Betta Exercise

[Myron Tay]

I believe that just like us, bettas need to exercise regularly. Please share with us on this thread how you exercise your bettas.

[Alex Lim]

Most of the time flaring is done. flaring for my fellas takes place several times / or most of the entire day, each lasing minimum an hour. i alternate flaring between males and females so that they don't get bored.

[Bond]

quote:Originally posted by Myron Tay

I believe that just like us, bettas need to exercise regularly. Please share with us on this thread how you exercise your bettas.


Hello all
When my betta got borded. He would go to my 6"long air stone that laid flat on the bottom of the tank , blowing up,and he would dive right into the up stream of bubbles , and ride out.He would go back and do it over and over again. At evening time.
Later Bond

[Alex Lim]

U. Bond,

this is a very interesting exercise... hahaha.. sounds cute just thinking of it. i noticed that my bettas also like to do a similar stunt as in they like to swim against currents, usually during water changes.

[SteveHewlett]

I use small hang-on-back power filters (AquaClear Mini)in my tanks. Both the betta and the plakat will swim against the current from the outflow when the mood strikes them, some people here call this "surfing". Also, every few days or so I put a small mirror up against the betta's tank for a half an hour and he does a lot of flaring at his image. I haven't tried this yet with the plakat as we just got him and he is quite active patrolling his 15 gallon tank.

[Eugene]

I try to let them flare until i observe they are less interested....could be only 2-3 minutes each flare session.

I tend to go along the theory about sprinters vs long distance runners.
when you are a sprinter....you go for short all out sprints for several times..
Result is huge and powerful muscles.

distance runners end up with weaker muscles with more endurance.

Think a full spread while flaring requires some effort...so I'll go for muscle development....
As these muscles are strengthened, I will slowly extend the flare period to pump up some stamina into them little ones fins. Or I may be happy with the short but frequent flaring times if I don't have the time..

[David Esguerra]

Gues than none have any idea on how fighter plakats are trained. That would be really good exercise, and no, fighter plakats are not trained by actual sparring, at least not in the conditioning stage.

[Alex Lim]

Hi David,

BCS forum does not encourage the use of bettas for fighting other than for hobby purposes and hence, there is no discussion on fighters. this thread discusses only show-case / pet bettas. :D in case, you like to talk about fighters.. perhaps you can pm Lyon about it. i think he's into fighters.. [bx] :D

[David Esguerra]

Hope I didn't offend anyone on my last post. But I wasn't promoting fish fighting itself, you could if you want to and not if you don't that's your choice. However if you'd read some fighter sites and see how they are trained, that's real good exercise, just try to read it with an open mind and you'll learn a lot. I'm sure that even those who fight fish would not use an HM for fighting, but use their conditioning exercises on an HM and watch their fins start firming up. Anyways, as I said, to fight or not to fight is your choice, I'm not here to promote the practice nor to discourage it either. At any rate, my apologies if I offended anyone.

[Sebas]

Hi, dont worry David, no problems on any of your posts. Yes, I have to agree with you, if one is able to use the method of training/conditioning fighters to apply on Show Bettas, the fishes will definitely be better looking and conditioned. No need to apologise, different individuals have different ways of looking at things. I am looking at the direction you are looking at. David, if you have any methods that are adopted from the training/conditioning of fighters that can benefit the Show Betta hobbyists here, dont hesitate sharing with us. As long as it doesnt involve actual fighting/biting, we will love to learn from you and hope the feeling is mutual. So no problems. [ber]

[Lyon Goh]

I used fighter's method to exercise my HM once. But that resulted in fin tear... :(

[Sebas]

i didnt exercise my bettas and they started to nip their own tail. Think moderate exercise is the best

[Alex Lim]

quote:Originally posted by David Esguerra

Hope I didn't offend anyone on my last post. But I wasn't promoting fish fighting itself, you could if you want to and not if you don't that's your choice. However if you'd read some fighter sites and see how they are trained, that's real good exercise, just try to read it with an open mind and you'll learn a lot. I'm sure that even those who fight fish would not use an HM for fighting, but use their conditioning exercises on an HM and watch their fins start firming up. Anyways, as I said, to fight or not to fight is your choice, I'm not here to promote the practice nor to discourage it either. At any rate, my apologies if I offended anyone.


Hi David,

think i am the culprit. [bt] i must apologise to you if my previous post caused you any discomfort. [sr] no, you certainly did not offend anyone at all. i guess i was just been paranoid. [:o)] hahahaha.. :D my sincere apologies :D [ber]

[David Esguerra]

No problem, at any rate you would be right that HM would usually be able to blow their own tails when overly exercised. This fighter exercise might help.

Take a basin or a tank or what ever container of water that you could float two plastic bags with some water in it (picture getting your new betta, they're packaged in plastic bags right, and think of floating them) Now here's the training part, fill the plastic bags with the desired water level that you like. If you lessen the water level (maybe 1/8 of a standard sized plastic bag) you would prevent the fish from blowing its own fins in the process of flaring. Now put one betta in one bag and another in another bag and float them in your basin. Make sure that they see each other. Each fish (unless its really a crappy betta with no bit of agressiveness in it) would try to get to its "opponent" in the other bag, in the process flaring and swimming against the weight of the bag which serves as really good exercise. Even if you don't keep an eye on them, the plastic bag would prevent them from injuring each other, but I prefer to watch them and when they get close enough just pull them apart and start the whole process again. I break them up three times and that would be their work out. This exercise really helps and seems to even firm up the fins so they don't blow up, aside from the fact that everytime the fish flares in a show or exhibition, its "dance" (the swaying movement that bettas usually do) has much more power in it making them look much more beautiful. I guess that it builds up the power as the betta has been trained that everytime that he flares, he is in a life and death battle just like he would be in the wild (actually not to the deat in the wild)

[Daniel Chia]

quote:Originally posted by David Esguerra

Now put one betta in one bag and another in another bag and float them in your basin. Make sure that they see each other. Each fish (unless its really a crappy betta with no bit of agressiveness in it) would try to get to its "opponent" in the other bag, in the process flaring and swimming against the weight of the bag which serves as really good exercise.
David.

This method that you'd mentioned is REALLY COOL!!! [col]
I tried it out and my bettas were able to have a great workout and it's almost like a real fight - minus the injuries.

I must say that this 'plastic bag' method is really safe and effective. It reminds me of a health education poster which read: "It's safe. It's effective. Use it!"

[David Esguerra]

Wow, thanks for the comment. It also fives you an idea of how your males or even females would act in an actual fight or in spawning. FIsh fighters prefer this method because of the earlier reason I cited and others may like this because of the later.

[David Esguerra]

Should be using spell check, "it also fives" should read "it also gives."

[paul kusmin]

i have read a lot as well on fighter training. we have started to let our fish swim against the current a bit when we do water changes. the fish are put in a plastic tub and i swirl the water a bit with my hand and the fish naturally swim against the current. it's best not to do this too long as the fish will get tired out.