Overfeeding betta fish is the second most common way to make them sick.
By following three simple rules you can keep you betta well fed, keep their water cleaner, and help them live a longer and happier life.
1) Do not feed your betta more than once a day Bettas do not need to eat any more than that.
In the wild, in the ditches and ponds of Asia, wild bettas sometimes go for days without food.
Feeding your betta once a day is actually kinder than overfeeding them.
Bettas and other aquarium fish do not know "when to say when" and they will eat until they get sick and will keep eating even after that.
2) Do not feed your betta a portion any larger than their eye Your betta's stomach is only a little bit larger than their eye.
Giving them too much food will make their tank messier (so you will have to take the time to clean it more often) and it will strain their digestive system.
Overfeeding will also make them less active and shorter their lifespan by a bit.
3) Vary what kinds of food you feed your betta When you first get your betta, start with a small can or container of flake food that is just for bettas.
But after a week or so, when your betta has settled in, it is a good idea to try one or two different foods.
The best choices to start with are freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Be careful to remember rule #2 and not pinch too much food.
If you want some excitement, you can also feed your betta live food like brine shrimp.
It is really fun to watch a betta go around its tank hunting for the brine shrimp, and some of the shrimp will be able to hide well enough so that up to a day later your betta will still be finding them.
Be sure to gently rinse the shrimp off with tap water while they are in a net before you feed them to your betta, because the water the brine shrimp come in is extremely salty and not terrific for your betta's water quality.
Bonus betta feeding tips: - You can skip feeding your betta one day a week.
This will not hurt them, and will actually give their digestive system a chance to rest, and it will ensure that you are not overfeeding them.
- If you are leaving for a short vacation of five days or less, you do not need to feed your betta fish.
They will be fine without food for that long.
If there is a live plant in the tank with them, they will be quite happy nibbling bits of algae off the plant.
In fact, it is better not to feed your betta while you are gone than it is to buy the "weekend" or "vacation" feeder blocks, because those will just dirty the water and are more likely to make your betta sick.