How to Teach Your Betta to Jump

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 27, 2023

Betta fish are very smart fish and can learn all kinds of tricks, such as jumping out of the water. In the wild, betta fish often jump out of the water for food, such as mosquitoes. In a home tank, you can use the same incentive to bribe your fish out of the water.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting to Know Your Betta

1
Give your fish time to get to know you. That is, don't start teaching your fish to jump the first day you get it. Let it come to associate you with feeding it, so it learns to trust you somewhat. When the fish doesn't look scared when you're around and when it immediately pops up to the top of the tank when you want to feed it, it's likely getting used to you.^{[1]
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- Try to wait a couple of weeks before attempting to train it. A month may be better because it will give your betta a chance to get used to the tank and to you.
2
Observe your fish. Spend some time watching your fish and observing its behavior. Getting to know what your fish likes to do can help you train it. For instance, you can teach most fish to jump, but you may also be able to teach it other tricks based on what it likes to do, such as teaching one that likes to go through hoops how to swim through a hoop on command.

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3
Spend one-on-one time with the fish. When you're trying to train, minimize other distractions. Have other people leave the room, and turn off any noise. You want the fish to focus on you and what you're doing, not what else is going on in the room.
- If you feed in the same location each day, your fish will bond and become more friendly towards you. Never tap on the glass, because the noise is amplified in the water and will stress the fish.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Training Your Fish to Jump

1
Wait until feeding time. Though most fish will eat anytime you provide food, it's still a good idea to wait until your fish is hungry to try to train it. That way, when you use food to bribe or reward the fish, it will respond to it more readily than if you had just fed it.
2
Use food as a bribe. Place a piece of food on the end of your finger to use as an incentive. You can wet your finger a little bit, so the piece of food will stick to the end. The food is what will get the fish to jump, as most fish will not jump just for a finger or something interesting.^{[2]
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- You can also use a popsicle stick or a straw in place of your finger. The betta won't hurt you, but you will be getting up close and personal with the fish.
3
Hold your finger in position. Place your finger (or stick or straw) above the water. You don't want to get too high. Just place it an inch or so above the water. In fact, when you're first starting out, you may want to put it just above the surface of the water so your betta gets used to the idea gradually.^{[3]
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- Be careful to stay just above the water. Otherwise, the food will float off your finger, straw, or stick.
- Also, try not to make your finger too high, as the betta could jump out of the water. In addition, make sure you do it in the center of the tank, so there's less risk of the betta jumping out.
4
Wait for the betta. Now it's time to wait for the betta to do its thing. It should swim to the top and jump to get the food off your finger.^{[4]
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Research source} If it needs a little encouragement, sprinkle a flake or two of food on top of the water just below your finger, so it comes to the right area.
- Hold still while waiting for the betta. Movement can scare the betta fish.
- If your betta looks agitated or scared, try again later.
5
Keep working on the trick. If your betta doesn't get the idea the first time you do it, keep working on the trick. Try holding the food on your fingers a couple times every day to see if you can eventually entice your betta to come take the food by jumping up.
- Only do it once or twice each time you try it because the betta has a small stomach, about the size of its eyeball.^{[5]
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6
Take the food away. Once your betta figures out that it can jump for food, it will likely jump just for your finger, the straw, or the popsicle stick you used. Practice for a few weeks with food, and then you can try taking away the food to see if it will jump without it. If the betta jumps, reward it with food. Eventually, the betta may not even need the reward.
- You may need to stick with using food as a bribe, though, depending on your fish.
7
Do not withhold feeding. If you can't get your fish to take the food from your finger, make sure to go ahead and feed it. It's abusive to withhold food to get your fish to do a trick. You can always try again later with the trick.
8
Make sure the tank is covered. Because fish will practice the tricks you teach them when you're not around, you need to make sure your tank is covered (with holes for aeration). Otherwise, your fish may jump out of the tank or into another part of the tank if you have barriers. If it jumps out, the fish could die.

Community Q&A

Question

Does it need to take a long time?

Patrick

Community Answer

No. Some bettas are more intelligent than others. It really depends on the health of the fish and your own skill.
Question

My Betta is scared to jump sometimes, and I never harm him. Why is this happening?

Community Answer

He's probably not scared, just happy and comfortable. Bettas will only jump to try to escape if they find their tank too small, or if you're offering food. If you're holding food and it won't jump, it's probably not hungry.
Question

How big does a betta get?

AwesomeSaucy

Community Answer

It depends on the type of betta. Crowntails flare around 3-3.5 inches. Veiltails are a little smaller. I would say 2-3 inches is the average for most bettas.