I used to give my adults (when not conditioning etc.) Hikari Betta Bio-Gold. They did well and liked it, and it was nice not to mess up the water. So my questions.

Has anyone used the Tropical First bites to transition the fry? Or is it not suitable?

The other question is if anyone has heard of, or used the Atison's betta producst from Ocean Nutrition? They have the SPA (almond leaf extract) & foods...

Thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Lisa

We use the Atison products and they work great. It's the only "dry" food we feed anymore. The IBC sells the whole line at a good price.

http://www.ibcbettas.org/ibc_sales.htm


RC

Hi!
I agree with RC, I use attisons food also bc it is very high quality, and my fish love it! In fact its the only dry food my adult bettas accept. But also the fry love the betta starter.
The betta spa I use also, but only in the spawning tanks or whenever there's one sick, for all other purposes I rather use the leafs bc. it is cheaper. However with the leafs you can never be sure about their quality - with the betta spa I never had any problems.
Ursula

Thanks RC, I just re-joined the IBC this morning and spotted it there! Glad to have a referance as to how it is.

Makesure you soak the artison betta pro before you feed them. ^_^

Why ? I've never done that and I've had it since before it was released here.



RC

I have never soaked mine either. Just fed them directly with no problems at all.

Christy

If your bettas are new to the food, after they eat, the bettas will have cramp tail and darting around the tank for 5 minutes. That is why a lot of people complaint about the artison betta pro when first using. Ask Victoria Parnell and she had problems with her bettas after consuming the food. :)
In my observation, the food just absorpt the liquid from the stomach and creating pain I guess. ^_^

This problem isn't just a atison problem. If you really overfeed any dry food you can have this happen. Every pellet type I've ever tried swells out with water and if you pack a fish full of it you can have problems. I just feed 3 or 4 pellets to each fish and have no problem.


RC

How you control the bettas in a raising tank that each eat 4 pellets? :coverlaugh

My fish get culled or jarred at a very early age. Fish in tanks are still getting live or frozen foods.


RC

Well, not everyone raise like that. ^_^
You sure do heard a lot of people complaining in ibc last time about feeding them with artison betta pro. Still, new user will have the same problems when they using it. I have introduce many people feeding artison betta pro and that is what they always complaining. I am still using it by the way. ^_^ I adding vitamins chem liquid. ^_^

Hi!
The betta pro is for adult fishes only I think, for anything smaller the pellets are too large anyways. Adult fishes have their own place here - so giving them 4 pellets is not a big deal.
Regarding fry I use the betta starter which is very powdery food and from which some fry eat a whole lot, depending how fast they are.
However in no case I ever witnessed what yeevia described and I watch my fishes very well....

wow i never soaked mine either and i feed more than 3 or four pellets at a time on average they get about 10 pellets each of the atisons betta pro they dont swell up dart about or any other unusual thing although i did have a fish die on hikari gold he was a big ole mean superfighter pk looked like he could eat alot and i gave him approx 10 pellets he was dead in 2 hours so with hikari i limit it to 4 pellets but they seem to digest the betta pro very rapidly, for me anyhow. B) ahh well ya live and learn. B)

Good for you if your bettas don't have problems with it. If one day when your bettas have the symptom like what I said, you know what to do. I learned this from one of the IBC member at betterbettas actually because I brought it up there when they introduce to IBC one year plus ago. I did asked Victoria Parnell why she didn't speak it out regarding the food that she had the same problems after she used it. I know that she will not going to use it as what she told me.
Again, the pellet size is a very nice size and it is great for 1" long juvie bettas. As long as the betta can shallow the pellet, you can feed them. Mine starting to eat when the body is 3/4" long if you like to know.
As for artison betta starter, I will prefer egg yolk and then bbs for the frys. ;) If I want powder form like artison betta starter, I just blend the artison betta pro to powder form. ;)

I've had Betta fry stomachs explode from eating WAY to much BBS so over feeding anything can be a problem.


RC

You must have squeeze their tummy I guess. Hahahaha :OO

Do you know that raising frys without air bubbles or air bubbles filter is the best? ;)

I use sponge filters in all my tanks.



RC

I also am a big advocate of Atison's Betta Pro and the starter. I only use the starter after they are around 2 to three weeks myself. VE, BBS, daphnia & worms before that.
I've never soaked my Atison's either and I've never had any troubles with it. I know once they are on it they don't want any other type of dry food, it seems to spoil them in that way. Only other foods are the live I use.

But, I don't doubt you Yeevs. I have noticed an occasional adult fish I got that had to take time to adjust to it.

I used air bubbles last two years. Recently I want to experiment not to using air bubbles filters and I realized the frys gulp air better on the top. :P

If the fry are having a problem gulping air at the surface your running the sponge filter to fast or something. The bubbles from the sponge filter helps break up any scum that develops on the surface which it makes it easier for the fry.


RC

It just different. :) If you try both, you will noticed the frys act differently. I think the best is without air bubbles. Yes, you can using air bubbles to break the tension surface if you put it slow. ^_^