Is it okay to feed my betta fish goldfish crumbles?

Question

I recently got a betta fish, and I was wondering if it would be okay to feed him "goldfish crumbles"? It's major ingredients are ground corn, fish meal, and soy flour.

And, the fish only has to subsist off this for another week, until I buy him actually betta fish food. But, if my fish (Charlie Cabot) is going to die, I'll make the extra trip (55 miles) to buy him food.

Thanks!

Answer 1

He can eat it, but it's not the best choice long term. Keep the pieces small and I would suggest soaking them to soften them just a bit before feeding them to a betta. Do get the new food when you can, it will be far better for him.

MM

Answer 2

As has been explained by others, bettas eat carnivores. Goldfish are omnivores. It just doesn't work. You're betta will not be getting enough nutrients, and can get sick. Personally, I would advise getting pellets over flakes. Pellets are easier to feed, cleaner, and more nutritious. When you do buy betta food, look to make sure the first ingredient is some form of meat (shrimp meal, fish meal, shrimp, fish, etc). I'd advise going and getting some now, seeing as they aren't expensive, and can pretty much last a fish's lifetime. BTW, it's advised to feed your betta 2-3 soaked pellets twice a day. Make sure you soak them before feeding, because when fed dry, they expand in the stomach and will constipate or make your fish sick.

Answer 3

This will only be a very short term answer to your fish food dilemma. Gold fish have different metabolisms and digestive systems. Bettas are primarily carnivores.

Not even all so called Betta Foods are equal; many are too high in cereal (which is mainly just roughage to your betta, kind of like eating cardboard for you). Also many consist of Fish Meal which is the leftover from human processing. Whole fish meal (or White Fish Meal) are much better.
Also, even with Betta foods, it is best to soak your pellets for about 5 minutes prior to feeding to prevent air in the digestive systems that can cause problems.

There are a lot of online sources as well that sell Sanyu, Hikari or the other quality brands.

I would recommend reading this article for more about proper fish nutrition:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Quality_Fish_Food.html

Answer 4

No, it's not. It would be comparable to feeding a cat timothy hay that's grown for horses, actually. Goldfish are vegetarians, and eat plant-derived foods, while Bettas are insectivores, meaning that they need animal-derived protein to survive.

Why do you have to make such a long trip to buy fish food? Most supermarkets carry it, at least around here, and I'm way out in the "sticks" myself. A tropical fish food would do as a substitute for Betta food, far better than goldfish food, if you can get that, since most tropical fish are primarily insectivores, too.

Answer 5

I'm not sure he will. Personally, my betta will bite at goldfish flakes, but then he'll just spit them out again. (then again, maybe he's just picky...)
Don't worry, if you've just gotten your betta; he can go for about a month without food, so don't worry about him dying to easily!
Still, it's best to try and find some other food for him. Bettas are mainly carnivores; my betta gets betta pellets, but also freeze-dried blood worms, which he loves.

Good luck!