Properly Feeding A Betta Fish
The number one thing you can do to avoid problems is to make sure that you are properly feeding a beta fish. Properly feeding a betta will reduce the likelihood that the fish will get sick, and will help with the second most important thing you can do for your betta fish – keeping the fish tank and water clean.
What to feed your betta
Your betta fish will love being fed frozen blood worms or brine shrimp, and you can feed them live worms that are not diseased or sick in any way. Do not feed your betta fish fish flakes of any kind. Another safe bet is to feed them “betta food” or “betta bits” , both of which are found in your local pet store.
How much and how often to feed your betta
One of the biggest reasons why betta fish become sick or have problems is if they are over-fed. It is crucial to make sure that you are feeding the betta the right amount of food, usually no more than the fish can eat in five minutes. You should only feed your betta one time each day, and be sure that you are not giving it too much food.
Any excess betta food will quickly accumulate and rot in the fish tank. This will cause the water to become dirty in just a couple of days, and it may cause dangerous bacteria to multiply in the tank that could get your fish sick. Once you start feeding your betta, you will learn within the first 2 or 3 days how much food to feed it. If you notice any uneaten fish food in the tank, be sure to remove it as soon as you can. Betta fish and the other fish in the tank will usually eat all that they can in the first 5 minutes, so any amounts left over after that time will usually rot and make the water murky.
If you give your betta fish more food than he can eat in 5 minutes, it will gladly continue to eat, but unfortunately the fish will produce much more waste solids than if it is fed the right amount. Excess waste solids, just like excess fish food, will quickly make the water conditions very dirty, and it will have a negative effect on your betta’s health.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to feed your betta the right amount of food. If you feed your betta the right amounts of the right food, and you clean the fish tank clean on a regular basis, you will avoid having to deal with probably 90% of the problems that a betta fish can have.
Be sure to get your betta’s attention before you give it food, or it may just sink to the bottom of the tank, where it is unlikely to ever be eaten. You can start out by giving your betta 5 or 6 brine shrimp, usually it is best to drop the food right in front of your betta’s face. If it gobbles up all of the shrimp quickly, you can give it a couple more, and see if
it finishes all of the shrimp. Just be sure to clean up any that your betta does not eat.
