Your Betta fish food, at least the daily diet for your betta fish, should be either a formulated pellet or flake. Because it is possible to increase your Betta’s lifespan by making sure he has a well balanced and nutritious meal every day.

Finding the best betta fish food can be confusing to a new owner as it comes in many different forms. Trying to figure how much and of what you, the owner, should be feeding his Betta.

What Should You Feed Your Betta Fish?

There are synthetic or formulated betta foods, like flakes and pellets. and then more protein-heavy and fat-heavy foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc. Many of us believe that processed or synthetic food is not as good as natural food. but one of the main reasons that Betta fish tend to live longer in captivity than in the wild is that we can feed them a better diet than nature can provide.

Naturally, there are exceptions. Below we’ll explore in detail everything you could possibly want to know about Betta fish food.

Pellets or Flakes?

There is a choice to make and both examples are practically identical in nutritional value. But there are some pros and cons to each. For example, flakes are easier for the fish to eat than pellets. Flakes are usually cheaper too. However, overfeeding your betta fish becomes more of an issue with flakes. Mainly because pellets are generally uniform in size and it’s easier to measure out the appropriate amount of food than with flakes which vary greatly in size.

Personally, I choose pellets for my betta fish because it’s easy to accurately feed my betta without overfeeding.

If your betta fish isn’t eating the pellets right away, give it time. Mine took mine almost a week to give in and eat pellets. Also, soaking the pellet in a cup of water before putting them into your tank will help soften the food for easier eating.

Feeding Quantities

One of the most common causes of Betta illness and even death is overfeeding. This seems confusing because many betta food bottles for flakes and pellets will recommend way too much food each day. If you decide to go with pellets, two or three pellets once a day should be plenty.

Also, try to feed your betta around the same time each day. This is so your betta will get on a schedule and be super excited when he sees you and knows its time for supper!

Treats & Live Betta Fish Food

Even though your betta’s daily diet should be well balanced and nutrient rich, they love the types of live foods I mentioned above. In addition, freeze dried blood worms will make a tasty and protein-filled snack for your betta fish.
Once each week I like to give my Bettas some blood worms as a snack. Make sure you don’t overdo it if you’re already fed them their normal food that day!

Food complications / Constipation

Surprisingly, betta fish can get constipated!

Once your Betta has a blockage, you might be at a dangerous point of no return. However, if your Betta does get constipated or bloated, one big thing that can help is vegetables.

An easy solution is to microwave a frozen pea in a little dish of water, then peel the outer skin off and feed him a small piece or two of the pea. Peas act as a natural laxative and can help your pet when normal Betta fish food would just cause further problems. Beware of doing this for too long though, as Bettas are carnivores and need protein. Try and get your Betta eating normally again ASAP!