What to Feed Bettas [ May 9th, 2011 ] Posted in » Bettas

Trying to figure out what to feed your bettas?  Today I came across this article by Mischa which talks about the best types of foods to feed betta fish.  She discusses both how much to feed betas as well as what to feed betta fish.

She very much stresses the importance of feeding your bettas a variety of different types of foods.  Right now in my tank I don’t have any bettas as the female ones I had died a while ago and right now I’ve got an oscar in my tank which would have bettas for breakfast, but when I did have bettas I mostly just fed them flakes.  Mischa’s advice is to offer bettas a bigger variety of food.

Here’s the article she wrote:

Feeding Betta Fish

By Mischa Hill

If you are new to Betta fish keeping, feeding them might present a challenge at first. There are so many choices out there and so much conflicting information!

People present all kinds of theories on how often to feed Betta fish, what to feed them, etc. But once you start listening to those with many years of experience, some common themes begin to emerge.

Here are some basic tips for you:

First of all, you need to know that feeding Betta fish the best and most varied diet possible will have a profound effect on its health and longevity. In fact, next to the quality of tank water, it’s the second most important factor in caring for your Betta fish. And the two are very much connected. You will see in a minute, why.

The first question is: How much should I be feeding Betta fish?

Be careful not to overfeed it! That’s the most important thing. We can be very eager to make our Betta happy and full and we often go overboard. Remember, they are tiny creatures, with tiny stomachs (about the size of their eyes) and huge appetites. And they don’t have much will power when it comes to food. Yes, they can be finicky, but they will also eat until their stomachs are bulging, if left to their own devices.

So learn these quick rules:

  • Feed it only what your Betta will consume right away (in 2 minutes)
  • Do not leave any uneaten food in the tank (it can be a challenge to pick it all out…)

There are many theories out there, but it’s enough to feed your Betta fish once a day. Pick a time that is convenient for you and stick to it. Bettas like consistency when it comes to feeding time. It’s also perfectly fine to skip a day. In fact, regular “fasts” can do your Betta much good.

Here is a not-so-well-known feeding tip: the best time for feeding your Betta fish is an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset. In the wild, this is the time when the insects swarm and land in the water for the Bettas to scoop them up.

The second question is: What should I be feeding my Betta fish?

We already mentioned the fact that Bettas are carnivores. A vegetarian diet will not sustain them. The healthiest food for them is called Hikari Bio-Gold. It’s imported from Japan and used by many breeders. Another very good choice for every day is BettaMin.

Since your Bettas need a varied diet, here are some other elements of their weekly menu:

  • Blood worms – give infrequently
  • Daphnia (water fleas) – twice per week at the most
  • White chicken meat
  • A tiny piece of steak
  • Vegetables – a cooked and peeled pea, for example

Variety will contribute to a strong immune system in your Betta.

And once again – whatever is not eaten right away, needs to be removed from the tank. Leftover food will rot and produce bacteria and ammonia, making the environment dangerous if not deadly for your Betta.

Bettas make wonderful pets because of the way they tend to bond and interact with their owners. Use your feeding routine to spend time with your Betta and cultivate that bond. You will soon find it most enjoyable!

Mischa Hill is a Betta fish enthusiast. He likes to contribute to the well-being and health of all Bettas by providing information and resources on Betta fish care and breeding Betta fish to Betta fish owners at http://www.betta-fish-care.net/

Find good Betta fish food prices on his site as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mischa_Hill

http://EzineArticles.com/?Feeding-Betta-Fish&id=2755954

As you can see she stresses feeding betas a variety of food, not just one type of food.  The female bettas I had died from being attacked by other fish, not from a lack of food variety so I can’t really comment on how valid Mischa’s recommendations are.

What do you think?

Do you have bettas?  Are you thinking of just sticking with one type of daily food, or are you going to feed them a variety?  Leave your comments below and let me know what you think.

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Tiger Barbs Died

Unfortunately the two Tiger Barbs I bought yesterday didn’t survive the night.  This morning I found them floating upside down in the tank.

Poor Tiger Barb didn't make the night.

The most likely culprit is the high pH level in my newly setup tank.  I live on well water so luckily the water that comes out of my tap doesn’t have Chlorine in it like city water does, but my water is slightly alkaline coming out of the tap and my initial setup of the aquarium put the water up to a pH level of about 8.2 – 8.4 which was too high for the Barbs to survive.

From what I’ve read, generally the Barbs prefer a more acidic environment around 6.5-7.0 pH with a broader range of 6.0-8.0 pH.  My guess is that the large pH level difference between my tank and the water at the pet store that was the shock that killed them.  Unfortunately I didn’t know I had such a high pH level in my tank when I brought the Barbs home as that was my first visit to the pet store and I got the testing kits at the same time as the fish.

The other four fish I have in there seem to be doing OK at this time, but I decided to investigate how to lower my pH levels before getting any more fish.

Lowering pH in an Aquarium

From my research I found that a high pH is actually a quite common problem in fish tanks.  The most common causes of high pH in aquariums are:

  • Your tap water is already highly alkaline with a pH level higher than 7.0.
  • Your aquarium decorations, such as seashells are increasing the alkalinity of your water.
  • Your gravel may be causing an increase in the pH level of your water.

Of course the problem may be a combination of any of the above.  I would venture a guess that most people who live on city water probably have low pH levels below 7.0 so their tap water is acidic.  Then if they have decorations or gravel in the tank which raise the pH levels up, it creates a balance and your pH levels are fairly normal.  In my case I’m starting out with well water which doesn’t have added acids like chlorine in it to make it acidic so it’s quite easy for my water to have a higher pH.

How Can You Lower the pH in Your Aquarium?

I found two products that can be used to lower the pH levels in an Aquarium.  Firstly there is a product called “Aquarium Pharmeceuticals pH-Down“.  It’s basically a small bottle that you take and add a certain number of drops into you water in order to raise the acidity level of your water, bringing the pH levels down.

I wasn’t sure if this product was going to work, so I also bought another product called “Aquarium Pharmeceuticals Proper pH 7.0“.  This product is a bit different.  What this product does is that it regulates your pH levels and balances them out to a pH level of 7.0.  So if your aquarium pH is too high, it will buffer it down and if your pH is too low it will raise the pH level.

pH Down and Proper pH 7.0

When I got home I first tried using the pH-Down product and after a few hours the pH level still didn’t drop much.  I didn’t want to overdo it and put too much of it into the water so I decided to leave that and try using the Proper pH 7.0 instead.  This product seemed to work much better.  I added in the recommended two scoops of the stuff for the 20 Gallon tank I have and then tested the pH about 30 minutes later and it was now showing it at an almost perfect 7.0.

I’ll have to test the water tomorrow and see whether or not it was able to keep it at that level or if the water went back up.  If the water goes back up, I might just need to accept the fact that my water is always going to be higher pH and focus on picking fish that prefer a slightly higher pH environment.

October 23rd, 2008 | 1 Comment

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