Q&A for How to Feed a Betta Fish

You should pick food made for betta fish. Some good options include: Hikari Betta Bio-Gold, Tetra BettaMin, Aqueon Betta Food, API Beta Food, TopFin Betta Bits, and Wardley Betta Food.

A healthy and happy betta will have clear eyes and have an active appetite.

Yes. Although feeding your betta in the same part of the tank each day will help him bond with you.

Usually, 1-2 days without food should not be a big deal. Going 3 days without food is not ideal, but should be OK for a healthy betta in a larger tank or one that is filtered. Much longer than this and the betta will go into starvation mode and while it may survive, it can suffer serious health problems and become more susceptible to illness.

He may not like it, or it's too big/hard. Soak the food.

Bettas are quite intelligent and they can even be trained to recognize their owners and do tricks.

It is just an innate survival feature of the fish, and many animals have it, including the human being.

No. Any insects that have not been cultured for food may carry potential diseases and bacteria.

Sure - wet your finger a put a piece of food on it. Then put your finger 1/2 cm over the water. Your fish should jump for the food. Place your finger higher each time and the fish will jump higher. It may take a little while for your betta to get the hang of it, be patient!

It is a great addition to a betta's diet as long as you don't overfeed them. (Their stomach is the size of their eye.)

It could mean he is sick. You could move him to a bigger tank or clean his tank to see if he improves.

Yes, most likely.

Movement in the water may scare your betta. It is best you just drop it in.

They usually either see it drop in, feel the vibrations of something hitting the water, or they smell the food.

This is normal. Give him a week to adjust to his new home. Make sure the tank is clean, at a good temperature, and that he is healthy.

Do it once every 2 weeks. If the fish tank is small, it gets dirty faster, so clean it once every 4 days. Remember not to do it too frequently.

First try four pellets. If the betta eats them all, great; if it does not eat them all, just feed it three and take the leftover food out of the tank.

It's called a bubble nest. When they come up to breathe oxygen, they release bubbles which float together at the surface. This provides a place for their eggs.

The brine shrimp egg shells can block the digestive tract, especially in younger fish. It's best to hatch them, and be sure to rinse the hatched shrimp with fresh water using a very fine mesh net before feeding them to your betta.

Cut the pellet/split it into pieces, or switch to something like blood worms.

They're very active and territorial for fish. If they're zooming around during cleaning time, it's likely because they're alert to something going on in their tank.

You don't have to, but you can. Bloodworms and daphnia are good additions to pellets or flakes.

He won't get sick, but he may not have all the nutrients he needs. Make sure to give him betta food that is comprised mainly of meat or insect ingredients. Another type of food that is highly recommended for a rounded betta diet is frozen blood worms.

It is not advisable. Even if you thoroughly wash them, you do not want to run the risk of transmitting diseases or feeding inedible, even poisonous varieties to your betta. Worms acceptable for feeding are found in pet stores; bloodworms are the most common.

I would feed them either small portions such as 2 pellets twice a day or larger portions such as 3-4 once a day.

The water in your tank may be too warm or cold. Your tank should ideally be around 78 to 80 F (25.5 to 26.5 C). If it's outside this range, you should adjust it. If this doesn't help, your betta may be sick, at which point you should consult a vet.

Yes they can, but it is not exactly common. It is suggested that you use a lid to keep the fish from jumping out of the tank.

Oh, he's not starving! You're feeding him plenty. Bettas just LOVE to eat. They would eat themselves to death if they could. Do a bit of research just in case he's sick, but I think you're fine. Bettatalk.com and Bubbles and Bettas are great places to learn more about Bettas.

It depends on how you want your tank to look. Java moss and Java fern are always good, or Amazon sword. Try your local pet store in the fish section for more options.

Sometimes they just don't like a certain food, like flakes. Bloodworms and brine shrimp (sold dried, frozen, live, and freeze dried) are good, as they are what bettas eat. Live food can entice a betta, but may be risky because of parasites. Most bettas love bloodworms, so give that a try.