Are frozen mysis shrimp enough of a diet for a blind betta?

[metropolis93fan]

I have a blind betta. I have to "hand" feed him with tweezers with food that is long enough that he can feel it and grab it. It's a bear to feed him frozen (defrosted of course) mysis shrimp but I read that's probably the best for the situation. When I'm going to be gone for extended periods of time (4-7 days... only for health reasons) I will give him maybe the equivalent of two bloodworms. Someone told me they have more calories and will keep him going longer. (I do the same for my other betta too. Otherwise he gets a good quality pellet).

Is he getting enough nutrition with primarily mysis shrimp to thrive? Whatever I feed him needs to be long enough that he can feel and grab it. I'll get other frozen foods if you think he's missing things he needs (and it's long enough he can find it. It's awful trying to find long enough shrimp for him. And constantly pinching tweezers is hard on arthritic hands. As is he misses those half the time and I have to suck them up with a turkey baster and try again and again...)

For that matter, how many mysis shrimp (maybe 5 mm long?) should he be getting daily? I kinda go until I can't find anymore that work or my hand hurts. I'm trying to do right by him. Other than being blind he's healthy. Thanks for the help!

 

[Back in the fold]

Try live wingless fruit flies. Bettas are an insectivore . He will hear them and pounce .

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Mystis shrimp are good, but I'd give him more variety. Try freeze dried tubifex and frozen blood worms. Both should be reasonably easy to feed with tweezers.

 

[Archerfish]

That's a lucky betta. Personally, I would continue to hand feed it as you are doing and be satisfied knowing you are doing all possible to make it comfortable.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I would be on the other side of the fence. It is admirable to want to keep hand feeding this fish. But what happens when you cannot do this. maybe you take a to week trip to shore. Maybe you get married and go on a hineymopn. Maybe you have to go out of town to care for a relative. Who will feed the fish then?

My rule for injured fish in my tanks was simple. I would provide with a place to live safely as long as they could do the rest themself. I had a discus bolt head first into the glass. He damaged his brain and he could not swim face forward. He was always nose down. He lived in his own 25 gal. planted tank for a number of months before he passed. he was able to find food and do whatever else it had to to live for those months. When I go away I leave food packets for my brother to empty into tanks. But he does not do frozen let alone hand feeding a fish.

If the Betta were min, I would likely be inclined the euthanize it. Over the past 10 years I have had bypass surgery which had me in the hospital for 12 days. When I got out I was mostly bedridden for a week. In 2013 I broke a hip, had surgery and could not feed fish for about 2 weeks. My bro would feed flake and sinking sticks at best and not daily.

The above is just me. I will go to great ends to treat sick or injured fish, I will spend money far in excess of what many fish cost to do so. But there comes a point where I worry that the fish may suffer more in the long run. Fish do not have all that much to do in their lives. They eat, they swim around, they sleep and they mate. They try to avoid being eaten or injured it they can. They may fight to maintain their position. Your betta can barely do one of these things. And it sounds like it cannot feed itself either?

I am not telling you what you should do, that is not my decision to make. All I am offering is another perspective on the situation for you to consider.