[JBosley]

Hey!
So I finally got my fishies to eat <3 :-D But now I'm wondering how much I should be feeding them, and if I need to fast them?

Omega One Buffet Pellets are what I have for my 2 boys, I usually feed Dragonfly (larger fish) 4 pellets, 2 times a day and Sparks (my small dude) about 2 pellets, 2 times a day.

I also give them each 1 blood worm about 1-3 times a week, just depends!

Is this too much? Too little? Or okay?

 

[Myates]

I normally recommend 4-6 pellets total a day, spread between 2-3 meals... when I feed pellets to mine, that is what I give them (each gets their own amount, as not all of mine can handle the exact same).
The younger, and more active, the more they tend to eat.. the older, less active, the less they should eat. My oldest one only get 3-4 pellets a day- sometimes he will only eat 3, sometimes 4, but never more.. and my youngest will eat until he explodes.. so I give him 2 cut in half, 2-3 times a day.

For the bloodworm, replace 1-2 pellets with the blood worm, rather then add it on to say, 6 pellets, for that day.

The reason I shy from 4 pellets at once (3 is more then enough to fill them up) is that their stomachs do expand, but it's still the size of their eyes, and if the food isn't quality, then there is an increased chance of digestive problems the more you stuff in them at once.
If you do want to give him a little more then usual- then I would split it into 3 meals- 3 for breakfast, 1 for lunch, 2-3 for dinner.

Again, that is my opinion, my experience what works best- have yet had a case of bloat/constipation/SBD.. even though Frazzle is going to one day become all 3 at once.. he is a baby double CT and 2 pellets make him look like he is going to explode lol so I have to feed him a tiny tiny bit throughout the day just so he doesn't get sick.. silly piglet.

 

[Nemo Betta]

My betta will eat as much as I put in there. A couple of times I had extra pellets fall in there (like 10) and he ate them all in about 30 seconds. Now when I give him 4 at a time he is done in about 5 seconds and is looking for more. Should I cut him off at 4 or give him more if he looks like he still wants more? He even chased down a sinking shrimp pellet which I give my cories and tried to eat that!!

 

[Myates]

Don't give him more.. they will eat themselves to death.. literally.

Their stomachs are only the size of their eyes so you don't want to give them too much at once, remove ones that have accidentally fallen into the tank before he eats them. It's too much of a risk at causing health issues, such as bloating, constipation and even swim bladder issues. Not worth the health and life of your fish to give in to their "begging".

What pellets are they? Some of the mini ones you can do more- but the average pellet you only want to feed 2-3 per feeding, twice a day for a total of 4-6 pellets a day. Always wise to feed twice a day or more rather then once a day for fear of over/under feeding. So you actually want to cut him off at 3. Better to feed one at a time to make sure he eats them all.

Feed the cories in the evening or morning with the tank lights off and in the back of the tank to avoid him eating it right away.

Good luck!

 

[JBosley]

Myates, well thank you! I will do 3 pellets, 2 times a day. And will do 2 pellets in the AM and 1 pellet with a bloodworm in the PM, once a week. That was great information and makes a lot of sense! :-D

 

[Nemo Betta]

They are Hikari Betta pellets. Every once in a while I will give him a couple of freeze-dried bloodworms. I usually feed them before I leave for work at 7:00AM and then again after dinner at 7:00PM. They all seem to like this schedule.

Luckily he doesn't actually eat the cory food. He will chase it, but as soon as the 5 cories come over he leaves, which is nice because I was worried he might try to attack them. He is very non-aggresive, the cories will sometimes swim around him or even right into him and he just ignores them. I hope it stays this way!

 

[scootshoot]

My betta will eat as much as I put in there. A couple of times I had extra pellets fall in there (like 10) and he ate them all in about 30 seconds. Now when I give him 4 at a time he is done in about 5 seconds and is looking for more. Should I cut him off at 4 or give him more if he looks like he still wants more? He even chased down a sinking shrimp pellet which I give my cories and tried to eat that!!

10 is way too many and may lead to near irreversible health problems down the road like Swim Bladder disease.

This is what your Betta will look like with SBD, not a pretty sight..fast forward to the :50 second mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpUyd_IqgYg

http://nippyfish.net/sick-betta/swim-bladder-disorder/
In a fish’s world, being unable to right ones-self may be a sign of a swim bladder problem commonly referred to as “Swim Bladder Disorder”, “Swim Bladder Disease” or “SBD” for short.

In simple terms, the swim bladder is a gas filled sac located in the betta’s body, posteriorly (toward the tail end). You can usually see it bump out slightly on most Bettas. The swim bladder works very similarly to a SCUBA diver’s BCD (buoyancy control device). When a diver wants to be more buoyant, he fills his vest with air and releases air when he wants to descend. In fish, it’s a little more complicated but you get the basic idea.

SBD is probably caused by overfeeding most often in Bettas. Feeding too much food or foods with a very low moisture content (Betta pellets) may cause pressure in the abdomen cutting off a Betta’s ability to regulate the gasses in the swim bladder. This becomes apparent when the fish can no longer swim upright in the water. The excess food in the stomach may also show itself in the form of bloating around the abdomen like you described. Usually, the easiest fix for this is to fast your Betta for a couple of days until the food passes and the fish is able to regulate the swim bladder again. Once he is back to normal, closely monitor his feedings, making sure only to feed a few pellets a couple times a day. It’s also recommended when feeding dry foods that you soak them in a cup full of tank water for about 10 minutes prior to feeding to allow them to swell to their true size before entering the Betta’s digestive track. Some Bettas are prone to bloating and constipation and may benefit from a diet of mostly live or frozen foods of which a variety are available commercially.