Best Foods for Betta Fish

Bettas, also known as Siamese fighting fish, have exquisitely flowing tails and thrive in small, simple fish bowls, making them attractive pets for many fish lovers. While bettas do not require aeration pumps or large aquariums, their diet is somewhat more extensive and specialized than that of standard goldfish. Instead of stocking up on generic fish flakes, ask a local fish pet shop which of the betta's favorite foods they carry.

  1. Fresh Foods

    • Serious betta breeders will feed their pets fresh foods, including mosquito larvae, brine shrimp or blood worms. Bettas require a protein-based diet. In their natural habitat in their native Thailand, mosquito larvae forms the basis of the betta diet. While mosquito larvae is relatively difficult to procure, specialty pet shops regularly stock brine shrimp and daphnia, another crustacean, and either blood worms or white worms. Somewhat expensive, brine shrimp is best used as a treat, not as the fish's regular diet. Live worms of any kind should be cleaned thoroughly before feeding, as they may have been exposed to pesticides, or they may spread bacterial diseases to fish. Thorough washing entails a full minute under running water; storage in cool water, as in the refrigerator; and daily rinsing of any worms kept on hand.

    Frozen Foods

    • Live foods may require even more care than betta themselves, so "frozen live" or "frozen dried live" foods are simpler options. Buying protein-rich items in their frozen form offers a less perishable and cleaner alternative to live worms or shrimp. Freezing will significantly decrease the chances of bacterial infections. However, frozen foods may still expose fish to ich, a common protozoan disease affecting freshwater fish. Rotating different kinds of foods can minimize the risk of ich exposure. Also, taking standard preventative steps, such as maintaining constant temperature, pH and ammonia levels, changing water regularly and carefully monitoring for signs of infection, will decrease risks. Products such as Aquari-Sol can also be added to aquarium water to avoid ich flare-ups.

    Pellets and Flakes

    • Betta food is available in pellet or flake form and is designed to provide for the fish's meat-based dietary needs. Ideally, betta will feed primarily on fresh or frozen foods, supplemented by a pellet-type food, allowing you to monitor the amount of protein the fish receive. As betta do typically prefer fresh or frozen shrimp and worms, they may resist switching to pellet or flake-type foods. However, if the betta accepts it, betta formula pellets offer an extremely simple alternative for the casual fish owner.