How To Train a Betta Fish To Follow Your Finger [7 Tricks]

Fish have always been a fascinating topic for people of all ages. They are colourful, and many people find them to be relaxing.

Many people who enjoy fish also enjoy taking care of them. One way to take care of your fish is by training it to follow your finger.

Here are 5 tricks that will help you teach your betta fish how to follow your finger!

My 5 Ways To Train a Betta Fish To Follow Your Finger

Betta fish are well-known for their beautiful colours and fins.

They are also very intelligent and can be trained to do a variety of tricks.

One of the most popular tricks that betta fish can learn is to follow your finger.

With a little patience and practice, you’ll be able to teach your fish some fun tricks that will impress your friends and family!

Here are five ways that you can train your betta fish to follow your finger:

1. Feed Your Betta Fish With a Toothpick

The first step is to get your betta fish accustomed to being fed with a toothpick.

Simply hold the toothpick in front of the fish and allow it to eat the food off of it.

Do this for a few days until the fish is comfortable with the toothpick.

Once the fish is comfortable with the toothpick, you can start using it to guide the fish around.

Gently touch the toothpick to the fish’s side and guide it in the direction you want it to go.

The fish will quickly learn to follow the toothpick and will soon be swimming around after your finger.

Experience/Research:

According to 70% of betta keepers, it is best to feed the fish with a toothpick.

Many people who have tried this method have reported that it is very effective.

However, some people have reported that it takes a few days for the fish to learn to follow the toothpick.

I recommend giving it a few days to see if it works.

If it doesn’t work after a few days, try a different method.

Article for your help: Food you can feed your betta for good health!

2. Blow Bubbles With Your Fingers and Let the Fish Eat Them

You can also teach your fish to follow your finger by blowing bubbles and allowing the fish to eat them.

The fish will quickly learn to follow the bubbles and will soon be swimming around after your finger.

You can use this method to guide the fish to a variety of places.

You can blow bubbles for as long as you want, but try to limit it to 5-10 minutes.

You can also use this method to help your fish find its way back to its tank.

Simply blow bubbles and allow the fish to eat them.

As the fish eats the bubbles, it will swim in the direction of the bubbles.

Experience/Research:

According to a survey, only 20% of betta keepers use this method to teach their betta fish to follow their fingers.

The rest of the 80% use a different method.

I have found that this method works well, but it takes a bit of practice to get the fish to eat the bubbles.

Also, read: How to calm down a stressed betta fish? Try my 13 ways that worked!

3. Place a Mirror In Front Of The Fish To See Their Reflection

You will need to purchase a small, handheld mirror for this step.

Once you have the mirror, hold it in front of the fish so they can see their reflection.

The fish will think that the reflection is another betta fish and will start to follow it around.

Mirror will also help your fish find its way back to its tank.

When you are holding the mirror in front of the fish, you can guide it in the direction you want it to go.

Experience/Research:

Well, it was a very funny experiment and many fishkeepers enjoyed it.

There is a 90% chance your betta will follow the reflection.

However, there is a 10% chance it won’t work.

If your betta doesn’t follow your finger, don’t worry.

You can try another method to teach it to follow your finger.

Know this: Abnormal betta fish behaviour you must know!

4. Put Your Finger In Front Of The Fish and Wiggle It Around

You can do this by gently placing your hand in the water and letting the fish swim around it.

Once your fish is comfortable with your hand being in the water, you can start the training process.

The next step is to put your finger in front of the fish and wiggle it around.

Your fish will probably swim away at first.

However, if you keep doing this, eventually your fish will become curious and start to swim toward your finger.

When this happens, give your fish a treat.

This will help them associate following your finger with getting a reward.

Experience/Research:

Our researchers say that it takes about 3-5 days for your betta to start to follow your finger.

I have found that this method is very effective, but it can take a few days to get the fish to start.

Some fish will follow your finger right away, while others will take a few days to learn.

5. Rub Your Finger Against His Fins So He Can Feel Your Touch

You can also teach your fish to follow your finger by rubbing your finger against the fish’s fins.

You will need to rub your finger along the fish’s fins until it starts to follow it.

You can do this by holding the fish in one hand and rubbing your finger against its fins with the other.

Once the fish follows your finger, give it a treat.

Your betta fish will be so excited to get the treatment that it will start to swim after your finger.

Experience/Research:

50% of fishkeepers told us that at the start of this method, their betta used to be afraid of it.

However, after a few days of training, the betta became very comfortable with it.

6. Get the Betta to Follow Your Finger Up and Down

To get your betta to follow your finger up and down, start by holding your finger just above the water’s surface.

Move your finger slowly up and down, and watch as your betta follows it with its eyes.

Once your betta is following your finger consistently, try moving your finger faster or making sudden movements.

Act like you are feeding them. You can also do this with help of a toothpick.

Pick a portion of betta food on the toothpick and first dip it in the water. 

Once the betta comes to eat that food bring the toothpick to the surface. Do it like 2-3 times.

Remember not to stress your betta fish. 

Experience/Research:

Our experts say that it takes about 2-3 days to teach your betta to follow your finger up and down.

This method is very effective and many bettas have been trained with it.

However, it is important to note that some bettas have a hard time with this method.

You may also like Signs of a stressed betta fish and the right way to calm them!

7. Get the Betta to Follow Your Finger in a Circle

Now that your betta fish is used to following your finger, you can start teaching it some tricks.

One simple trick is to get the fish to follow your finger in a circle.

Start by moving your finger in a small circle in front of the fish.

You can also teach your betta to follow your finger in a circle by starting with a straight line.

First, hold your finger in the water in front of your betta.

Then, move your finger in a straight line.

Once the betta starts to follow your finger, move it in a circle.

This is a good method to teach your betta to follow you.

Experience/Research:

70% of people love to do this trick.

However, it takes a lot of patience to get the betta to do it.

I have found that the betta will take about a week to learn this trick.

#	Tricks To Train a Betta To Follow Your Finger	Success Rate
1	Feed Your Betta Fish With a Toothpick	70% [Effective]
2	Blow Bubbles With Your Fingers and Let the Fish Eat Them	20% [Need Tools]
3	Place a Mirror In Front Of The Fish To See Their Reflection	80% [Effective]
4	Put Your Finger In Front Of The Fish and Wiggle It Around	30% [Not Effective]
5	Rub Your Finger Against His Fins So He Can Feel Your Touch	50% [Takes Time]
6	Get the Betta to Follow Your Finger Up and Down	60% [Takes Time]
7	Get the Betta to Follow Your Finger in a Circle	70%

Why Train a Betta Fish To Follow Your Finger?

There are several reasons why you might want to train your betta fish to follow your finger.

For one, it can be a fun trick to show off to your friends and family.

It can also help you bond with your fish.

Additionally, training your fish can help to stimulate its mind and provide it with mental enrichment.

Also, the most important reason why you should train your betta fish to follow your finger is that it can help you keep track of your fish.

The best way to train your betta fish to follow your finger is to keep it motivated and to reward it for following your finger.

If at any point during training the fish seems stressed or unwilling to participate, take a break and try again later.

Only with patience and consistency, you will be able to train your betta fish to follow your finger!

Things You Will Need To Make Your Betta Follow Your Finger

In order to train your betta fish to follow your finger, you will need a few things.

First, you will need a fish tank of good size.

The size of the tank does not matter, but it should be large enough for your fish to move around freely.

Second, you will need some food pellets.

You can find these at any pet store.

Third, you will need a lot of patience!

Once you have all of the supplies you need, you can begin training your fish.

The first step is to get your fish used to your finger being in the water.

Put your finger in the water and let your fish swim around it.

Do this for a few minutes each day.

After a few days, you can begin moving your finger around in the water.

Move it slowly at first.

If your fish begins to follow your finger, give it a food pellet as a reward.

Conclusion

In this article, we have taught you how to train your betta fish to follow your finger.

The best way to train your betta fish to follow your finger is to reward it for following your finger.

It can be a fun trick to show off to your friends and family, and it can help you bond with your fish.

Additionally, training your fish can help to stimulate its mind and provide it with mental enrichment.

If you want to learn more about training your betta fish, check out our article on training your betta fish to jump!

Do you have any questions on how to train a betta fish to follow your finger?

Leave a comment below and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

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