Eating food from the bottom of the tank?

[Seki]

My piggy betta is usually very good about snapping up every single pellet at feeding time. He gets 3-4 pellets a day, and he's been doing great with the pellets I have for him. He really seems to like them.

Today was different, though. I fed him a little earlier than I usually do because I had to go to work, so he ended up only eating two of the four pellets I put in, and he knocked two of them down into his gravel. I expected they would sit down there and rot until water change day, but just now, I was watching him, and he appeared to be very interested in the bottom of the tank, shoving his face down into the gravel. I looked a little closer, and it was the place one of the pellets had fallen this morning. When he retreated, I didn't see a pellet there anymore...

I had always thought bettas only ate from the surface. Why is Drago eating from the bottom of the tank? Is this a bad sign? Or am I being an overprotective fish mommy?

[jeremywadejunior]

Junior will eat from the gravel sometimes, too, if his food falls to the bottom, or even he'll just "hunt" around in the gravel in hope that he'll find another treat I think! It's never concerned me. As long as your betta still is able to eat from the top, as well, I don't think it's anything to worry about.

[Perseusmom]

Nothing to worry about I have Perseus do that also when maybe his pellet sinks to fast for him to get and lands on the gravel.

[Seki]

Whew! Okay, thanks, guys! Drago is acting just fine, nothing strange in the least, so I didn't think it was anything terribly worrisome. But I felt it was worth it to ask, at least lol.

I guess he is actually doing me a favor; now that food can't rot and produce ammonia! He's just cleaning up after himself hahaha!

[jeremywadejunior]

Originally Posted by Seki

I guess he is actually doing me a favor; now that food can't rot and produce ammonia! He's just cleaning up after himself hahaha!

That's a good way to look at it! Our bettas are just neat-freaks and want to keep their tank as tidy as they can!

[Seki]

Originally Posted by jeremywadejunior

That's a good way to look at it! Our bettas are just neat-freaks and want to keep their tank as tidy as they can!

Hahaha that's right! He's just a good housekeeper, that's all! LOL

[MSG]

The only time my bettas will eat off the floor is if it's bare bottom. No substrate.

If I haven't fed them all day, they'll devour everything.

Most of them are actively searching for food/exploring all day long unless I walk by then they flock to the front of the tank to see if I'll come over.

I'd rather feed them less than let any pellet possibly fall to the bottom. Because the last thing you want is for them to eat a half/decayed pellet that they didn't see.

I'm assuming a moldy pellet could make them ill.

[katrina89]

sea biscuit does the same thing... he even tries to eat the sinking shrimp pellets

[Myates]

Bettas are also scavengers, like every other fish out there.. they will eat food wherever they find it, regardless if on top or below. Only very few fish will eat only on top/bottom and that generally is because of mouth placement (stingrays have their mouths on the bottom, etc). You don't want the food to sit there all day and then some, as it will dirty up the water chemistry. Not to mention it's losing it's nutritional value so if your fish eats it at a later time it not only is rotting, it has no nutritional value to it.

So nothing wrong with them eating off the bottom, in the middle, on top, out of water (jumping).. it's natural for most fish to do that.