COBettaCouple

Who's tried feeding fruit to their Bettas? What fruit have you tried and have your Bettas showed interest in any?

We just tried our first fruit - strawberries. We cut off the skin and white inside to get a piece of just the best soft part. 3 of our Bettas who eat whatever is fed to them would just keep spitting out the bits and really didn't care for it, but our finicky Betta Sora chomped them down faster than he does pea bits. LOL - go figure.

the_dukeman

I haven't tried feeding my Betta any fruit. I wonder if the acid in fruits like strawberries and pineapples would be a problem chemically?

COBettaCouple

From our experience and that of other Betta owners, it seems that the Betta digestive system handles both fruits.

0morrokh

Generally fruits like strawberries are recommended to be fed to animals only sparingly--but that's for rodents and rabbits and the like, don't know about fish. That said, as long as the fruit is washed well I don't see a problem. I've never thought of trying to feed a Betta fruit...

griffin

i've tried several types of fruit - strawberries, apples, grapefruit, pear, mango, etc - the only one that my betta didn't much care for was the mango.

i think fruits should not be used as a staple, but more as a treat. and always in very small pieces

COBettaCouple

yea, it's definitely only a treat - we'd go broke anyways feeding it often. lol. everything is minced super tiny for them, even angel can eat the bits.

COBettaCouple

Cantaloupe went over great with EVERY Betta that we have, nice soft bits. they only got 1 tiny piece each but all loved and ate their little piece.

chickadee

The important thing to remember is that the main part of the diet HAS to be the bettas regular food (worms or actual betta pellets or some other food specially for bettas) They ARE carnivores. This means the most of their diet has to be protein.

You are really correct. The fruit is wonderful but like the peas and other veggies, has to be a treat and also carefully given so as not to overfeed or you will give your fish a tummy ache (3 or 4 small bits or so).

This is a cute topic. I love that you all are giving your little ones a try on this type of diet. The rule is (so Gunnie says) if we can eat it then so can they (I would imagine within reason - I would not try chocolate or sweets)

Rose

COBettaCouple

yea, we're limiting them to 1 very tiny piece of fruit treat as a 'substitute' for 1 piece of the PM feeding. Like 2 pellets and a fruit bit instead of 3 pellets to try to give them treats here and there, but still keep to their diet schedule.

COBettaCouple

grapes met with mixed success, but overall it was thumbs down from the bettas. they definitely prefer cantaloupe so far.

chickadee

We are having fresh strawberries from our own bed right now and I will say that they go over much better than the ones that come from the store but Nate is so upset right now he is eating nothing. He saw me take JT out of the tank and has been so depressed I have not been able to tempt him with anything. He has not eaten in 2 days. Any suggestions??

Rose

BettaBuddy ~ Miley

omg!!! i was just thinking about that last night!!!!!!!! i wanna try giving them something like brocoli or strawberries or something.... Miley

griffin

i don't have any suggestions that you don't pbby already know about, but i just wanted to wish your fish well. hopefully he'll start eating soon!

COBettaCouple

aww, poor little guy. shows how bettas don't hate each other, they just like their space is all. Peas and garlic juice soaked bloodworms have been refused? Cantaloupe seems to be the greatest thing on earth to all of our bettas - every one goes crazy for it, even Mickey who will only eat peas and bloodworms otherwise. I'd try some tiny bits from the soft juicy part of a good, ripe cantaloupe on him.. i don't know about him, but that's got me hungry! ! Best of luck with him and i'm sure with his usual loving, he'll perk up soon enough.

chickadee

I put some garlic juice on some daphnia as I am trying to hold back on the bloodworms yet but no way but he did nibble on the cantaloupe, thanks for the suggestion. Now I have one in the other room since Marty Jr. is upset about Alex. I have my tanks too close together and they see everything but I just have no more room. I will try the cantaloupe on him later.

Rose

COBettaCouple

i'm glad the cantaloupe worked a little.. we're going to try other melons - i think they like the fruit sugars and the high moisture %.. now if there's a melon with high protein levels, that'd be great. i think you've got some great bettas that they can show as deep of an emotion as missing a fellow betta.. and like we do, they'll have their time and come back to their regular behavior. We wish you the best with both of them and that they'll be eating a regular diet again soon.