Intro
Betta fish are a beautiful and extremely popular fish to keep. It’s safe to say that the simplicity of care for these fish, their beauty and a wide range of personalities attract many to keep them. It is important that you are providing your betta fish with a varied diet. Betta fish are carnivores, so they require a balanced diet that includes plenty of protein. This article is intended to thoroughly cover topics on betta food and feeding. Though I am writing this to provide a guide for beginners or those unfamiliar with the importance of varied diets, hopefully anybody reading this can learn from this, regardless of experience level. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
What do betta fish eat? + Ingredients to look for
In their natural habitats, which are river basins in Southeast Asia, betta fish mainly eat insects and insect larvae. It is vital that the food you’re feeding your betta is high in protein and high in fiber!
When selecting food, look for specific ingredients like shrimp, krill, etc. Fish meal is a common ingredient in fish food, and it tends to be a generic mix of different foods. This is fine, but you generally don’t know what is exactly in it. Another important thing to look out for is fillers. Made from plant based ingredients, these are very common in pellets and flakes and can lead to bloating in your fish. If the first few ingredients of your food say things like “soy” or “rice”, steer clear. Most pellet and flake foods will contain some fillers, but if they are not the primary ingredients, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Lastly, crude protein. This is the total amount of protein in the food. Look for foods with at least 30%-40% crude protein.
Frozen, Freeze Dried, and More Food Types
Flakes and Pellets
These are the most common types of staple food due to their accessibility and simplicity of use! When choosing flake food, make sure that they are specifically for betta fish and that they have a high protein content. Though flakes float initially, they tend to sink to the bottom so be aware of the amount you feed at a time.
Pellets are another very popular food option. There are floating and sinking varieties! Like flakes, make sure the pellets you choose have a high animal based protein content.
Freeze Dried Food
Because of added fillers, freeze dried foods should not be a staple food in your betta’s diet. Feeding this type of food every day can quickly lead to bloating and constipation. Once or twice a week as a meal should be fine.
Frozen & Live Food
Live and frozen food are great options for your betta. Feeding your betta live food can replicate their natural environment and allow them to exercise their hunting instinct. When feeding live food, it is important to know your source as live food can carry parasites and disease. Some start cultures and raise their own larvae to feed their bettas to ensure that there are none. Frozen food often comes in blister packages of small cubes of the animals. Do NOT drop the entire block into your betta’s tank. Simply cut off a small piece of thaw it in tank water for portion control.
Popular Frozen/Live Food:
- Bloodworms
- Daphnia: Good for relieving constipation
- Brine Shrimp
- Wingless Fruit Flies
Feeding Schedule
With a varied diet, you should rotate different types of food each day you feed your betta. It is also recommended to leave a day or two for your betta to fast. It’s easy to overfeed your betta. A day or two of fasting will alleviate any bloating and give your betta a chance to digest its food.
Summary:
It is highly important to give your betta a varied diet full of protein! This will contribute to your betta’s health and longevity.
Thanks for reading!
Betta fish are a beautiful and extremely popular fish to keep. It’s safe to say that the simplicity of care for these fish, their beauty and a wide range of personalities attract many to keep them. It is important that you are providing your betta fish with a varied diet. Betta fish are carnivores, so they require a balanced diet that includes plenty of protein. This article is intended to thoroughly cover topics on betta food and feeding. Though I am writing this to provide a guide for beginners or those unfamiliar with the importance of varied diets, hopefully anybody reading this can learn from this, regardless of experience level. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
What do betta fish eat? + Ingredients to look for
In their natural habitats, which are river basins in Southeast Asia, betta fish mainly eat insects and insect larvae. It is vital that the food you’re feeding your betta is high in protein and high in fiber!
When selecting food, look for specific ingredients like shrimp, krill, etc. Fish meal is a common ingredient in fish food, and it tends to be a generic mix of different foods. This is fine, but you generally don’t know what is exactly in it. Another important thing to look out for is fillers. Made from plant based ingredients, these are very common in pellets and flakes and can lead to bloating in your fish. If the first few ingredients of your food say things like “soy” or “rice”, steer clear. Most pellet and flake foods will contain some fillers, but if they are not the primary ingredients, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Lastly, crude protein. This is the total amount of protein in the food. Look for foods with at least 30%-40% crude protein.
Frozen, Freeze Dried, and More Food Types
Flakes and Pellets
These are the most common types of staple food due to their accessibility and simplicity of use! When choosing flake food, make sure that they are specifically for betta fish and that they have a high protein content. Though flakes float initially, they tend to sink to the bottom so be aware of the amount you feed at a time.
Pellets are another very popular food option. There are floating and sinking varieties! Like flakes, make sure the pellets you choose have a high animal based protein content.
Freeze Dried Food
Because of added fillers, freeze dried foods should not be a staple food in your betta’s diet. Feeding this type of food every day can quickly lead to bloating and constipation. Once or twice a week as a meal should be fine.
Frozen & Live Food
Live and frozen food are great options for your betta. Feeding your betta live food can replicate their natural environment and allow them to exercise their hunting instinct. When feeding live food, it is important to know your source as live food can carry parasites and disease. Some start cultures and raise their own larvae to feed their bettas to ensure that there are none. Frozen food often comes in blister packages of small cubes of the animals. Do NOT drop the entire block into your betta’s tank. Simply cut off a small piece of thaw it in tank water for portion control.
Popular Frozen/Live Food:
- Bloodworms
- Daphnia: Good for relieving constipation
- Brine Shrimp
- Wingless Fruit Flies
Feeding Schedule
With a varied diet, you should rotate different types of food each day you feed your betta. It is also recommended to leave a day or two for your betta to fast. It’s easy to overfeed your betta. A day or two of fasting will alleviate any bloating and give your betta a chance to digest its food.
Summary:
It is highly important to give your betta a varied diet full of protein! This will contribute to your betta’s health and longevity.
Thanks for reading!
