From the team at Byrkley Aquatics & Aquascaping, Burton on Trent. Selling Bettas since 1987.
We've sold Betta fish since the shop first opened nearly 40 years ago. Back then, we could only get red or blue standard tail males. Today the colour options are wide and varied, along with all sorts of different tail types, and over the last 5 to 10 years Bettas have become one of the areas of fishkeeping we've really got into.
Everyone on our team has kept Bettas themselves. What we know has come from actual experience, plenty of research and a lot of conversations with breeders. And if there's one thing we'd say to any new Betta keeper, it's that feeding is a really big part of keeping a Betta healthy.
When someone buys a Betta from us, the questions we get asked most are how often, how much and what. So that's where we'll start, before going through exactly how we feed the Bettas in our own shop.
What is the best food for a Betta fish?
- How often: Generally once a day, 6 days out of 7, with one fasting day a week
- How much: 3 or 4 sticks or pellets per meal
- What: A high-protein dry food as the base (varied, not the same every day), frozen food at least twice a week, live food when you can, and bloodworm only as an occasional treat
What Do Betta Fish Eat in the Wild?
Bettas come from shallow, slow-moving water in South East Asia, such as rice paddies, marshes and ditches. In the wild they're carnivores, feeding mainly on insects and insect larvae, along with small crustaceans and other tiny aquatic creatures.
You'll notice a Betta's mouth points slightly upwards. That's because they mostly feed from the surface, picking off insects that land on or drift near the top of the water. It's worth keeping in mind, because it affects which foods suit them, especially when it comes to holiday feeding (more on that below).
How We Feed the Bettas in Our Shop
Our male Bettas are each kept on their own, separately from each other and from our females, who live together as a group.
Our Bettas get fed 6 days out of 7. We feed a high quality dry food, but not the same one every day. They get frozen food at least twice a week, which is a mixture of daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops and mysis, and we feed live food too when we can. We rarely feed bloodworm. It's used as an occasional treat.
The dry foods we use
Tropical Soft Line Betta. One of our favourites. The ingredients are high quality, including herring, crustaceans and larvae, which are great sources of protein. The colour enhancers come from crustacean carotenoids rather than anything artificial, and it's easy for a Betta to eat.
JBL ProNovo Betta Insect Stick. 42% protein, made with insects, shrimp meal, salmon meal and squid meal. These are semi-floating sticks, so they stay up where a Betta naturally feeds.
Repashy Grub Pie. We've started using this more recently. It has a minimum of 40% crude protein and we're seeing good results with it. Grub Pie is a gel food that you make up from a powder. We premix it and set it in a mini ice cube tray. It will set on its own, but we often keep it in the freezer. Even with a mini tray, we normally have to chop each cube into smaller pieces for our males, while a whole cube is about right for our female tank, as there are more of them sharing it.
Choosing a Dry Food
If you're choosing a dry food, turn the packet over and read the ingredients. You're looking for high protein with minimal fillers. Good signs are ingredients like insect meal, krill and fish meal near the top of the list. Ideally there should be minimal wheat, soy or corn.
A general tropical flake made for community fish isn't the same thing. It will keep a Betta alive, but it isn't what they need to do well, and it's one of the most common feeding mistakes we see.
You'll find the foods we stock for them in our Betta fish food range.
Do Bettas Need Plant-Based Foods?
No. Bettas aren't herbivores and don't need plant-based foods. Many Betta foods do contain a small amount of plant matter, which is fine, but avoid foods that are bulked out with fillers like wheat or soy, as these offer very little nutritional value.
Why a Varied Diet Is Important
This is why we don't feed our Bettas the same food every day. Rotating between a couple of good dry foods, frozen food and live food gives them a wider range of nutrients, and it shows:
- Colour. Foods like brine shrimp, which are rich in carotenoids, help bring out reds and oranges
- Fins and scales. A protein-rich diet supports fin growth and repair
- General health. A mix of foods provides a wider range of vitamins and minerals, which helps keep a Betta in good condition
- Fewer fussy eaters. A Betta that's used to different foods is less likely to become picky or refuse food
Live and Frozen Food for Bettas
It's important to use fresh live food and frozen food alongside the dry food, not just one or the other. The most popular live foods for Bettas are brine shrimp and daphnia. Bloodworm and tubifex are a special treat, not something for every week.
Live food: We sell most live foods, including live brine shrimp and live daphnia. Our live food comes from a specialist supplier and arrives every Friday. Order before 10am on Monday and it will be posted to arrive Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, or you can choose click and collect. In very hot weather we may have to pause postage to protect the live food in transit. You can see the full range in our live fish food section.
Frozen food: Our frozen food is currently in store only. For Bettas we'd recommend the same ones we use ourselves: daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops and mysis.
Freeze-dried food: Convenient, but best used in moderation. Freeze-dried food has had the moisture taken out, which can contribute to bloating and constipation, so soak it in a little tank water before feeding.
Why bloodworm is a treat, not a staple
This is one area where advice has changed over the years. It used to be common for people to feed Bettas bloodworm all the time, but most keepers now know it's a bit fatty. It is good for colour, which is why we still use it, but as a treat only.
How Much and How Often Should You Feed a Betta?
We recommend 3 or 4 sticks or pellets per meal, and we generally feed once a day. Bettas will often eat more than they need, so it's easy to overfeed them. Any food that hasn't been eaten after a few minutes should be removed from the tank so it doesn't foul the water.
If you're feeding more than once a day, for example to fatten a Betta up and help it put on body weight, give one dry meal and one fresh meal (live or frozen) rather than two of the same.
We find a fasting day once a week helps, because Bettas do tend to overeat. On that day they don't get fed at all. There's no need to make up for it with extra food the next day. Just carry on with their normal routine.
When a New Betta Won't Eat
First of all, remember that moving house is quite stressful. A Betta needs time to settle into a new environment, and it's not unusual for one to go off its food for a short while.
What we'd suggest:
- Make sure any uneaten food is removed from the tank
- Try live or frozen food first, as these are usually the most tempting
- Try adding Seachem GarlicGuard to the food to make it more palatable. There are also dry foods with garlic in them that can help get a Betta eating
- Keep trying different foods, leaving a day in between each one. They might just need to find something they like
Feeding While You're on Holiday
Feeding while you're away can be tricky.
Holiday blocks aren't great for Bettas. They sit on the bottom of the tank, when Bettas generally feed from the surface, and they don't contain enough protein.
An automatic feeder is a good option. We have a small automatic feeder, the Zoo Med Bettamatic, that you can fill with your Betta's normal pellets.
Asking someone to feed for you works well too, but portion the food out for each day and leave very strict, clear instructions. It's very easy for a well-meaning friend or neighbour to overfeed.
If you do need a holiday food, Fluval Bug Bites Holiday Food is probably the best option. Use a clip to hold it near the surface, where your Betta will actually find it.
Whatever you choose, test it out for a few days before you go away. That way you can make sure your Betta likes it and that there's no water contamination while you're still at home to deal with it.
Mistakes We See Most Often
Overfeeding. This is the most common one. Bettas will happily keep eating long after they've had enough, so stick to 3 or 4 sticks or pellets per meal.
Feeding a general fish food. Bettas need a high-protein diet. A standard community flake isn't designed for them.
Relying on bloodworm. It's good for colour, but it's fatty. Keep it as a treat.
Leaving uneaten food in the tank. Leftover food breaks down and affects water quality, which in turn affects your Betta's health.
The good news is that we rarely see these problems with Bettas bought from us, because we go through all of this with customers in store when they buy one.
Good Food Is Only Half of It
Feeding is a big part of keeping a Betta healthy, but the environment they're kept in matters just as much. We've written more about that, including tank setup and keeping them interested, in Keeping Your Betta Fish Active and Happy. If you're still choosing your Betta, our guides to Betta colour morphs and patterns and how much Betta fish cost are worth a read too.
Our Honest Summary
- Feed 6 days out of 7, and give them a fasting day
- Use a high-protein dry food with minimal fillers, and vary it rather than feeding the same one every day
- Add frozen food at least twice a week and live food when you can
- Keep bloodworm and tubifex as occasional treats
- Feed 3 or 4 sticks or pellets per meal, generally once a day, and remove anything left over
- Plan holiday feeding in advance and test it before you go
Before You Make a Special Trip
We keep a good selection of male Bettas in store, but stock changes regularly. Before travelling to see them, check our current tropical fish stock list, or browse our male Bettas for sale.
Come and See Us
We're at Byrkley Garden Centre, Rangemore, Burton on Trent. If you've got a question about feeding your Betta, or anything else about keeping them, come in and have a chat with us. We're always happy to help.