Betta fish is eating way too much, need help!

[tahbi]

My betta fish is a pig. I used to feed him 6 betta pellets a day but now I only feed him 3 a little after noon. It's because he also eats my neon tetra flake food when I feed my neons and he even eats pieces of the sinking pellets I give to my cory cats.

But to the point, he's huge! How do I get him to stop eating so much?

[Lion Mom]

I think the only way that can be done is to move your betta to a tank by himself.

[Betta Slave]

You can buy a breeder's trap or net of some sort and maybe lure him in there every time you feed the other fish their food. Then when they're done, let him out.

[Lion Mom]

Originally Posted by Betta Slave

You can buy a breeder's trap or net of some sort and maybe lure him in there every time you feed the other fish their food. Then when they're done, let him out.

Wouldn't it be an awful lot of stress on him to be netted daily?

BTW, Betta Slave, LOVE the pic in your avatar!!!

[tahbi]

I don't have an extra tank, and if I did, I don't really have room anywhere for it.

But I think I'll try switching him out with my other betta who is living in a 3gal. My other betta is a lot more aggressive than Orphan (the piggy) is, but I'll just have to see how it goes and hope he doesn't attack the neons or the cories.

If the tank switch doesn't work out, should I stop feeding him betta food pellets and just let him eat the neon tetra flakes and the sinking algae pellets? Or is that not very nutritional for a betta?

[Betta Slave]

You could just lure him in. I've done it before and it worked.
Thanks Lion Mom That's my PK, Spiridion.

All bettas (the ones I've had, anyway) are piggies. XD
Good luck!

[Adastra]

I would isolate the betta for feeding, you can just put him in a cup floating in the water, or some people make a box type thing out of needlepoint craft mesh, which is quite easy, and simply make a door that the fish can swim into during feedings. It's easy to train them to swim into the box, you don't have to take them out of the water that way.

[vaygirl]

No, it's not stressful. Use Lee's three way breeder. You can find it online or at Petco. It's very, very clear, so they can't see it as well as a net box. It floats in the tank like a little boat because it has floats on the sides and vents to let water flow through it.

When he comes to the top for feeding, just scoop him into it and feed him IN IT every time you do. Tango knows I'm doing it but he's so used to it that he doesn't fight much. Sometimes he swims over the side as I'm scooping and I have to try again. Since it's a big clear box (if you take out the center divider), it's not like being netted. Feed your other fish at the same time. I do this with mine every day and he's fine. I even have a picture. Please ignore his miserable face. He's really just fine. :P

In fact it's so clear that he sometimes can't swim out of it because he sees through it and no matter which way I turn it he tries to swim through the bottom. :D

[tahbi]

aw, that's awesome vaygirl. xD I'll have to see where I can get one.

He's doing much better now though. I've started feeding my cory cat (other two died, so I only have one left now) shrimp pellets and my betta doesn't seem to like them. So he's doing better with his eating. :P