Some pets do not come with specific feeding instructions. Many websites give different advice on how much food different types of fish should eat, so it can be hard for betta owners to know how much food their fish should have. The best way to make sure your betta fish lives a long and healthy life is to keep the aquarium clean and warm. How often you feed your betta will depend on a few important things, like how much time you spend near the aquarium.
As a betta fish owner, one of the most important things you need to know is how much to feed your fish. Bettas are prone to overeating, so proper portion control is essential to keeping them healthy. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about betta fish feeding including how much, how often, what to feed them, and more.
How Often Should You Feed a Betta Fish?
The frequency of feeding depends on the age and health of your betta. In general, adult bettas should be fed once or twice per day. Here are some feeding frequency guidelines
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Baby bettas under 3 months old should be fed 2-4 times per day in small portions. Their stomachs are tiny and can’t hold much
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Juvenile bettas 3-12 months old do well with 2-3 smaller meals per day. Their metabolism is faster than adults.
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Adult bettas over 12 months old need 1-2 meals daily. Feed once daily for less active fish and twice for active breeders.
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Older or sick bettas may need feeding only 2-3 times per week as their metabolism slows. Monitor their appetite and body condition.
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Adjust feeding frequency if your betta becomes constipated, bloated or lethargic from overeating.
Spreading out meals over the day prevents gorging and allows time to digest between servings. For once daily feeding, the best time is usually in the evening when bettas are most active.
How Much Should You Feed a Betta Fish at Each Meal?
When it comes to portion size, a general rule is to feed your betta as much as their eyeball daily. Here are some more specific portion guidelines:
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Baby bettas – Feed tiny pinches no bigger than a grain of rice 2-4 times daily.
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Juveniles – Feed a small pinch about the size of a pea, 2-3 times daily.
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Adult bettas – Feed pellets equaling roughly one eyeball volume, once or twice daily. This is typically 3-4 average sized pellets.
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Adjust portions based on appetite and body condition. Overweight fish may need less while underweight fish need more.
To prevent overfeeding, watch your betta eat and remove any uneaten food after 5 minutes. It helps to soak pellets before feeding as they expand in water. Don’t rely on feeding schedules on packaging as they tend to recommend more than needed.
What Foods Should You Feed Your Betta Fish?
Bettas are insectivores that thrive best on a carnivorous diet. Here are some healthy betta diet options:
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Pellets: High-quality pellets that are the staple of most betta diets. Choose a brand with insect-based protein as the first ingredient.
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Frozen foods: Brine shrimp, bloodworms, and daphnia make excellent treats 1-2 times per week. They add variety and micronutrients.
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Freeze-dried foods: Freeze-dried versions of brine shrimp, bloodworms and daphnia can also be fed as occasional treats. Soak before feeding to rehydrate.
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Flakes: These aren’t ideal as the sole diet since some bettas reject them, but can supplement pellets. Soak before feeding.
Avoid freeze-dried tubifex worms and large feeder fish which can cause bloating and parasite transmission. Limit high-fat live foods like blackworms.
Tips to Prevent Overfeeding Your Betta Fish
Since bettas are prone to overeat, it’s important to follow proper feeding guidelines to prevent health issues:
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Stick to the recommended feeding frequency and portions based on age and appetite.
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Soak dry foods like pellets before feeding so they don’t expand in the stomach.
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Watch your betta eat and remove uneaten food after 5 minutes.
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Vary diet between pellets and treats like frozen bloodworms to prevent boredom.
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Keep tank lights off for feeding to stimulate appetite.
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House bettas alone to prevent competition for food.
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Fast 1 day per week for health.
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Monitor body condition and adjust portions if fish becomes overweight.
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Spread out meals over the day rather than 1 large meal.
Following these tips will help prevent your betta fish from overeating while providing optimal nutrition.
What Are Signs of Overfeeding in Bettas?
It’s important to watch for signs of overfeeding in bettas and make diet adjustments when needed. Here are some indicators your betta may be getting too much food:
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Lethargy and loss of appetite
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Bloating or a swollen belly
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Constipation
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Swimming issues like floating or sinking
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Difficulty breathing from fluid accumulation
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Clamped fins held close to the body
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Visible fat deposits behind head and in front of tail
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Obesity around abdomen making it rounding and full
Bettas with severe cases of overfeeding and bloating may ultimately suffer from organ failure and dropsy which causes the scales to pinecone. Catching overfeeding early allows for diet correction before lasting impacts occur.
What Happens if You Underfeed Your Betta?
While overfeeding is more common in bettas, underfeeding can also occur and lead to health issues. Signs your betta may not be getting enough food include:
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Increased aggression at feeding times from hunger
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Rapid weight loss making head look too large for body
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Lethargy, loss of color, increased resting
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Ravenous appetite gobbling up all food rapidly
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Foraging along tank bottom looking for morsels
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Increased risk of illness from weakened immune system
If your betta is displaying these signs, gradually increase portion sizes at feeding times. Spreading their meals throughout the day can also help underfed fish obtain more nutrients.
How Should You Feed Betta Fry and Juveniles?
Young betta fish under 12 months old have different dietary needs than adult bettas. Here are some feeding tips for fry and juveniles:
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Newly hatched fry: Feed infusoria, microworms and egg yolk 3-5 times per day. Offer tiny portions as their stomachs are miniature.
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2-6 weeks old: Gradually introduce powdered fry food, crushed pellets, live baby brine shrimp. Feed 3-4 times daily.
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6 weeks – 3 months: Feed live foods like brine shrimp and small pellets 2-4 times daily. Transition to pellets and treats.
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3-12 months: Feed high protein juvenile pellets 2-3 times per day along with treats like brine shrimp and bloodworms.
Portion sizes should start very small and be adjusted as the juvenile betta grows. Spread feedings throughout daylight hours for best growth.
Setting Up an Automatic Betta Fish Feeder
For convenience, some betta owners use automatic fish feeders when away for vacations or business trips. Here are some tips for choosing and using one:
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Pick a feeder with an adjustable feeding frequency and portion size to suit your betta’s needs.
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Choose a feeder with a moisture resistant hopper to prevent food clumping.
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Program the feeder to dispense smaller meals 2-3 times per day rather than one large portion.
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Set the feeder to not activate for at least 36 hours after filling to ensure it’s dispensing properly.
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Place the feeder where the opening is close to the water surface for easy access to food.
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Always test automatic feeders before relying on them alone to ensure proper function.
With the right setup and portion programming, automatic fish feeders can help maintain a healthy diet for your betta when you can’t feed them yourself.
FAQs About Feeding Betta Fish
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about betta nutrition and diet:
How long can betta fish go without eating?
Healthy adult bettas can go 1-2 weeks without food. However fasting for more than 3-4 days in a row is not recommended.
Do betta fish eat every day?
In most cases, yes – adult bettas should be fed small servings of food 1-2 times per day. Adjust frequency based on age, health, and activity level.
How many pellets should you feed a betta?
Around 3-4 average sized pellets is appropriate for one adult betta meal. Feed twice daily, so total pellets per day would be 6-8.
Can I overfeed my betta with bloodworms?
You can, so bloodworms and other frozen/freeze-dried treats should be limited to once or twice a week. They are high in fat.
What happens if you feed betta fish too much?
Overfeeding can cause bloating, constipation, swimming issues, obesity and in severe cases, organ failure and death.
**Can I feed my betta
Preparing to Feed Your Betta Fish
How much to feed your fish starts with what food you should feed them. As warm water fish, a bettas metabolism requires higher calories in their diet. Bettas have to swim with an ornate tail and fins, which requires more calories and a lot of rest. Research has shown that the protein level in betta fish food should be around 3.5 percent, and it can be a mix of plant and animal protein. Betta fish in the wild eat mostly insects, but most pet bettas are fed a commercial diet that is also good for their health.
When it comes to commercial betta diets, pellet size will vary widely. It’s hard to come up with a set number of pellets to feed that will work for all commercial diets. No matter what kind of food you give your betta, don’t expect it to eat everything in a container before it goes bad. After about six months, the water-soluble vitamin content, including Vitamin C, has diminished in quality. You will need to replace your bettas container of food before they actually finish all of it. Most of the food will stay fresh longer if you freeze or refrigerate it and only leave a small amount out.
How Much to Feed Your Betta Fish
Because commercial diets come in a range of pellet sizes, the best way to feed your betta fish is to think about its body. Feed your betta the same number of pellets that are about the size of one of its eyes for one meal. Based on the food you choose, this could be as few as two or three pellets or as many as ten or twelve. First give your fish half of the amount you need to feed, wait until they’re full, and then give them the other half. The betta should be able to eat all of the food in about five minutes time. If there is food left over after 5 minutes, you have fed too much food.
But what about protein-rich freeze-dried foods? Yes, we know that bettas in the wild eat mostly high-protein insects, but a wild fish’s life is very different from that of a fish kept as a pet. When food is scarce, wild fish have to go without food for a while and fight other fish for resources and to have babies. Pet bettas do not have to worry about these things, so their dietary requirements will be less. You should only give your pet high-protein treats like freeze-dried and frozen food a few times a week, at most. If you are breeding your fish, however, they will have different dietary requirements, and require high-protein supplements.