Betta feeding?

Question

I just bought a male betta for my daughter. The people at PetSmart told me that I should only feed it one or two "grains" of the betta food every two or three days, since bettas have a problem with obesity. The food itself says to feed every day. My daughter is already horribly attached to her fish, and I would hate myself if something happened to it.

Can anyone with betta experience/knowledge give me a little insight? Thank you!

I do have him in a tank, with a filter and live plants. I've had fish before, just not this particular breed. I know he won't live forever, but I want to give him the best and longest life possible!!

Answer 1

A betta's stomach is about as big as his eyeball. You can give him 1-2 little grains of betta food daily or every other day. He'll eat as much as you feed him, though, so if you overfeed, he will A) get chubby and B) excess nutrients will pass through him and foul the water.

A few things you should know. If you really want to keep your betta as healthy and happy as possible for as long as possible, you should get him at least a 5 gallon tank with a filter and heater with thermostat. He will be healthiest in water that stays stable at a temp somewhere between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Get into a habit of regular partial water changes - 20-30% every week, using a gravel vac to clean a portion of the tank's gravel each time and be sure to remember to condition the new water and have it the same temp as the water in the tank, as drastic temperature changes stress the fish, and make him more susceptible to disease.

A tank is superior to a bowl for a lot of reasons. First, it's impossible to keep the water in a bowl at a stable temp. There are no small tank or bowl heaters with thermostats. Just heaters that will raise the temp 1-2 degrees from ambient, which means if your house is 70 degrees, the betta will be 72, and if your house goes up to 80 on a hot day, the betta will be 82. Not so good. Also, bowls and smaller tanks don't really cycle. That is, they don't develop the biological filter, the bacteria colonies that keep wastes from building up and making the water toxic. You have to change too much of the water for a true cycle. That means wastes build up rapidly and the water can get pretty toxic long before it looks bad. So definitely, at least a 5 gallon tank is the minimum a betta needs for a healthy life.

And then be prepared. The betta is the "hamster" of the aquatic pet - they do not live very long. 2-3 years is usually the best you can hope for. I've heard of people who say they've had them longer, but that's unusual. I think part of the problem is that they're awfully inbred - breeders inbreed constantly to get those flashy tails and colors. So I think they come with some built-in health issues.

Answer 2

I don't really know why they told you that other than the food may cloud the water. Moderation is the key obviously but you can feed it everyday. Betta's require a high protein diet to maintain their colouration. Also, don't worry about fouling the water because Betta's are in the suborder Anabantoidei or just a fancy science way of saying "labyrinth organ having". Basically it means this organ gives the fish the ability to gulp air from the atmosphere instead of the water for respiration. Hope that helps and good luck with the betta!

Answer 3

It is best to give your betta a variety of foods anyway. If your betta won't eat pellets anymore try brine shrimp. He should be eating at least 2 kinds of food to get all the nutrition he needs. Thats why pellets are normally a main part of the diet of a betta. A diet of just freeze dried bloodworms can cause constipation which can be fatal to a betta. I feed mine 4 kinds of food, they get pellets, bloodworms, brine shrimp and live blackworms from time to time. Some of them even eat flakes I put in for the guppies and tetras.

Answer 4

I feed all of my Betta's (except the fry) twice a day. Just a very small amount. It is much better to underfeed than it is to overfeed. Overfeeding can cause many problems in fish. I also fast mine every Sunday to prevent constipation. You can also but the freeze dried bloodworms to feed as a treat every other day. Betta's need a varied diet that is rich in protein. Betta's will do very well in a filtered, heated tank set between 76-82 F, they are tropical fish.

Answer 5

you're actually the second person in a week that said that employees from a petstore told you to feed your fish only every 2-3 days, that's complete BS
Anyway, a good routine is feeding him 2 times a day, with 2-3 pellets at each feeding
And you can also buy frozen bloodworms and shrimp as a treat for him, which you given him instead of the pellets to change up his diet a bit
But don't overfeed him

Also if you have him in a bowl, please get him at least a 2.5 gallon tank with heater and filter and a live plant because they love to rest on it
Do partial waterchanges of 25% weekly with a gravel siphon
Leave the light on the tank only for 10-12 hours on during the day and turn it off for 12-14 hours at nights
Never overfeed your fish, he also might not be eating on the start because he's getting used to his environment
Keep your temperature between 76-82 degrees


hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 6

Everyday I give my betta fish a pinch of food 1 time a day...My mom had a betta fish that stayed alive for 3 years and she did the same..one time her fish stopped breathing and she used a straw and blew in it and brought him back to life and he was fine..he was a strong one!! Make sure and clean his tank with distilled water and reuse the water thats in its cage now and mix it. Also I suggest a plant to go in too.

Answer 7

If you do feed the Betta daily, just give it a small amount. We had one and that's what I did.

However, I would advise you to get the special drops for the water for the Betta! This prolongs their life.

Answer 8

I can tell you what i do i feed my male 2 times a day. Morning and evening. I switch between pellets and flakes. And ever other day i give him either bloodworm's or brine shrimp for one of the feeding. And he is doing great. Good Luck

Answer 9

Well, i just feed my Betta once daily, what they can eat in 3 minutes.

2N!$H

Answer 10

you can feed it everyday, but only about 2-3 pellets.

it is ok to skip a feeding for two, but you can feed them once aday.

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http://www.bcaquatics.com