How much to feed betta?

[MoppinTheFlooR]

I'm sure theres a thread on this but I couldn't find anything. A link would be fine I suppose. I'm just confused on how much to feed them. I am giving them betta pellets.

When we first got the bettas we would give them 6-7 a day because that is what they told us. I think this is way to much though, one of the fish got stuck at the top and would float there and had a hard time getting down and when he did he would just float back to the top. I didn't feed him for a few days and he recovered.... I don't want that to happen again, and we got a second betta.

So how much do I feed them? I always see different people say different things. Lately I've been feeding them 2 in the morning and 1 at night, I'm worried maybe it's not enough. Also, the first betta we got is way bigger than the new one we got. Should the big one get feed more or less than the smaller one?

best brands or best food to feed bettas would be nice too. I want the best for them :)

also I'd like some ideas on other things to mix it up as treats. are live blood worms good? any other ideas?

thank you.

[shellieca]

I don't know what kind of pellets you are feeding but some of them will swell when wet so you have to be careful of that. Also, a Bettas stomach is typically about the same size as it's eye so you can see 1-2 pellets at a time is plenty. So, for me this is what I typically do - 3 days a week 1-2 (depending on the fish) pellets each once a day, 1 day frozen bloodworms, 1 day frozen brine shrimp, 1 day fasting. I have found recently that 3 of my Bettas eat better if I soak the pellets for 5-10 minutes before feeding them. My pellets are Top Fin Betta Bits, others feed NLS or Omega.

[DragonFish]

The best brands to feed are Omega One or New Life Spectrum, I would very highly suggest picking up one of those two brands to feed as your bettas staple diet. Depending on which brand one you get since NLS pellets are quite small, about 2-4 twice per day should do the trick. For a little variety, you can replace a couple of meals a week with a few frozen bloodworms and/or brine shrimp. You can also feed freeze-dried, but be careful because freeze-dried is known to cause bloating problems.

Some people suggest fasting one day a week, but I don't, never have, and have never had any issues so long as my fish were not over fed. Actually, I've had boys who tore up their tails if I even skipped a feeding....
But its up to you whether you want to fast or not.

Soaking the pellets isn't a very good plan, it takes out the nutritional value.

[dbrooke1]

i was having the same question as to how much to feed my betta as well. i feed them omega one betta pellets. they're found in both petco and petsmart. new life spectrum is also good i hear. they say these two are the best brands because of the nutritional value.
i used to feed my betta 2 pellets twice a day (4 total daily). people have told me this is a good amount, but i'm going to try cutting it down to 2 a day to try it out first. one pellet for each meal. it's because i watch his tummy when i feed him two pellets at a time, his stomach slightly swells or barely gets bloated. he may not ye be a grown adult, got him 4 days ago.
uncertain if two pellets per day is not enough, but people more experenced would know. =)
also have heard it's not best to soak the pellets in water because it takes away the nutritional value.
hope it goes well with your fishies

[dbrooke1]

i fast my fish one day once a week too. wild betta don't naturally eat much in the wild. so, fasting them once a week helps their digestive systems to catch up.
so, i feed him his pellets, and one day feed him one frozen bloodworm and then for second meal same day feed him one frozen brine shrimp, then continue with pellets the next day. so, i feed pellets, then blood worm and then brine shrimp in between pellets for a treat, then continue with pellets.
becareful with brine shrimp though. they are usually the cause for bloating. so, i try and get one brine shrimp or a very tiny speck =)