Is my betta overweight?

[fishtime!]

Hey does anyone think my betta looks a overweight? It looks like she is based on that online chart.

I’ve had her for 2 weeks, i was feeding her twice a day using aqueon nutri-insect pellets and live daphnia. I noticed she was big so i fasted her for two days but it didnt look like her stomach went down at all. So i fed her just once and then fasted her for another day, but she seems to just stay the same size. My live daphnia crashed so im now feeding her frozen brine shrimp, and I’ve ordered fluval bug butes because i didnt realize the first ingredient in the aqueon nutri insect was peas.

Tank information:
20 gallon long
Live plants, driftwood, dragon rock, bladder snails

Tank paremeters:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Ph 7.5

 

[Connershawzz]

Looks normal to me. Good looking fish

 

[Seisage]

To my eye, she doesn't look overweight at all. Pretty good body shape and definition. From the photos, she looks like a healthy betta. I think I know the online body condition chart you're talking about and I wouldn't say she fits any of the overweight examples.

Also, there is always going to be a bit of natural variation in body shape between individuals, and that doesn't always mean a fish is overweight. A single silhouette on an online guide with seemingly no medically based source just doesn't cut it for assessing body condition in a meaningful way. There are a lot of things to take into account regarding overall shape, weight, muscle density, where fat is being stored, etc. Simple guides can be an OK shorthand, but don't take them as gospel. I've noticed body condition charts like this exist within a few exotic pet spaces and they're thrown around without regard for any context, and probably aren't even being used accurately. They can be very limiting and stressful for keepers who try to fit their pet into a specific ideal box which may not even be the best example of what is considered to be "healthy" for that species. An ideal body condition guide would include multiple examples of animals within each body score, along with written descriptions of physical characteristics of each score.

Edit: And regarding a feeding schedule. For most fish, once per day for 6days/wk is plenty. Some betta keepers do feed smaller meals twice per day though. Fish's stomachs do expand after a meal, and if you're feeding twice per day, she may just still have some food in her belly by the time her second meal comes around. If this worries you, you can cut feedings back to once per day. But you only really need to be worried if she becomes noticeably bloated over a short period of time.

 

[fishorama]

I'm new here but I think she looks like a healthy betta to me. A pretty girl!

Bettas can tend to overeat so 1 or 2 very light feedings are enough. Do you see her poo? That & a distended stomach would make me more worried. Her diet seems ok for fiber, etc.

Water changes are always my first line of defense if a fish looks "off". Your betta looks fine, but if you're worried do a partial WC, it never hurts.

 

[fishtime!]

Looks normal to me. Good looking fish

thanks!

 

[fishtime!]

I'm new here but I think she looks like a healthy betta to me. A pretty girl!

Bettas can tend to overeat so 1 or 2 very light feedings are enough. Do you see her poo? That & a distended stomach would make me more worried. Her diet seems ok for fiber, etc.

Water changes are always my first line of defense if a fish looks "off". Your betta looks fine, but if you're worried do a partial WC, it never hurts.

Thanks! I never see her poo which I feel is weird but I've had her for over 2 weeks now and I assume that if she hadn't gone the entire time that she would look much more bloated and bigger than she is.

 

[fishtime!]

To my eye, she doesn't look overweight at all. Pretty good body shape and definition. From the photos, she looks like a healthy betta. I think I know the online body condition chart you're talking about and I wouldn't say she fits any of the overweight examples.

Also, there is always going to be a bit of natural variation in body shape between individuals, and that doesn't always mean a fish is overweight. A single silhouette on an online guide with seemingly no medically based source just doesn't cut it for assessing body condition in a meaningful way. There are a lot of things to take into account regarding overall shape, weight, muscle density, where fat is being stored, etc. Simple guides can be an OK shorthand, but don't take them as gospel. I've noticed body condition charts like this exist within a few exotic pet spaces and they're thrown around without regard for any context, and probably aren't even being used accurately. They can be very limiting and stressful for keepers who try to fit their pet into a specific ideal box which may not even be the best example of what is considered to be "healthy" for that species. An ideal body condition guide would include multiple examples of animals within each body score, along with written descriptions of physical characteristics of each score.

Edit: And regarding a feeding schedule. For most fish, once per day for 6days/wk is plenty. Some betta keepers do feed smaller meals twice per day though. Fish's stomachs do expand after a meal, and if you're feeding twice per day, she may just still have some food in her belly by the time her second meal comes around. If this worries you, you can cut feedings back to once per day. But you only really need to be worried if she becomes noticeably bloated over a short period of time.

Thanks!!

 

[Lcc86]

I've never seen my betta poo and I've had him for nearly a year! Beautiful colours though

 

[fishtime!]

I've never seen my betta poo and I've had him for nearly a year! Beautiful colours though

Thanks!!

 

[Sparx]

I've never seen my betta poo and I've had him for nearly a year! Beautiful colours though

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen my Betta poo either maybe they do it in private lol

 

[Lcc86]

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen my Betta poo either maybe they do it in private lol

Well it's a personal kinda business, they must not like an audience lol

 

[gwand]

I have never seen my wife poo but I bet she does.

 

[Back in the fold]

I have never seen my wife poo but I bet she does.

Be glad you haven’t . It’s not a pretty sight and you will never un- see it .

 

[fishorama]

You guys are funny. I didn't mean necessarily mean see poo "in the act" but when vacuuming. Or am I the only 1 that looks in the bucket or at the vac intake?

 

[Sparx]

You guys are funny. I didn't mean necessarily mean see poo "in the act" but when vacuuming. Or am I the only 1 that looks in the bucket or at the vac intake?

My bucket is black in colour so I literally can’t see anything in there. I could be tipping away a whole colony of molly fry and not even realise