they love shrimp. Full grown peppermint shrimp and smaller will be eaten quickly, though I do have large cleaner and blood shrimp with them.

For their size they don't eat that much food, and if not happy with what is offered will go a few days without eating.

They will greatly appreciate an overhang or cave. They will be more cryptic under high lighting and more active in subdued lighting. Marine bettas are peaceful and hardy.

 

[Dancingmad]

I've kept full grown bettas with some pretty small fish without issue(barnacle blennies, baby firefish, pike blennies). However, they love shrimp. Full grown peppermint shrimp and smaller will be eaten quickly, though I do have large cleaner and blood shrimp with them.

For their size they don't eat that much food, and if not happy with what is offered will go a few days without eating.

They will greatly appreciate an overhang or cave. They will be more cryptic under high lighting and more active in subdued lighting. Marine bettas are peaceful and hardy.

^ This right here ++. I have a fire shrimp w/ mine and a yellow tail damsel + green chromis. No issues. When I had a coral banded shrimp, they fought at first. The shrimp got dis-armed, the arm grew back. They shared a cave together and became BFFs. I lost the CBS when I moved and the power got cut for 4 days in the new house (RIP).

Want to reiterate, totally kick butt fish.

Also, I read the tail+eye spot is meant to look like an eel. It will spin around in its cave and show its tail when it feels threatened - a behavior I have witnessed when getting his turf checked by the yellow tang.

 

[Fudsey]

I've had 2 and really miss having one, will be getting one but not right now. I usually start them off with ghost shrimp and then offer some frozen. Didn't take long till they were eating frozen and pellet. Mine loved ghost shrimp and minnows, drop them in and swoop, they're gone

 

[Shadowbass]

id imagine feeding esponses to foods would vary from captive bred to wild caught.