Keeping Your Betta Fish Happy

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As with all pets, the right diet is a very important part of keeping your Betta fish happy and salubrious. These little insect eaters require a specific diet and won't thrive on just whatever foods, then you'll take to do a little research to figure out what works and what doesn't.

Finding the "best" Betta nutrient challenging at times, particularly if you're new to fishkeeping – there are many myths floating around about Bettas that it's hard to know what is really right.

Which foods are "skillful" and which are "bad"? What should your feeding schedule really expect like? What do you lot do if things don't piece of work out equally planned?

This guide discusses everything you lot'll ever demand to know about Betta fish food and feeding, including how to find the right food types and the best way to feed your Betta.

Quick Links

1 Betta Fish Pellets
- 1.1 Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets
- 1.2 New Life Spectrum Betta Formula Pellets
2 Betta Fish Flakes
- two.1 Tetra Tropical Betta Crisps
iii Freeze-Dried Foods
- 3.1 Omega 1 Freeze Dried Claret Worms
4 How to Recognize a Expert Staple Food
- 4.1 Poly peptide-based
- 4.ii Low on fillers
5 Spice Things Up With Occasional Treats
- 5.i Frozen foods
- 5.two Live foods
6 Bad Betta Foods That Yous Should Avoid
- 6.one Plant Based Foods
- 6.2 Low Quality Flakes
7 Common Betta Feeding Myths
- 7.1 Feed as much equally your Betta tin can eat in v minutes
- 7.two Betta fish tin survive on simply establish roots
- 7.3 Weekend block foods
8 How to Make Your Own Betta Fish Food
- 8.1 Making Gel Nutrient
- viii.2 Hatching Brine Shrimp & Fruit Flies
- viii.3 Raising A Live Nutrient Colony
9 Feeding Your Betta Fish
- ix.1 How much should I feed?
- 9.2 How ofttimes should I feed?
- 9.3 Betta Fish Feeding Schedule
10 Troubleshooting
- 10.1 My Betta Fish Isn't Eating
- x.2 My Betta Fish is Bloated
- 10.3 My Betta fish can't notice its nutrient!
- 10.4 I've run out of food!
11 Decision

Betta Fish Pellets

Fifty-fifty if you know what to look for, it tin can nevertheless be a picayune difficult to actually head out and find a good Betta food. So we went ahead and did the work for yous! We checked the ingredient labels on diverse Betta foods and picked two high-quality pellets that will go along your Betta happy and good for you:

Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets

This is i of our favorite Betta pellet foods considering information technology has a prissy and curt ingredient list with few fillers and plenty of the whole fish that nosotros're looking for. In fact, at that place are no fish meals to exist found in this food and it'due south also completely devoid of plant-based ingredients besides the usual wheat.

New Life Spectrum Betta Formula Pellets

Another food with enough of protein and non too many constitute-based ingredients is the New Life Spectrum Betta Formula, which should also make a neat staple option for your Betta fish. Although the master proteins are meal-based and there are slightly more greens in these pellets, there are no funky fillers like soy, corn or tater. Approved!

Betta Fish Flakes

Although I generally recommend pellets earlier flakes, Betta flakes tin can likewise be a great culling. That said, brand sure y'all cull your flakes advisedly – low quality flakes generally contain a lot of fillers and plant-based ingredients. Hither are some great flake options that nosotros recommend:

Tetra Tropical Betta Crisps

Tetra Tropical Betta Crisps are i of my favorite fleck foods on the market. Although they incorporate a bit of fillers (what scrap foods don't?), these flakes tend to be a lot more than nutritious than other pop brands. I still prefer to feed my Betta pellets equally the "chief" meal, only these are great to mix in every few days to raise color.

Note:If you programme to feed floating foods such equally flakes, I would definitely recommend picking up a feeding ring. They prevent flakes from going all over the tank, which helps increment water quality and decrease the amount of required cleanings.

Freeze-Dried Foods

Like live foods, freeze-dried bugs similar bloodworms are a subject area of give-and-take in the aquarium hobby. Some aquarists like to avoid them because they are associated with bloating issues, while others accept been using them for years with no problems whatever.

While freeze-dried foods aren't the accented healthiest option for your Betta (they tin can be quite fattening and lose many of their leftover vitamins during the required soaking time), in that location is little reason to avert them entirely. They work just fine equally an occasional snack or treat. Soak them beforehand to avoid bloating problems and add a liquid vitamin supplement to the soaking water to brand up for the lost nutritional value.

If you desire to go the freeze-stale road, here is our tiptop proffer:

Omega One Freeze Stale Blood Worms

I can't fifty-fifty tell you how much Bettas dearest these Omega One Claret Worms. For those that don't want to mess with alive or frozen foods (simply still want to feed their Betta the meaty diet that they crave), these freeze dried Blood Worms are the perfect option. Once again, I would suggest feeding these supplementary to pellets and flakes.

How to Recognize a Good Staple Food

Here are a few very like shooting fish in a barrel guidelines yous can follow when looking for a pellet/flake food for your Betta (but to make certain you lot get the highest quality). Remember: the ingredient list is your friend!

Poly peptide-based

As we discussed before, Bettas are mainly insectivores. They naturally feed on bugs that have fallen into the water and any little aquatic critters they come up across. Although they might eat some institute based foods if they're hungry, greens are not the main part of their diet.

And then how do y'all recognize a high protein Betta food? If the offset ingredient on the list is institute-based, it'southward probably a good idea to go for another product. Instead, look for something that contains a lot of protein-based ingredients like fish, krill and shrimp.

Species-specific whole poly peptide (like "whole herring") is preferable to nonspecific protein meal (like "fish meal"). However, generic meal is nevertheless better than plants and institute meal (like "soy repast"). Also have a await at the crude protein per centum: nigh Betta keepers prefer foods that contain at least twoscore% rough poly peptide.

Low on fillers

Y'all might be wondering…if Bettas demand so much poly peptide, why practice some foods contain so many found-based ingredients? The answer is that plants are cheaper than fish or shrimp, and then manufacturers prefer to use them as fillers to go along costs downwardly – a rather abrasive practice that makes it hard for us to find high-quality foods that incorporate the ingredients that Bettas need!

The search for foods that are loftier in protein goes mitt in hand with the search for ingredient lists that are equally low on fillers as possible. Do the kickoff 5 ingredients mainly consist of plants like soy, rice or seaweed? If so, you might be improve off going for another product.

Additionally, if you see lots of questionable and barely pronounceable ingredients on the lower stop of the listing, this is also reason for caution. These ingredients are oft unnecessary and not always good for your fish in the long run.

Note: All Betta foods, even the highest quality ones, will contain at least some constitute-based ingredients (often wheat flour). This is merely because without this addition, the desired nutrient consistency tin't be reached.

Spice Things Up With Occasional Treats

In that location's more to Betta feeding than but tossing in a few pellets every day. Diversity is important in whatsoever diet, and Bettas are no exception. Luckily there are plenty of food options out in that location that you can hands fit into your feeding schedule to switch things up a little.

Frozen foods

A very handy manner to offer some variety is to ever accept a few packets of different frozen foods in your freezer. These can be stored for a long fourth dimension and there are many unlike types bachelor (mostly worms and insects similar your Betta would eat in the wild). Hither are a few good options:

Bloodworms
Musquito larvae
Brine srhimp
Daphnia

All of these frozen options tin can exist fed a few times a week as an alternative to your regular pellets. Always be sure to thaw frozen foods earlier feeding and don't re-freeze afterward.

Alive foods

Alive foods sometimes take a bad reputation in the aquarium hobby. Occasionally, because store-bought alive foods (similar brine shrimp, blackworms, musquito larvae, and vinegar eels) can comprise parasites that might impairment your fish.

Don't write off this option as well easily, though: although store-bought alive fish foods might not always be ideal, you lot can actually easily culture various tasty critters for your Betta to eat at home. We'll discuss how it works a little later in this article.

Live foods are our favorite Betta foods, as they stimulate natural feeding behavior and are a great way to offer some actress enrichment. Although a flake too fat to apply as a staple, alive foods are definitely good to include in your feeding schedule.

Bad Betta Foods That Yous Should Avoid

If you have a quick look around at your local pet or aquarium store, you'll see tons of foods marketed towards Betta fish. Not all foods are suitable for your Betta, though – fifty-fifty some of the foods marketed towards Betta fish owners are actually best avoided! Bettas need a specific diet that is high in poly peptide. Simply how practise y'all know which foods to avoid? The commercially produced product types beneath are a few examples of bad Betta foods.

Plant Based Foods

Because Bettas are naturally insectivores and they need plenty of protein in their diet to stay happy and healthy. Take a look at the ingredient listing of whatever foods you lot're interested in. If the first few ingredients are plant based, you lot're best off skipping them.

Low Quality Flakes

Generic flake foods are ofttimes marketed equally suitable for all tropical fish. However, a quick glance at the ingredient lists of many flake foods reveals that they aren't the best option for your Betta. Not only are cheap flakes oftentimes low in quality, merely they're likewise loftier in found matter and don't incorporate all that much protein. Additionally, flakes often sink quickly, which isn't ideal equally Bettas prefer to eat floating foods.

Fifty-fifty if a food is specifically listed as "Betta food", that doesn't mean it's a foolproof choice. Not all Betta products are high in quality, and low quality foods tin can cause health bug for your fish in the long run. How do yous recognize a bad Betta food? As always, accept a peek at the ingredient list. Are there lots of fillers like wheat, soy and rice on there and barely any proteins like whole fish or least fish repast? Skip it!

Common Betta Feeding Myths

Bettas are 1 of the most popular aquarium fish in the globe – as a event, at that place are tons of mutual misconceptions floating around (many of them pertaining to their diet). Here are a few of the most common Betta "care tips" y'all might accept read or heard nigh that aren't actually proficient for your fish:

Feed every bit much as your Betta can consume in 5 minutes

This text is still displayed on many Betta nutrient containers (and fish food containers in general). Simply approximate what? If you proceed tossing in more and more pellets for ii or five minutes, your Betta will keep eating them regardless of whether it still needs food. It doesn't know the concept of being satiated. Equally a result, overeating is a existent chance if you lot follow this guideline – bloating or even death is non unheard of.

Betta fish can survive on merely constitute roots

This is a description that often accompanies minor vases containing a plant, water and a Betta fish. Sellers claim the Betta will eat the plant roots and its waste forms a kind of fertilizer for the establish. If y'all read the previous section you'll spot the consequence hither right abroad.

Aside from the fact that a vase is not a proper Betta home at all, Bettas are also non herbivores and they will non swallow found roots unless they're starving. Whether information technology'south the bad water quality or the bad diet – the fish is doomed in this type of setup.

Additional Reading: 5 All-time Betta Fish Tanks on the Market place

Weekend block foods

These food blocks deliquesce over a menses of multiple days. Manufacturers (and some pet stores) to merits that they piece of work perfectly to keep your fish well-fed while you're away for a few days. In practice, though, these blocks are more of a danger than an reward.

The dusty particles can progressively worsen h2o quality while the block dissolves and your fish can end up overeating, which means you lot'll probably cease up coming habitation to an emergency rather than a happy Betta.

How to Brand Your Own Betta Fish Nutrient

If you lot're getting tired of trying to find the correct commercial Betta food or simply want to add together some diversity to the diet of your fish (which is very important!), you're in luck. In that location are actually a few great ways to make your own fish food, and it works for Bettas too. You can make nutrient from scratch using the gel food method. Alternatively, y'all tin can go the alive food route past hatching alkali shrimp and fruit flies or even set your ain live nutrient colony for a constant supply of Betta snacks.

Making Gel Nutrient

Gel food was originally 'invented' by goldfish keepers, equally some fancy goldfish don't respond well to commercial fish foods. The rest of the aquarium world has caught on, though: this is the easiest way to make your ain (Betta) fish food at home. Although it might be a bit too messy to use as a daily staple, your Betta will love gel food every bit a snack!

Then how does this work?

To make gel food, you puree all the ingredients yous'd like to feed your fish and and then bind them together using gelatin or agar agar. Equally you lot tin can imagine, recipes can be varied incessantly – which comes in handy when you lot're feeding fish that require a specific diet like the insectivorous Betta. The nutrient can be frozen and and so thawed before using, so you tin can keep it in your freezer gear up to go at all times.

Hither'south a simple recipe that could attempt (vary the amounts according to your preferred portion size; keep in heed Bettas aren't big eaters).

Frozen shrimp
Frozen fish foods like bloodworms or mosquito larvae
A few spinach leaves
A little fresh garlic (it'due south stinky, but fish beloved the smell!)
Gelatin or agar agar

Because Bettas don't swallow much at a fourth dimension, try using plenty of gelatin to make the mixture relatively strong. This allows you to easily cutting it into smaller pieces and prevents your Betta'southward tank from turning into a mess.

Hatching Alkali Shrimp & Fruit Flies

As discussed earlier, live foods are a fantastic Betta nutrient option. If you want to add together some variety to your Betta'southward diet and stimulate its natural feeding behavior, hatching some bugs at home might work well. It's not as gross as it sounds!

Hatching your own brine shrimp – This is quite common in the aquarium hobby because it's very easy. Alkali shrimp are tiny saltwater crustaceans that produce dormant eggs which can be stored for a long time. To hatch a colony of your own to use as Betta food, all you have to do is find a brine shrimp hatching kit, follow the instructions and be patient. Your Betta volition capeesh it.
Hatching wingless fruit flies – If setting up a alkali shrimp hatchery sounds like as well much of a hassle, wingless fruit flies are an fifty-fifty easier option. This is a popular live nutrient for "terrarium pets" similar juvenile praying mantis and poison dart frogs, but considering the flies lack wings you lot tin can hands feed them to your Betta equally well. Just buy a fruit fly colony (they are sold in handy cups), give information technology a few days and commencement feeding. The cups tin can proceed producing new flies for a long time.

Raising A Live Nutrient Colony

If you want a abiding supply of live foods for your Bettas, constantly ownership new brine shrimp eggs or fruit fly cultures can get a chip pricey. Practice not despair: there are other options. Setting up a live food colony is non besides difficult in most cases, and at that place are many tasty critters to choose betwixt. Endeavor blackworms, grindal worms, vinegar eels or the fully aquatic h2o flea.

Feeding Your Betta Fish

Now that nosotros've discussed all there is to talk over when it comes to what to feed your Betta, you might be wondering how to go about it. What is the best feeding frequency? When do you feed which foods?

Don't worry: it's all pretty straightforward. With the tips below you should be able to keep your Betta well-fed and avoid any major bug. We've also included a handy pre-made Betta fish feeding schedule to salvage you the trouble of having to come upwardly with 1 yourself.

How much should I feed?

As we discussed in the section on Betta fish feeding myths, you should avoid feeding "equally much as your Betta can consume in 10 minutes", as this is an easy recipe for overfeeding and a bloated, unhappy fish. Instead, stick to a total of 2-half dozen pellets, worms or other 'food bits' a day.

This might seem like a large and unclear range, but keep in mind that variety is very important when feeding whatever fish including Bettas. Change upward the amount a little every day. Also, don't be tempted past your Betta'due south adorable wiggle dance – it might beg for food as if it's starving, merely giving in to this behavior will but effect in bloating. Be strong!

How often should I feed?

Another important component of your feeding schedule is feeding frequency. While it might be easy to merely toss the entire required daily amount of food into your tank at one time, this is not the all-time feeding method. Fish aren't adapted to eating big amounts once a twenty-four hour period; they thrive on more frequent smaller portions. It's a practiced thought to divide those 2-6 pellets into up to three portions with at to the lowest degree a few hours in between.

Many Betta keepers also similar to skip the food birthday and fast their Betta for one 24-hour interval a week to allow its organization to clear out. You lot can do this if you want, but it'south not absolutely necessary as long every bit you go along things varied.

Important:Your Betta might non notice all nutrient that enters the tank, which means there might be some leftovers afterwards feeding time. Don't leave these floating in the h2o. Decaying foods can quickly cause bad h2o quality, and then anything that hasn't been eaten inside a few hours should be removed to avoid problems.

Betta Fish Feeding Schedule

All the info you lot need to develop your own feeding regimen tin can be plant above, but we understand that things might still exist a little confusing.

To aid give you a articulate thought of what a Betta fish feeding schedule should wait like, we came upwardly with i that yous tin utilize as an case. Y'all can customize it to your liking: information technology's not the onlyBetta feeding schedule, just a uncomplicated example that illustrates how you can vary feedings/amounts and incorporate snacks like alive and frozen foods.

Plainly things will await different if you feed gel foods, prefer unlike feeding times, desire to include a fasting mean solar day, etc.

Monday
9 AM: 2x pellet
3 PM: 2x pellet
Tuesday
9 AM: 2x pellet
2 PM: 2 pcs (thawed) frozen food
vii PM: 1x pellet
Wednesday
9 AM: 2x pellet
seven PM: 3x pellet
Thursday
9 AM: 2x pellet
2 PM: 2 pcs freeze dried food
Friday
9 AM: 1x pellet
7 PM: 1x pellet
Saturday.
9 AM: 2x pellet
2 PM: 2 pcs (thawed) frozen food
7 PM: 2x pellet
Sunday
3 PM: live food

Troubleshooting

Even if you do everything right, in that location's always a hazard you might meet some bug. This is too true for Betta fish feeding.

If a problem has occurred, don't panic: Bettas are hardy fish that don't go belly up at the slightest outcome and can go without food for a while if need be. Take your time to effigy out what's wrong and don't practise annihilation without researching outset.

Also, don't instantly believe everything you lot read or hear. A few of the most common problems related to Betta feeding are discussed below.

My Betta Fish Isn't Eating

One of the about common problems with Betta feeding is when the fish refuses to consume altogether. In that location are a few different causes for this and luckily most are fairly innocent.

Offset off, Bettas often stop eating if they've been put under a big corporeality of stress: have you simply brought it home from the pet store? Take you rescaped its unabridged tank? Were there some water quality problems that had to be fixed? All stress factors tin cause temporary refusal of food. If this is the example, the problem will resolve itself within a few days once your fish has calmed down. If it's taking a niggling longer than yous'd similar y'all tin can ever endeavor to tempt the fish with some yummy frozen worms or even live foods – they'll usually leap at the chance to eat those!

Another reason your Betta isn't eating might exist that information technology isn't used to the food type you're using yet. Every bit discussed earlier, some Bettas reject to acknowledge flakes. Maybe the person who bred your Betta exclusively used alive foods. Whatever the exact reason, your Betta will normally get hungry enough to swallow unknown foods within a few days.

Lastly, your Betta might be refusing food because it is sick. Diseases that bear upon the mouth (like infections) tin can brand it impossible for your Betta to swallow. Alternatively, very ill fish might lose their appetite (which is a sign that it'south definitely time to take action). There isn't much y'all can do if this is the case also diagnosing and treating the problem as soon as possible (although yous tin can try enticing the fish with some worms or soaking its nutrient in garlicky water to go far aroma extra tasty).

My Betta Fish is Bloated

Does your Betta wait a bit too fat after feeding? Whoops, you lot might have overfed a piddling! No trouble, only skip the next feeding to give its body fourth dimension to deal with the excess food.

If this is this happening regularly, be sure to review your feeding schedule (you can endeavour comparing information technology to the one above) to make sure you lot aren't habitually overfeeding. Attempt reducing the amount of freeze-dried foods and double cheque whether your staple food is actually high quality; nosotros've discussed what to look for on the ingredient list a few sections above.

Continue in mind – bloating might not always be nutrient-related. It tin besides be a sign of a ill Betta. Bloating combined with raised scales is referred to equally 'dropsy' and is a sign of organ failure.

My Betta fish can't observe its food!

This is an abrasive issue that can occur if your Betta isn't used to the food type you're using or if your aquarium is densely planted. Luckily, this one is very easy to resolve: you can buy a feeding ring and offer food in in that location. Bettas are smart and volition learn pretty chop-chop exactly where its food will appear (which commonly leads to your Betta swimming towards the ring as soon every bit it sees you).

I've run out of nutrient!

No worries. Your Betta won't starve if information technology has to become without food for a fiddling while until you tin run out to the store or receive your online food order. Don't panic or feed human being foods like breadstuff – merely wait it out.

Decision

Although Betta fish feeding has been fabricated to wait complicated by all the myths and rumors out there, information technology'southward actually not that hard. We hope this guide has been helpful in helping y'all effigy out how to go about choosing foods and setting upwards your feeding schedule. Remember, the key points are uncomplicated – loftier quality foods and plenty of diversity are all y'all need for a healthy and happy Betta.

Jason is an aquarium fanatic that has been a fish hobbyist for virtually 3 decades.