What Do Betta Fish Eat? | Recommendations and prices

Betta fish are some of the loveliest fish around, with their colorful fins and unique personalities. We look at what betta fish eat and suggest the best types of food for Bettas.

Bettas are quite easy to take care of since they don’t need much attention and can even survive in small spaces without the need for a filter or an air pump. Of course, it’s still preferable that you keep your Betta in better conditions, but you can be assured that they’re hardy enough to withstand those conditions, at least for a while.

What do Betta fish eat? Betta fish can eat a whole variety of food, such as live foods, frozen foods, flakes, Mini Betta pellets, and special Betta color foods. You should feed your Betta Fish a well-balanced diet using a variety of food listed in this article.

Now, although Betta fish may be recommended for beginner fishkeepers, including little kids and toddlers, they do require some special care – especially in terms of fish food.

In this article, we’ll list down the best fish food you should buy to have the healthiest, prettiest, most vibrant Betta on the block!

What Betta Fish Eat:

• Live Foods
• Frozen Foods
• Dried Flakes
• Mini Betta Pellets
• Special Betta Color Food

Which Live Foods Do Bettas Eat?

Betta fish are a naturally carnivorous species. Out in the wild, they can usually be found living in the river basins of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. They feed on small insects and even plant matter if they’re especially hungry.

The most important thing to remember is that Bettas are used to protein-based diets, so keep that in mind when choosing food for your beloved pet.

Most Betta, especially house-kept ones, will prefer to eat live food over other food options. Some of their favorites can include bloodworms, insect larvae, small brine shrimps, and daphnia.

Some Bettas also enjoy snacking on very small fish species and fry (baby fish), which is why you should be careful when choosing your Betta’s tankmates. You don’t want one of your other pets to become fish food for one hungry Betta!

If you can’t get hold of live foods from your local pet store or aquatic centre then freeze-dried is the next best option.

What Type Of Frozen Foods Do Bettas Eat?

Unfortunately, not everyone can get live foods easily. Although most big pet stores sell live food, it doesn’t mean that they’re automatically accessible to you. In this case, frozen foods can do the trick. Another upside to frozen foods is that they last much longer than fresh foods, so you can keep them as backup alongside live foods.

Some of the best frozen foods for Betta fish are frozen bloodworms or frozen gels, especially the former. Some Betta fish are fine with eating frozen food straight out, but others are pickier. If that’s the case, thaw out the frozen food first in a glass of water before giving it to your Betta. It might just not like the texture, that’s all.

If you’re giving frozen foods to your Betta, then thawing it out before feeding it to your fish is 100% required.

Frozen foods are not just for Betta Fish, your other tropical fish will also love them and happily feed on them as part of their staple diet. Many fish will live happily with Bettas even though their common name (Siamese Fighting fish) suggests otherwise. For examples of perfect tank mates for Bettas read ‘Which fish will live with Bettas?’

Which Flake Food Is Best For Bettas?

Flakes are another food option for Betta fish. Many fishkeepers consider flakes as staple food for most fish, since they’re very easy to keep and use.

The only downside is that they’re harder to gauge in terms of quantity, unlike pellets or bloodworms, for example. Always take care not to overfeed your Betta, as they can get sick and bloated from too much food. And in case your Betta doesn’t eat the flakes, they can easily cloud your aquarium’s water or sink to the bottom, making it harder to clean.

There are many different variants of fish flakes, but for best results, try to look for one that is made specifically for Betta fish. We found ours like Omega One Betta Buffet Flakes the best.

Betta often shows unusual signs and strange behaviors, especially around their eating habits. If you betta stops eating, don’t panic it’s not always a bad sign. Read our article ‘ Why is my Betta not eating’ for more information’

Betta Mini Pellets

As mentioned above, pellets are also a good staple food for Betta fish. They are a favorite of many fishkeepers since Bettas can be easily convinced to eat them. This is mainly due to their shape which, to a Betta, looks similar to the natural insect larvae that they eat in the wild.

Other than that, pellets also don’t dirty aquarium water as much as flakes. You can even count them one by one to know the exact number that your Betta needs to eat.

We really Like Tetra Betta Mini Floating Pellets. Tetra Betta Floating Mini Pellet Fish Food is high in protein and contains Omega-3 fatty acids to enhance color plus precise amounts of select vitamins and nutrients to support immunity. These small, specially formulated floating pellets are highly palatable and less messy than flakes.

Just like flakes, choose pellets that are specifically made for Betta fish. Usually, this means pellets that are protein-based and contain dried food that Betta already eat, like shrimp or fish.

Special Betta Fish Color Food

Bettas are hugely popular due to their fantastic color, which is why many pet stores sell fish foods that are specially made to enhance the vibrancy of your pet’s color. Many show-class bettas are fed on color enhancing flake foods.

These foods usually come in the form of either flakes or pellets, only more nutritious. Most of the time, they are more expensive than regular food.

Aqueon Color Enhancing Betta Food is one of the best. This natural fish food is specially designed to provide your Betta buddies with the daily nutrition they need. It not only helps contribute to proper growth and vitality, but it also helps bring out their natural color.

If you have a tank specifically for your Betta fish, this option is perfect for you. Why? Well, simply put, you won’t have to worry about the nutritional needs of any other fish, unlike if you own a large community tank.

Conclusion: What Do Betta Fish Eat?

Betta fish are not really picky eaters, and they can eat anything from flakes to pellets to live food, and even frozen food.

However, as a Betta fishkeeper, you might want to consider feeding your fish the best food for improving color and vibrancy. If that’s the case, then special Betta food is definitely the way to go.

Feeding your Siamese Fighting fish a well-balanced diet will lead to them living a long and happy life. If you’re interested in knowing how long they can live for click ‘How Long Do Betta Live for’

So, what is the best fish food for Betta fish? The answer is a combination and variety of foods.

Whatever you do though, always make sure to feed your little guy properly – provide him all the nutrition he needs, but never ever overfeed his little tummy! If your betta stops moving it may not be for the reason you think. Read ‘ Why is my betta not moving?‘ for all the possible reasons why.

For more information on caring for your Betta please read our complete betta fish care guide.

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