Betta fish are great animals to keep in a home or office aquarium because they are easy to care for, more active than most ornamental fish species, and beautiful. Bettas are carnivores and should be fed a meat-based diet and should not be fed the dry, vegetable-based pellets that most tropical fish provide. By understanding their diet and learning how to properly feed them, you can keep your betta fish for a long time.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Feeding the Right Amount
Step 1. Feed it the same size as the eyeballs
The belly of the betta fish is approximately the same size as the eyeball and should not be fed large portions of food more than once. This means that the fish should be fed about 3 bloodworms or artemia per meal. If your fish is pelleted, you can feed it 2 to 3 pre-soaked pellets with each feeding. A betta fish can be fed this amount once or twice a day.
Dried foods (such as bloodworms) are recommended to be soaked before feeding them as some of them may expand in the betta's stomach when dry
Step 2. Reduce the amount of feed if the fish don't finish it
If your fish doesn't finish all of its food, reduce the amount. If you normally feed four pellets per fish, try reducing it to three for a while. You can return four pellets if the fish seems to be eating very quickly.
Step 3. Clean the food that the fish don't eat
Uneaten feed can attract bacteria that are not good for fish and chemicals in the water in the aquarium. This becomes even more problematic if the fish eat spoiled feed.
To clean it, use a small net that is used to lift fish waste or transfer fish to another container
Step 4. Feed the fish regularly
Betta fish should be fed daily or almost daily. Two regular feedings at equal intervals will suffice for the fish. If you keep a betta at work and can't feed it on the weekends, it will be fine as long as you feed it five days per week. Remember not to feed it for a day to match its needs.
Bettas take about two weeks to die of starvation. So don't panic if your fish hasn't eaten for several days due to illness or adjustment to its new home. However, you certainly shouldn't test the limits of how long a betta can live without food
Step 5. Give the fish a variety of feeds
In their natural habitat, betta fish prey on a variety of small animals. Giving the same type of food for a long time can harm his immune system and cause him to eat less.[citation needed]
You can change the type of feed at any time. Try to give your betta at least one different type of feed from his normal diet at least once a week
Part 2 of 3: Choosing the Right Feed
Step 1. Feed the worms
Various species of small aquatic worms are the main diet of betta fish in the wild. The most common worms given to betta fish are bloodworms which are sold live, dried, frozen, or in a gel.
- You can also give silk worms which are often frozen and sold in blocks. Avoid giving live silk worms as they often contain parasites or bacteria.
- The best live worms to use are white worms, grindal worms, and black worms.
- These worms can be purchased at many large pet shops.
Step 2. Feed the insects
You can use live or frozen insects. The best types of insects to feed your betta are Daphnia, also known as water fleas, and fruit flies.
These insects can be purchased at most pet shops. Although often sold live in jars to feed reptiles, the flightless fruit fly can also be used as fish food. Before giving them to the fish, put the insects in a plastic bag and place them in the freezer for a few minutes. This will slow down the insects. Then, immediately put the fly into the aquarium and clean the fly that is not eaten
Step 3. Give another option
Betta fish can also eat various types of frozen meat. You can use artemia, shrimp mysis, or frozen beef liver. These types of feed can be purchased at many large pet shops.
Beef liver and red meat can contaminate the tank with oil and protein and should not be given to fish often
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding the Wrong Feeding Method
Step 1. Don't give dry food too often
Dry food in question is dry pellets, flakes, or frozen dry food. Although promoted as feed for betta fish, some fish feeds can still cause digestive problems due to indigestible additives and lack of moisture.
The pellet absorbs water and expands in the fish's stomach to 2 or 3 times its original size. This may lead to constipation or bladder problems
Step 2. Soak the dry pellets
If this is the only feed option available, soak the pellets in a glass of water for a few minutes before feeding them to your betta. This will make the pellets large before the betta eats them.
Do not give your betta too much food and reduce the portion if the fish's stomach looks bloated. You can change the feed to live animals if your betta is constantly bloated
Step 3. Do not always follow the instructions on the feed label
Pellet or flake containers for fish often say “Feed for 5 minutes or until fish stop eating”. This rule does not apply to betta fish. In the wild, the instinct is to eat as much as possible because the betta doesn't know when its prey will come again.
