Two questions about bettas

1. Why do betta eat peas? Since Bettas are carnivores and peas are obviously not animal material, it is odd that they eat them. I've never seen my betta poop either.

2. My betta has something weird near her gills. It looks like a piece of tank debris that may have got caught in a suction loop around her gils. It is very small and black and it sort of just stays around her gills. What could this be?

 

1. who knows. I never feed my fish peas - NLS food is easily digested so constipation is never a problem. You shouldn't really be seeing small fish poop too much, but you should be able to find some evidence of it.

2. Sounds like something may just be caught in the slime coat. I've seen stuff like that on my fish, watched intently for a while. Ultimately I determined it to be nothing and later when I would go look it would be gone. Keep an eye on it though.

 

People feed Beta's peas to treat/prevent constipation.

If the black follows the whole length of the gills, it is probably just her beard. (just a part of the gill used when the betta flares)

 

Bettas may be carnivores, but they're also little piggies. Mine will eat an entire algae wafer if I put it in while he's awake, and pecks at zucchini/cucumber as it's sinking.

 

1. because they are used to eating whatever we put in front of them, sorta a trust thing. Its rare you see your bettas poop, they are ninjas about it
2. sounds like the beard.

 

1. because they are used to eating whatever we put in front of them, sorta a trust thing. Its rare you see your bettas poop, they are ninjas about it
2. sounds like the beard.

My young betta visibly bloats up after eating. The other fish do not.

She swims fine though.

after feeding her the pea she has gone back to normal size. Fish really like green peas. I guess it is because green peas have similar consistency as brine shrimp.

2. I can see the black spec moving back and forth, like something caught and hanging by a thread.

 

My betta will eat anything I put in his tank: NLS pellets, algae wafers, peas, etc.
I have never seen my betta poo....I guess he's very modest or something.

 

My betta will eat anything I put in his tank: NLS pellets, algae wafers, peas, etc.
I have never seen my betta poo....I guess he's very modest or something.

I haven't either. My platys always have feces hanging from them but I've never seen my betta poop, I just see it when it's landed on the plants.

 

I've seen my betta poop!!! My ninja powers are beyond bettas! It also help that Odin is really big...

Taiwwa, you could be over feeding and that's why she's getting so big. I can always tell when my bettas have a full tummy.

Also, I don't think a pea is anywhere near the texture or consistency of brine shrimp.

 

My betta will eat anything I put in his tank: NLS pellets, algae wafers, peas, etc.
I have never seen my betta poo....I guess he's very modest or something.

My betta won't eat algae while the platys will.

 

Meh, bettas will peck at anything that floats past, though it doesn't always do them good. Bettas won't bother algae on the tank walls. Some might bother a pellet.

 

Okay, so I'm a little worried right now.

I suspect it might be fluke? It is definitely not a beard. It looks as if there is a string from inside her gills and then a black spec is hanging on by that string. I think I even saw her "flash" on that side.

Also, she is pink with light blue fins. But her sides are reddish/purple. I had assumed that this is because she is young and maturing and is a color change, but it might be something else. Any idea?