why does my betta pellet contain whole wheat??

[beacon]

I got Aqueon betta food pellets in my tank kit and have been feeding it to the fish since October. I just took a look at it and the first ingredient is fish meal, fine, and the second ingredient is whole wheat flour. That seems ridiculous! Why should a betta fish eat whole wheat flour? There is nothing remotely like that found in water. Seems totally unnatural.

Should I get rid of these pellets?? The fish have been ok, but sometimes I think they are a bit constipated. Maybe this is why???

[babystarz]

It's a cheap filler. Ideally the first 4 ingredients of your betta food should be some form of fish protein. For optimal nutrition, you can't beat the New Life Spectrum Betta formula. You can buy it online or at Petco. I personally don't use any other pellet brand, but Omega One Betta Buffet is another good one.

Bettas are prone to constipation, how much are you feeding?

[beacon]

I give them about 3 each in the morning and two at night. The pellets are quite small. Is it too much?? I still am not sure how much to feed them. Of course they always act starved.

I have some freeze dried shrimp. Today I gave them that instead of the pellets. I chopped the shrimp into tiny pieces cause otherwise it's huge for them.

[babystarz]

Originally Posted by beacon

I give them about 3 each in the morning and two at night. The pellets are quite small. Is it too much?? I still am not sure how much to feed them. Of course they always act starved.

Nope that's a perfect amount. You may wish to fast them (no food) one day per week too. It seems to help clear out their systems.

Originally Posted by beacon

I have some freeze dried shrimp. Today I gave them that instead of the pellets. I chopped the shrimp into tiny pieces cause otherwise it's huge for them.

Many of us like to change things up and feed live/frozen foods instead of pellets once in a while. Other good options are frozen bloodworms and daphnia. Just make sure they're getting high quality pellets 5-6 days out of the week to ensure they are getting everything they need.