Feeding advice - Betta

[Kerrbear]

I have a male Betta in a 5.5 gal tank with baffled filter. I was feeding him bloodworms, 1 to 2 worms twice a day. But I've been reading some other posts that recommend using pellets or flakes, and bloodworms only once a week! Can anyone help me with some advice on feeding? Each new article I find contradicts the last one!

 

[librarygirl]

I've heard too that Bettas can be more prone to bloating issues and in general it's advised to give frozen/freeze-dried foods as an occasional treat only. Just something I've read from various sources, but I figure better to play it safe. Personally I feed Omega one or Hikari betta pellets (NLS community pellets would work ok too), I give my betta 2-3 pellets twice per day. Once every week or two I'll give him a frozen bloodworm or shrimp, whenever I give my community tank a treat I'll give the betta a piece. On Sundays he gets a couple of small pieces of thawed frozen pea.

 

[Bbarb27]

Personally I feed Omega one or Hikari betta pellets (NLS community pellets would work ok too), I give my betta 2-3 pellets twice per day. Once every week or two I'll give him a frozen bloodworm

+1 for this. I feed Hikari pellets morning and evening and supplement with a frozen bloodworm or 2 once per week when I thaw them for my community tanks.

 

[Luananeko]

I guess my betta gets spoiled... He's in a community tank with frogs so I give frozen food daily. He wont touch pellets or flakes. I use the Freshwater frozen variety packs that Petsmart sells, alternated with straight spirulina brine shrimp, so the tank gets bloodworms about once every 8 days.

 

[Kerrbear]

Wow, is he ever into the Hikari pellets! Thanks for the advice. I tried the thawed frozen pea, but he couldn't have been less interested after he tried it a couple of times. He just kept spitting it back out, and then eventually just avoided it completely.I kept cutting off a tiny piece, dropping it in, and then scooping it out after he rejected it... After the 6th rejection or so, I just gave him the darn pellet.

 

[Bbarb27]

Wow, is he ever into the Hikari pellets! Thanks for the advice. I tried the thawed frozen pea, but he couldn't have been less interested after he tried it a couple of times. He just kept spitting it back out, and then eventually just avoided it completely.I kept cutting off a tiny piece, dropping it in, and then scooping it out after he rejected it... After the 6th rejection or so, I just gave him the darn pellet.

So glad he likes the pellets. I have one Betta who loved them immediately, and another that took a week or more to eat them - he'd just spit them out. I had to soak them for a few minutes before feeding him, as I guess he prefers them softer. Now he'll swim right up to my fingers to find the pellets.

 

[librarygirl]

Wow, is he ever into the Hikari pellets! Thanks for the advice. I tried the thawed frozen pea, but he couldn't have been less interested after he tried it a couple of times. He just kept spitting it back out, and then eventually just avoided it completely.I kept cutting off a tiny piece, dropping it in, and then scooping it out after he rejected it... After the 6th rejection or so, I just gave him the darn pellet.

LOL Every fish is different. Mine likes the peas, I wasn't sure he would at first but he's a pig and will eat anything I give him. I have to cut them with my fingernail into very small pieces though (the size of a pinhead) or he'll have a piece of pea hanging out of his mouth for a while and he won't let it go until he chews it enough to swallow it (completely oblivious to the fact that I'm freaking out waiting for him to choke).