What to Feed Betta Fish

Betta fish look gorgeous undulating in the water, but their stunning fins can begin to droop if they are not fed a proper diet. Notoriously picky eaters, understanding how to feed betta fish should be your priority. In this blog, you will learn what you can feed this expensive fish to ensure that it remains healthy, beautiful and happy for years to come. This includes:

• Fish pellets.
• Live feed.
• Frozen food.
• Freeze-dried food

Also read up on why overfeeding betta fish is a bad idea.

Why You Should Be Concerned About What To Feed Betta Fish

Also known as Siamese fighting fish, betta fish are a tropical fish, known for their vibrant bodies, luxurious fins and their feisty temperament. They are also known for being notoriously picky eaters, which can be a problem for new owners. As such, what to feed betta fish should be on your list of priorities if you want to ensure this gorgeous fish retains its colors, health and characteristic personality.

At Grange Co-op we have a range of fish food for all species. Choose the ideal diet for your betta fish from our selection after going through our list such as Aqueon Betta Food. Since it is primarily a carnivore, its feed is vastly different from other fish as it requires a well-balanced diet that is rich in protein. Contrary to popular belief, betta fish cannont survive on roots.

Here is a selection of betta fish food that should be in your pet’s diet:

Betta Fish Pellets

Pellets are popular betta fish food that new owners opt for in the beginning. The best variety for this species of fish have little to no fillers and are made of high quality ingredients. However, some brands can expand in the water, which can cause issues.

How to feed betta fish is as important as what to feed them. So if you happen to get pellet food that swell when wet, soak them in a separate bowl of tank water to hydrate them. The ferocious fish usually attacks food as soon as it is sprinkled in. If it ends up eating dry pellets, these will expand in its stomach making it very sick.

Live Food

Betta fish thrive on live food. This includes mosquito larva, brine shrimp and bloodworms among others. However, while this food source can make your fish active, you also risk introducing parasites into the tank with them. So make sure you never feed them live food that you find outside.

This doesn’t mean that you should forego live food completely. To ensure a steady supply, culture them yourself. Hatch your on brine shrimp eggs or wingless fruit flies so that your betta fish will always have healthy food.

Frozen Food

There are plenty of frozen food options for betta fish you can try out with your fish if it cannot stand pellets or fish flakes. These make a great meal when they are thawed properly and are easy to store as well.

Any fish food that is available as live feed is also available frozen. The latter just last longer and can be rationed out during feeding time. Just make sure that you follow the instructions at the back of the package before thawing the food in tank water.

For one thing, do not place the frozen block into the tank directly. Take some of the water out in a bowl and thaw it there. Wait for it to fall apart and dissolve in the water before adding the water back in the tank. Never use tap water! The heavy metals and nutrients may affect the overall environment and the health of the fish.

Freeze-Dried Food

Contrary to popular belief, freeze-dried food is not the same as the frozen variety. The former should be given sparingly, because it lacks important vitamins which can get lost during the drying process. Plus, it lacks moisture and can expand in your fish’s stomach if it is not hydrated properly beforehand.

So if you feed your betta fish freeze-dried food, make sure that you soak it in tank water and add a vitamin solution in it as well. Soak it in the solution for at least 15 minutes before treating your betta to it. If your fish is a particularly fussy eater, soak the food in a flavor enhancer to make it more appetizing. We also have a variety of fish health products that can make your pet thrive.

Why Should NEVER Overfeed Betta Fish

Ask any betta fish enthusiast and they will always tell you that overfeeding is a big no no! There are a few reasons why this is so.

For one thing, the species has a voracious appetite and is greedy. It will try to scarf down as much food as it can get to and the tendency is instinctive. Wild bettas are always in search of food because it is scarce and waste little time gorging themselves because they don’t know when their next meal will come from. Domesticated varieties share this tendency.

If your betta consumes too much food, it can bloat and suffer from constipation. If it happens rarely, the issue is not problematic. However, if you are too generous with the feed on a regular basis, the fish will get seriously ill and may die.

You can tell if a betta fish is being overfed just by examining its stomach. The belly will be quite swollen and the fish will look disfigured as a result. The fish may also have trouble swimming. If these symptoms persist, just reduce the feed so it can digest the food in its system. Continue normal feeding when the betta looks better.

If there is uneaten food left behind, this can hurt the water quality of your fish tank. Excess food will disintegrate causing cloudy water and can grow algae. Not only will you have to clean the water in the tank more often, dirty water can lead to your betta having health problems such as lacking color and becoming less resistant to diseases.

What to feed betta fish should not be your only concern if you own this fish. At Grange Co-Op we have an entire section for betta care that can make you a responsible owner. This includes products ranging from a betta leaf hammock to betta pellets and even an exercise mirror your fish can interact with.

If you have questions about any of our products or which type of food is best for you, contact us today for more information.