Food Question

[Petunia87]

My little girl decided that she randomly would no longer eat her current pellets. For the past year she gobbled them up and then one day decided she didn't like them. Of course when I offered her a bloodworm she attacked me for it and then begged for more. I was feeding her the Top Fin Color Enchancing Pellets but I think for some reason they are all the sudden to big for her to eat. I switched her over to the Aqueon Betta Food pellets and she eats them right up. I have 2 questions. 1. Since she was getting 2 of the Top Fin pellets in the morning and 2 at night but they are a lot bigger how much of the new food should I give her? 2. I am not a huge fan of the new food (not as much protein and 2nd ingredient is a wheat) what would you guys suggest I feed her instead of the Aqueon that is around the same size of pellet but better for her. I am glad she is eating them but feel guilty every time I give her some because I know they are not as good for her :( Thanks

[Sakura8]

Haha, bettas do love bloodworms. Too bad we can't get them to understand bloodworms are just treats, like candy bars are to humans. Okay, if you are feeding the Aqueon still, I'd say you could probably feed her two still if they aren't *that* much bigger than Top Fin, especially if you only feed her twice a day. If you're concerned about her getting enough protein on Aqueon then feed her three pellets for one meal and two for another (five pellets a day).

For pellets, I'd suggest Hikari Betta Bio-Gold or Hikari Micropellets. Betta Bio-Gold doesn't have as much protein as Top Fin either and it does have wheat meal but it's small enough for a betta. Off hand I can't think of other pellets that would be besides the ones I put out there. Of course, you can always crumble flakes if you want, but that may get messy.

Bettas are funny. Just like humans, they get bored with what they eat so it's best to feed them a variety of different foods. This way, you are also assured they will be getting all the nutrition they need because if one food lacks it, another will surely have it. I feed mine two freeze-dried bloodworms in the morning, Top Fin Betta Bits in the evening, and Hikari Betta Bio-Gold before bed. Sometimes I switch the order around just to keep my guy off track. That way, he doesn't know what to expect so he can't go on a hunger protest until he gets what he wants. If you still want to feed Top Fin because of its high protein, then offer it to her and then remove it after a few minutes when she refuses to eat (you don't want it dirtying up the water). A little fasting won't hurt her and she may learn that will be all she's getting. If she keeps refusing for several days, of course, then you're outta luck with Top Fin.

Gotta stop moving the food containers around now. My guy thinks he's going to eat. :)

Edit: Just looked online at Petco.com. You could also try Tetra BettaMin Tropical Medley. It has 48% protein. NutraFin Max Color Enhancing Betta Flakes have 46% protein. NutraFin says it also has freeze-dried bloodworms added "for maximum palatability."

[Petunia87]

I realized how confusing this sounded when I went back. The brand I am currently feeding her (The Aqueon) is much smaller than the Top Fin ones. Since I was feeding her 2 Top Fin pellets twice a day what should I be feeding now given the size difference? Sorry for confusion and thanks for your help.

[Sakura8]

Ohhh, I get it. Well, since Aqueon is smaller and doesn't have as much protein, maybe 3 pellets per meal. Is she very big? If she's on the tinier side, I'd say 3 would definitely be enough.

[Petunia87]

She is a year old so I am guessing she is full grown. Not huge, but not tiny. I will start feeding 3 pellets twice a day after tomorrow (her fast day aka least favorite day of the week). Thanks for your help!

[Sakura8]

Haha, yeah I can see how she'd dislike fast day. Glad I could be of assistance. :)

[Lion Mom]

I feed all my bettas New Life Spectrum Growth Formula with 50% protein & the pellets are TINY and everybody LOVES them!!! :)

They are so small, I try to go by the "Their stomach is as big as their eye" method, but then I only feed once a day.