In Wild Betta fish are hardy and can eat almost anything in their environments, including worms, larvae of mosquitoes or other insects, and even smaller fish. Their natural environment is often resource-limited, so many Betta species have little choice of food. Betta splendens feed on zooplankton, crustaceans, and the larvae of mosquitoes and other water-bound insects. In captivity they can be fed a varied diet of pellets or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia and many others. Despite myths that they will feed on any plant matter in the tank, they are naturally insectivores and do not typically or naturally consume vegetation.
In Aquarium
Bettas require a well-balanced diet that is rich in protein because they are primarily carnivores.
BETTER TO FEED LIVE FOOD Live food is preferable, but it is not always easy to purchase. It can be exhausting to buy bloodworms from the store and to growing them in your home can be tricky. Most of the time, it will not be worth your time if you only have one or two Betta Fish. On the other hand, remember that live food is absolutely necessary if you intend to breed these wonderful fish. Bettas are carnivorous and in the wild they’re known to eat brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, worms, and even other smaller fish. Because of their unique diet, there are a number of products available specifically made for Bettas. The typical fish food sold at most pet stores is usually plant based. If you’re wondering whether bettas can eat this kind of food, the answer is both yes and no. They can eat plant based fish flakes for a temporary period of time, but keep in mind that it shouldn’t be a long term thing since it could cause swim bladder disease and bloating.
Most betta keepers decide to feed pellets because they are simple and effective. Pellets create less mess and you can easily portion them out for feedings. Live, freeze-dried, or frozen foods can be used as treats or implemented into their daily feeding routine too.
To keep your betta happy and healthy :
Best Betta Fish Food: Dietary Requirements Betta fish are classified as carnivores, and eat insects in the wild. The best betta food replicates these specific dietary needs without a lot of added and indigestible fillers. For most betta keepers it may not be possible to source or provide live foods as a betta fish’s main diet. It’s best then, to provide a variety of high-quality pellets, flakes, freeze dried, frozen and live foods. Each is covered below.
Providing the best nutritional value focuses on a betta’s need of protein, fat, fiber, phosphorus, carbohydrates, calcium, and vitamins (A, D3, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, H, M). Make sure your betta food is natural and contains protein as the first ingredient. Do not purchase or feed flakes made for goldfish or other tropical fish.
Betta fish have very short digestive tracts and do not process fillers like corn and wheat very well. These fillers are often found in many pellet and flake foods and can lead to excess bloat and digestive issues (e.g. constipation). Betta’s receive no nutritional benefit from fillers and just pass them off as waste.
It’s very important you provide foods high in protein to satisfy their carnivorous needs. Fiber and moisture are also important to aid their digestion.
Betta Fish Pellets
Pellets are the most common betta fish food on the market, with quality varying greatly across each. The best pellets for betta fish will have fewer fillers and more high-quality ingredients that help fish thrive. Some betta fish pellets expand significantly after they are exposed to water. This can cause bloating and digestive issues if you’re not careful as they’ll expand in your betta’s stomach. For pellets that expand once wet, soak them in tank water before feeding to hydrate them, especially if your betta attacks food instantly.
Freeze-Dried Betta Food
Freeze dried food is a great option to introduce some of the betta’s natural food into their diet, but it does not replace the quality of live or frozen foods. Freeze dried foods have been stripped of their moisture and have added fillers to keep them stable. It’s recommended that you soak them in tank water before feeding to rehydrate them, increasing the moisture content. Feeding only freeze dried food can lead to bloating and constipation issues. One large benefit to freeze dried foods, however, is they are free of bacteria and parasites.They are also easy to find at local fish stores and online and are relatively inexpensive. They store well and often come in your typical fish food containers.
Betta Fish Flakes
There are specific flakes made specifically for betta fish. Do not feed your betta other tropical fish flakes because they lack the protein requirements bettas need. Betta flakes can be a staple in regular feedings, but they can also be very messy. Excess or sunken flakes should be removed immediately after feeding. Betta fish often refuse to eat flakes as well.
Live & Frozen Betta Food
If you’ve never fed your betta anything other than pellets then you and your betta are missing out. Betta fish are carnivores and they get increasingly aggressive during feedings when they have to stalk their prey. This is also the best way to replicate their natural habitat and food sources. Some are harder to source than others but make for a balanced diet. Be careful of where you source your live and frozen foods from, as they may carry parasites and other diseases. Never feed your betta something you caught outdoors either. Frozen foods come in many of the same options. It’s a great alternative to keeping live food. Frozen betta food may be kept in your freezer until you’re ready to defrost and feed them to your betta. Only take as much as you need placing the rest back into the freezer to prevent thawing. Never refreeze any food that has been thawed as it could have been exposed to bacteria.
How Much & How Often to Feed a Betta Fish?
Pay no attention to the amount and instructions on the side of the betta fish food can. These directions are often very misleading and can cause problems with your betta and the water quality in your tank. Typical feeding instructions say to feed as much as your fish will consume in 5 minutes, or to feed several times daily in amounts that can be consumed in 3 minutes. This is not recommended and will lead to overfeeding and excess waste. Betta fish pellets (2-4 pellets, 1-2 times daily) Live, frozen, or freeze-dried (2-3 pieces, 1-2 times daily)
Adult bettas can be fed once per day, and babies (fry) can be fed twice per day. It might not seem like enough, but many pellets expand to more than 2X their size once they get wet. To put this into further perspective, a betta fish’s stomach is roughly the size of their eye! Additional feedings may be necessary depending on the activity level and personality of your betta. Bettas will overeat if you let them. Overfeeding and overeating can lead to constipation, bloating, obesity (that’s right betta fish can get fat), swim bladder problems, contracting diseases because of the bacteria feeding on the excess food breaking down, and even death.
Always clean up any excess food that falls to the bottom of the tank with an aquarium designated turkey baster. This will prevent ammonia buildup and the potential for harmful diseases being present from food decay. It’s also a good idea to not feed your betta one day per week, this gives their digestive tract time to fully process food and it limits problems associated with overeating. If you’re going to be gone for a day or two, or on vacation, don’t pour extra betta food in either. Extra feeding will lead to overeating or they may not eat the excess at all. If you want to know how long betta fish can go without food too, it’s actually 14 days. Therefore, it’s always better not to feed your betta over the weekend or for a day or two than it is to feed them extra.
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