Phloxface

I am always trying to find good foods to vary their diet as I don't want them eating dry pellets all the time, even if they are good quality pellets. I wanted to add some type of spirulina or veggie type food as a small breakfast meal and a higher protein pellet for dinner (as well as 3-4 times a week green pea for lunch) All I could usually find is Veggie flake food and my Bettas don't have a clue what to do with flakes. They just stare at them and if they do taste one they spit them out. They like something they can chew.
I found a moist pellet food called "Super Soft frozen food alternative Spirulina" by HBH. It has 30% min protein and lots of good things like peas, zuchinni, carrot, lots of vitamins and of course Spirulina algae.

Soft & Moist with Spirulina is a super-rich food containing high amounts of spirulina algae
- it?s the first ingredient!
When the Soft & Moist base diet is combined with high levels of Spirulina algae, a super food is created. Boosted lipids, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and multiple forms of caroteniods (natural color enhancing agents) not only conditon fish for breeding but also trigger the instinct.

HBH Super SoftTM Frozen Food Alternative with Spirulina
Top Ten Ingredients
Spirulina
Fish Meal
Wheat Flour (high gluten)
Green Pea Powder
Propylene Glycol
Fish Oil (stabilized)
Brewers Dried Yeast
Lecithin (dry)
Zucchini Powder
Carrot Powder


The pellets are large and I cut them into four pieces and feed 1/4 piece to each fish for breakfast. It's moist so it doesn't float but they chase it just like a pea and BOY do they ever LOVE this stuff! The food is very rich so only one piece is needed or they will turn into little piggies. This is not a food to be used as their only food, but as a supplement to their betta pellets, bloodworms, peas, Daphnia and other things we feed them. I give it every day for breakfast but Betta pellets for dinner.
Just thought I'd put it out there if anyone is looking for more variety of foods to spoil your fish with. This stuff seems to get excellent reviews elsewhere online and everyone says their fishes love it.

Here's a link to it if you are interested in reading about it: http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...45524441809669

COBettaCouple

Very interesting food - we'll have to look for it.

Muffymouse

I saw that stuff at the store too and thought it looked good, but I didn't know anything about it. Thanks for sharing

genie

I saw it today after reading this post... I didn't get it b/c I was there for the daphnia, but I might get it next time. I bet my otto would like it as well.

chickadee

Did you happen to see the other Soft food that contains shrimp for carnivores. Maybe we could do away with the hard foods all together.

Rose

I ordered both tonight to try that theory out.

genie

Yeah, I did see some food by the same brand with shrimp-- I wonder if it was soft though-- I wasn't really looking.

chickadee

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2030063&Ne=2




It says Super Soft and Moist in the label and has krill in it.

Rose

Phloxface

Yeah, they had the one with krill in it at my Petsmart too. I'm going to pick some up next week. I was mainly looking for a veggie based food at that time as a supplement. Plus, I wanted to try it out first to see if they'd even like it. They loved it as much as their pea treat! I worry about dry pellets causing constipation and frozen foods sometimes have parasites and they are messy. This stuff has the same texture as those moist dog and cat foods they used to make in the pouches. Not exactly wet food but not dry either. They crumble easily. Others online suggest keeping the can of food inside a large airtight sealed plastic baggie to keep it fresh. Although the container says the food will stay soft even after opening in the can, it's not completely airtight.

COBettaCouple

Is that the petsmart brand or just a brand only sold at petsmart? I was hoping to be able to order it from the DFS site (along with other items - gotta get to $60 at least you know. ) but it's not sold there.

Phloxface

It's sold at a few different stores, not just Petsmart. Here is the company's web site http://www.hbhnet.com/ just click on "Store Finder" to find a store in your area that sells it, otherwise buy from one of the online stores that have it.

COBettaCouple

Thanks.. i checked but unfortunately they only are in 3 stores in florida - none of them close. it would be cheaper to pay the shipping at petsmart.com than the gas.

Gunnie

I have the HBH Soft & Moist Spirulina pellets which are probably betta size that I feed my angels. I don't know if it's the same product you have, but at least you wouldn't have to cut it up, it would already be the right size for your bettas.

Phloxface

They come in two sizes, small and large pellets. I have the small and even that is MUCH too big for a Betta. I first tried cutting it in half and Lava held it in his mouth and it was so big he couldn't chew and he had to drop it. His lips were stretched all around it and it looked like he had a billiard ball in his mouth! I found 1/4 piece is quite a mouthful for a Betta. My smaller females even have trouble with that and usually carry it off somewhere behind a rock or plant and drop it and eat it there where they can protect it from invisible food thieves.
It takes them about 5 times as long to chew this food than the dry pellets. It looks like they have a mouthful of peanut butter! At least they don't just swallow it whole like they do the dry pellets (which then expand in their intestine causing bloating and constipation)

They crumble easily so use a very sharp knife to cut it or a clean new razor blade. Keep the food sealed in a plastic sandwich bag so it doesn't dry out.
If your fish won't chase the food or look for it on the bottom, try using a small spoon (the white plastic spoons you get at fast food places works well) and put the spoon just under the water surface and drop the piece into it. Lava can't chase food very well because of his swim bladder problem so I spoon feed him.

COBettaCouple

Lava might have a swim bladder problem, but he still feels loved from his betta mommy. we love how you find the best ways to care for the little guy.

Phloxface

He's my special needs baby. I'm still hoping he will recover his ability to swim. He is getting better, slowly. He is not hiding behind the filter very much any more and has no trouble balancing himself upright. He still floats, but not sideways anymore. I've heard that swim bladders can sometimes take many months to heal. A more vegetable based diet can help. This is one main reason I was searching for a veggie food for him and something that won't bloat him like dry food and cause more pressure on his swim bladder. He's quite active and healthy otherwise so I know he's not sick, just swimming impaired. I turn his bubbles up full blast for a few minutes, twice a day so he can play and chase the bubbles and he has to fight against the water turbulence a little. Because he spends his days floating he doesn't use his swimming muscles much and has lost a lot of muscle tone. He looks very skinny. I'm trying to get him to exercise a little each day and build up his stamina. He enjoys it and I don't let him get too over stimulated. Short periods of play keep him healthy.
He will be moving into the Kritter Keepr that Niles is in soon and Niles into the Hex tank. The shallower tank will encourage him to dive down more often and this tank makes him more accessible. The Hex tank is a pain to have to remove the whole top each time I need to tend to him. The Kritter Keeper's lid is easy to take off for feeding and playing. He likes to swim with me too. I put my hand in the water and wiggle my fingers like a fish swimming around. He follows along next to me and nips me ocassionally. This is as close as mommy can get to getting in the tank and swimming with him.
The things we do for our fish...

COBettaCouple

Yea, i know what you mean with the hex tanks.. you'll be able to write the "Guide to caring for a Betta with Swim Bladder Problems" with all that you're doing to care for him. I hope his swim bladder does heal up soon. Does he show any interest in small bits of broccoli or beans or maybe even fruit? would fruit in his diet help? I'm glad he's in good hands - he's a happy guy i think.

Phloxface

I've never tried anything but peas on him. I've always wondered if giving him small pieces of orange would be good. I know fish need vitamin C and I've seen the people at Petsmart put slices of orange in some of the fish tanks. I just don't know about Bettas.

COBettaCouple

Fruits and veggies (if they'll eat them) are good for the bettas and I think most any can be fed in small bits. We got some strawberries for ours to try today. I just would stick to organic produce or not feed anything 'surface' in case of chemicals.

Phloxface

I'll pick up some oranges today when I go for groceries and try it.
I had to get something at the hardware store today and of course, it has to be next to Petsmart, so I stopped in and picked up some of the Super Soft Krill food as well to try. All my fish give it two fins up! They love it! Even picky little Daphne who spits everything a million times before eating it loved it right away.