Hi, All . You all will be very familiar with this question: What can betta fish eat? Because you are keeping lovely bettas or have just started to keep them and this is the most frequently asked question by all betta keepers.
I am a Proud Mom of my cute little Bettas and love to explore every aspect to keep them so that they are happy while living with me and also love to guide other betta keepers to express my care and love for every betta fish around the world.
From Plants to insects and from fish food available in the market to homemade fish food or even human food! Allow your self to read the Pro answers to 13 most frequently asked questions below!
What can betta fish eat?
This question is always asked by all betta keepers as there are a variety of foods available in the market and it’s hard to decide which food is best for bettas. To feed them with the right type of diet you just need to understand their characteristics and body.
Betta Fish is actually a Siamese Fighting fish and is considered to be one of the most popular fish when it comes to keeping a pet fish. This fish is native to Thailand and is commonly found in rice paddies, floodplains, and water canals.
Bettas are Carnivores so they need a lot of protein in their diet. But remember, bettas need to mix and match in their diet like we humans! So giving them different options is a good idea! Which includes
- Pellets
- Frozen Food
- Live Bloodworms
- Insects
- Tiny Fish
- Fruit Flies
- Daphnia
- Glass Worms
- Mosquito Larvae
- Brine Shrimp
- Moina
- Crab
However, a detailed guide will be covered in the following questions so stay tuned to keep your betta happy and healthy!
Can Betta Fish Eat Goldfish Food?
Before answering this question, let me explain to you the natural characteristics of both fish. Betta Fish is a carnivore and on the other hand, the Gold Fish is an omnivore. This means that bettas need a high amount of protein in their food while on the other side Gold Fish can be fed with
- Veggies
- Meat
- Fungi
- Bacteria
- Algae
And the Betta Fish are usually fed on
- Animals/ Small Creatures
- Dried food High in Protein
- Human Food
In case you run out of food for your betta fish, you can feed them with Gold Fish food as well. Yes, you can give them your Gold Fish’s food for some time but not on a regular basis as the body of betta needs to consume more and more protein so, try to grab the high-protein diet items for your betta as soon as possible.
Read Also: Can betta fish eat goldfish food?
What Do Betta Fish Eat In The Wild?
While living in the wild betta fish has access to all the small creatures and plants in the water, they eat almost anything they find in their environment. As they need high levels of protein so they always go for brine shrimp
- Bloodworms
- White worms
- Mosquitoes
- Tiny Fish
- Midges
- Brine Shrimps
- Krill
- Small Fish
- Larvae
- Fungi
- Insects
What Can Betta Fish Eat Of Human Food?
When it comes to feeding Betta Fish, you should not take a risk and first go for the proper and complete information about the dietary requirements of bettas and then move towards buying fish food for them. In case you do not have food for your betta, there are very few options available for you to feed your betta with. As human food is not suitable for bettas, you must feed them with natural and most suited food like worms and other insects but if you do not have them then you can feed them with the selective food items listed below
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Boiled Kernel of Sweet Corn
- All types of Meet (Shredded in very small pieces)
- Slightly cooked Spinach
- Boiled Peas ( must remove the shell)
- Tiny Pieces of Fresh Fish
- Chunks of shrimp, scallops, and oysters
- Canned Tuna Fish ( but without oil)
What Do Betta Fish Eat In Captivity?
You can not keep your betta healthy and happy unless you completely know what should be given to them to eat!
Bettas eat various types of food when kept in an aquarium which is called captivity for them. Betta fish eat the following food while in captivity
- Earth Worms
- Sludge Worms
- Water Fleas
- Feeder Fish
- Micro Worms ( for larvae/young fish)
- Dried Bloodworms
- Dry Flake Food
- Red Algal Meal
- Krill
- Brine Shrimps
- Veggies
- Frozen Sea Food
- Baby Guppies
- Insects
What Do Baby Betta Fish Eat?
When it comes to feeding baby bettas you need to be very careful because they consume very less amount of diet and eat small things such as
- Small pallets
- Infusoria
- Hard-Boiled Egg Yolk ( in the first few days)
- Baby Brine Shrimp ( also called Brine Shrimp Nauplii)
- Very Small Amounts of Frozen Sea Foods ( in 3rd or 4th week of birth)
- Tiny amounts of Live Food
Can Betta Fish Eat Earthworms?
The answer is definitely YES! Bettas love to eat Earthworms so hit your backyard and find some for them or you can buy them from a fish food store. Remember to give a variety in the diet to your betta as they get bored by eating the same food on a regular basis.
What do Betta fish Like to Eat?
Bettas like food that is high in protein which includes
- Bloodworms
- White worms
- Mosquitoes
- Brine Shrimps
- Veggies
- Frozen Sea Food
- Baby Guppies
- Insects
- Other Seafood
What do Crowntail Betta Fish Eat?
As the Crowntail Betta fish is a carnivore as well and preferers to eat small animals, processed foods, and freeze-dried/ frozen food. Some of the common items for a healthy diet of a crown tail betta fish are as follows
- Brine Shrimps
- Tubifex Worms
- Glass Worms
- White Worms
- Plankton
- Beef Heart
- Wingless Fruit Flies
- Insect Larvae
- Betta Pellets
What do Betta Fish Eat in Nature?
Being omnivores, the Siamese fighting fish is primarily a bug eater! Yes, it needs a high protein diet so it always prefers to eat other small animals found underwater while living in its natural habitat. In nature, betta fish eat
- Live Food
- Panagrallus Redivivus
- Common Water Fleas
- Earth Worms
- Mosquitoes
- Brine Shrimps
- Blood Worms
- White Worms
- Insects
- Larvae
- Smaller Fish
- Daphnia
- Fairy Shrimps
Which Plant Do Betta Fish Eat?
As a matter of fact, Bettas are Carnivores and need a diet that is high in protein and also love to eat it as well. Bettas do not eat plants normally but sometimes they try to eat plants due to curiosity, they can not rely on plants for long. I would recommend you to get a high protein diet for your pet betta if you want to keep it healthy and never let it eat any plant. A high protein diet consists of smaller animals like other fish, mosquitoes, insects, blood worms, white worms, glass worms, and prepared food like pellets of krill, shrimps or fish.
Can Betta Fish Eat Tropical Flakes?
Yes, they can eat the tropical flakes but it is not a staple diet for a betta fish. The diet for a tropical fish is usually plant-based and is not rich in protein and betta would not be happy while consuming it for a long time. If you run out of a high-protein diet for your betta so you can feed it with tropical flakes for some time but manage to get the high-protein diet as soon as possible.
Can Betta Fish Eat Homemade Fish Food?
The prepared food available in the market has balanced nutrients for your betta yet they are expensive, you can make food for your betta yourself as well. Yes, your betta can eat homemade fish food. Homemade fish foods are cost-effective as well and also they will be made with your keen concern without any chemicals and additives, which will be more healthy for your betta! Just make sure that the homemade food you make is high in protein as betta needs a high-protein diet. Good homemade food for betta should contain the following ingredients.
- Sea Food
- Meat
- Fish Vitamins
- Unsweetened Gelatin
- Spinach
- Cucumber
- Oats
- Frozen/Boiled Peas
- Smaller Fish
- Beef Heart
- All Types of Shrimps
- Brocolli
- Salmon
- Crab
- Cod
The answers given for every question is well researched and by the experienced Betta Fishkeeper. I hope you will definitely keep your Betta healthy and happy by reading and trying all the information given above.
If You wish to get answers to any additional questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below and I would be very happy to answer your queries!
