oops, i wish i'd read that yesterday... i threw a half a slice of blanched zucchini in the tank last night for my shrimp to pick at, thinking the betta would leave it alone because it was a vegetable. i guess not, because when i checked on them this morning he was sitting there munching on it, chasing the shrimp away, so i had to take it out. >:( what a little oinker! points to the grass theory though.
One more thought to add to the theory that they are obligate carnivores vs simply carnivores: we sometimes see fish on this forum who are being well cared for but fed a diet of low quality flakes or pellets and their color and activity level is simply terrible. Obviously there could be more to consider there, such as chelated vs non chelated minerals, age of food or exposure to elements, nutrition not being balanced for bettas, or simply being a poor formula, etc, etc. But I still can't help but think that at least part of it might come from a betta simply being unable to digest anything but meat properly or well, and thus grains (rice, wheat, corn, etc) would simply be waste and cause the fish to not get adequate nutrition.
This also means that feeding a high quality food would cause significantly less water pollution by the fish as it would literally poop less.
It also makes me wonder if the cause of bloat so frequently seen could have something to do with either A) the betta being unable to digest the grain filled pellet and/or B) there actually being a bacteria problem like the E. coli we see in cows because they are unable to digest the corn they are fed, thus making them not only gassy, but also literally sick with a bacteria that thrives on the inappropriate diet.
Of course now I am just rambling. Though it makes me really wish I could do some experiments now so I could confirm/disprove any of my above theories. :/
That it awesome! I'm a science major so anything sciencey and theories and all that good stuff is just so fascinating to me! I love experiments and lab class so I always take them. I have to do some sort of research before graduation but sadly I have no ideas. But that's off topic, that's so cool that you have established a well thought theory. That's awesome! Thanks for sharing it with us :)
The favourite food in my fish room hands down, is live blackworms. All my fish go nuts for them, even the really finicky feeders.
I know a lot of people here don't like them, but I have never had any issues related to feeding them. My fry will easily take on blackworms as big or bigger than themselves. It's also usually the only food my fish will take when sick.
Other than that, I use the NLS range of pellets/flakes, as well as frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp and live whiteworms.
Does anyone have any knowledge of daphnia. I have my own culture and I am looking to continue feeding bettas the same food as my other fish. I do not have the bettas yet because I am preparing myself. I have a fully established 30 gal tank I intend on splitting up to house several. At any rate my other fish in my 55gal love the daphnia and I love watching them "hunt" the food. Daphnia is easy for me and I have read over 200 posts tonight searching for information and my eyes are bugging out.
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