How To Feed Betta Fish & Keep away from Overfeeding
Bettas are naturally carnivorous. Their weight loss plan primarily consists of bugs, insect larvae and tiny crustaceans.
Tending to eat smaller, meaty animals which have excessive protein contents (reminiscent of bloodworms, daphnia, mosquito larvae). Tank raised Bettas will gladly eat flakes, pellets, dwell, freeze-dried and frozen meals.
On this information, I’ll educate you how one can feed your betta so that you don’t threat overfeeding.
Feeding Your Betta Fish
Let’s talk about what you have to find out about feeding betta fish.
How A lot Ought to I Feed my Betta?
It may be actually arduous at first to determine how a lot you must feed your Betta. Please, take my recommendation and just be sure you aren’t overfeeding your fish. This will wreak all types of havoc in your fish and aquarium.
Bettas are inclined to eat type of slowly. So attempting to say, “Solely feed your Betta for two minutes,” actually doesn’t work.
As an alternative, it’s a must to have a look at the amount of meals you’re giving your fish. A Betta’s abdomen is barely concerning the dimension of one in all their eyes, so you actually solely need to feed them a really small portion at a time.
They solely want 2-5 pellets or flakes or bugs per feeding.
Promptly take away uneaten meals in order that it doesn’t rot within the tank and foul your water.
How Usually Ought to I Feed My Betta?
It may be tempting so as to add your fish’s each day ration to its habitat all of sudden for comfort, however Betta fish are literally higher tailored to eat a number of smaller parts all through the day.
It’s best to divide your fish’s rations between two meals a day.
I like to recommend you’re taking it sluggish, and feed your Betta small quantities and see the way it goes from there. And that’s as a result of the risks of overfeeding must be taken critically.
Risks of Overfeeding
Overfeeding Betta fish can result in plenty of issues.
Bloating and constipation are the commonest signs of overfeeding, each of which might result in sickness and dying.
Betta fish are notably delicate to overfeeding in contrast with different species due to their compressed digestive tract.
The issues related to overfeeding could be managed by following the above practices rigidly, not giving into the temptation to feed your fish greater than it wants.
Fasting Your Betta
Some research additionally present that fasting your Bettas as soon as per week might help to keep away from constipation.
This is not going to trigger them any hurt and can really assist to clear their digestive tract, minimizing constipation threat; merely chorus from feeding them over a 24 hour interval on a weekly foundation.
Particular Point out: Blanched Peas
Although Bettas feed nearly solely on animals (and never crops), blanched peas can be utilized to forestall constipation by offering giant quantities of fiber.
Feeding some blanched peas a couple of instances a month can actually assist your Betta’s intestine well being.
Making ready Blanched Peas
To arrange blanched peas:
1. Take a single pea and blanch it by dropping it into boiling water to melt it.
2. Go away it there for 15-30 seconds after which cool it by dropping it into iced water.
3. Peel the pores and skin and feed a small portion of the pea to your Betta.
Peas can be utilized as a fast treatment for constipation or bloating, or as a dietary complement as soon as per week to supply fiber.
How Lengthy Can My Betta Go With out Meals?
Betta fish are in a position to survive as much as two weeks with none meals earlier than dying from malnourishment.
Within the wild, fish usually need to survive prolonged durations of time on little to no meals and are effectively tailored to make it via these durations.
Remaining Ideas on The right way to Feed Your Betta
Feeding your betta doesn’t must be sophisticated. So long as you’re following my recommendation of not overfeeding, you’ll unlikely run into any points.
