Betta Feeding

[Nicfish36]

I bought this male Betta and it seems that no one can give me the same answer about how often to feed a betta. Multiple people at various pet stores say from once a week (which does not sound right) to every day, or twice a day to every 3 days. All the literature/books, etc, says twice a day, then some says once a day. So I really need some straight answers. Bettatalk.com (which is supposed to be a great site), says once a day. Does anyone know what is best for the betta to thrive and live a long life?

 

[Marve99]

I don't have betta, but feed my fish once a day, but many people will choose to feed more often. The key to feeding fish is not to feed to much - only feeed what will be eaten within a couple of minutes. Any unleft food will add to th deteriation of your water conditions.

 

[loraxchick]

i feed my bettas three pellets, once a day. i mix it up with frozen bloodworms 1 or 2 times a week and cooked deshelled chopped pea the day after feeding bloodworms. i starve the fish for one day a week. bottom line is dont feed too much ...if the betta begins to look very bloated (as if it has swallowed a marble) then you are feeding too much. other folks feed a few pellets twice a day and others feed every other day. i is a personal choice and as long as you dont overfeed )which is worse actually than underfeeding) then its up to you
cheers

 

[pippoodle]

i feed all my bettas 4-5 pellets once a day or bloodworm , daphnia etc _ ONLY ONCE a day for 5 days then on 6th day i feed a cooked pea on 7th day starve day

 

[ellena]

Ultimately, there will be loads of different answers to this. Fish can go days without food and excess will only foul the water as marve said. Beyond that, it's up to you. Variety is important too

 

[lilacamy931]

Same regime as pip

 

[kelly528]

Definitely refrain from feeding him what he won't eat... it will only foul the water. The maximum I'd feed a betta is 6 pellets throughout the day... remember, their stomach is about as big (or small, I should say) as their eye. Bettas are prone to bloat because their special pellets swell up with water inside their stomachs, so I try to feed my betta only 2 pellets twice a day. Some people pre-soak their pellets, but this will leach all the water-soluble vitamins out of them. So your best option is to feed your betta small amounts multiple times per day.

The conditions your betta is in also tell you about how much you should feed him. For instance, the temperature and size of the tank determined how fast they burn through energy. If your betta is hanging out in a heated 5 gallon where he is getting lots of exercise, you'll want to feed him a little more. If he is in a small, chilly cup, feed him less.

Since every fish is different, there is no 'perfect amount' to feed a betta. 2-6 pellets per day (depending on the factors above) should cover it.

Don't forget to mix his diet up a little too! I'd say 1 bloodworm/brine shrimp = 1 pellet, for reference.

 

[Mauricia]

I feed 2-5 pellets 3 days a week, 2-4 bloodworms twice a week, have 1 fast day and the day after that I give them each a bit (about 1/4) of a blanched, deshelled, unsalted pea.
The ranges are because I feed different fish different amounts. For example a couple of my large males who are always zooming around their tank get 5 pellets and my smallest lazy girl only gets 1 or 2 pellets, and I have to feed her the second pellet later in the day because she always eats her one pellet then lays on the bottom to rest. Not all bettas are piggies, just most, hehe.

 

[betta fish]

All my bettas get 3 pellets each in the morning and 3 in the evening.