Thanks to their bright colors and feisty personalities, betta fish are popular pets. However, because of their low cost, easy availability, and the fact that they are often sold in small containers, many owners don’t realize that these tropical fish require special care and a high-quality diet.
Fluval Bug Bites Color Enhancing Fish Food for Betta Fish is formulated with the nutritional needs of bettas in mind. Made from fly larvae and whole fish, this food is the best choice for those looking to provide their betta with high-quality, natural ingredients.
Bettas are insectivores. This means that their natural diet is almost completely composed of insects, insect larva, and other small invertebrates. Bettas require protein and animal matter to survive and will suffer from malnutrition and eventual death if these nutrients are not regularly provided in their fish food.
Bettas, like most fish, do not require a large amount of food. Overfeeding your pet can result in poor health and dirty water. It is recommended that you feed your betta a small pinch of food or a few pellets twice a day.
Surprisingly, bettas can be finicky when it comes to what they choose to eat. For this reason, it is recommended that you try a variety of different foods until you find two or more than your pet likes. Having more than one type of food on hand will allow you to switch between them to keep your fish interested and engaged.
Bettas are predatory fish, and therefore require a diet high in protein. Select food that has shrimp, worms, or similar ingredients at the top of its list. Ingredients like “whole shrimp” are superior to those listed as “meal” or “powder.” Avoid foods that contain long lists of chemical additives or wheat and grain-based fillers, as these do not provide nutrition.
While feeding a fish is not especially difficult, it can still be challenging to accurately measure out the right amount of flakes or wrangle live food items. Generally, pellets are the easiest to administer since you can count them individually and easily see how many your fish is able to eat within a certain amount of time.
Fish food is not generally expensive. However, more expensive options like live or frozen food can result in unexpectedly high costs over time. To keep your pet’s diet economical, use frozen or live food as a treat and use flakes or pellets as their primary food source.
Betta fish food can range from as little as $4 for a small can of flakes to $15-$20 for larger containers of freeze-dried whole food items or frozen brine shrimp.
A. Yes. Like many fish, bettas are prone to overeating if provided with an excess of food. This can result in sickness, injury, and dirty water. Only feed your fish what it can consume within five to 10 minutes.
A. While bettas do not eat other fish, they are aggressively territorial and will fight other fish or animals that they see as intruders. Because of this, bettas are solitary creatures and should not be kept with other fish of any species.
A. Generally, they won’t. While a small amount of vegetable matter does make its way into a betta’s diet occasionally, its digestive system is designed to process insect shells and animal protein. They will not feed on decorative aquarium plants.
Fluval Bug Bites Color Enhancing Fish Food for Betta Fish
What you need to know: This food is made of top-of-the-line ingredients designed to give your betta full, natural nutrition.
What you’ll love: This betta fish food is mostly made up of fly larvae and the whole salmon, making it one of the most nutritious betta food options available. Its natural taste and smell make it attractive to your pet.
What you should consider: Some betta owners report that these flakes dissolve too quickly and dirty their water.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: These floating pellets make feeding time easy and contain great nutrition.
What you’ll love: With salmon and whole herring listed as the first two ingredients, this betta food is packed with protein. The small pellets float on the water’s surface, providing your fish with its natural and preferred feeding method.
What you should consider: Some betta owners report that these pellets don’t stay afloat as long as they would like, sinking to the bottom before their fish notices them.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and PetSmart
What you need to know: These freeze-dried larvae make healthy snacks for your betta.
What you’ll love: Whole, dried bloodworms, and no filler make this an ideal and irresistible supplement to your betta’s regular diet.
What you should consider: This is not suitable for use as daily food and should only be given as a treat.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Derek Walborn writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
