Last Updated on August 21, 2020 by Woody Pet

Can Betta Fish Eat Bread?

Betta fish are cute species to keep and have them as pets in your home is loveable. Being so lively and colorful, we are always happy when we increase our pet family with one (or more) of these species. They simply make our life more joyful. 

However, bear in mind that, like every other pet, Betta fish need proper care and attention in order to live as long as they can. Buying them is one thing, maintaining them is another task – a more difficult one. They are specific and unique, which is why you love them, while at the same time, these exact reasons demand a great share of taking care of them. 

The Internet is flooded with questions whether betta fish can eat this or that, and whether bread is a good dietary choice for betta fish is one of the most frequently asked questions. Let’s dig in and see what is the opinion on this matter – can betta fish eat bread?

Can Betta Fish Eat Bread? Is Bread The Right Choice?

Healthy diet is the key for every existing being that needs food.  For example, we humans love pizza, pasta and hamburgers, and we can afford them every now and then, but what consequences will we suffer if we include this kind of food in our everyday life? 

You can ask yourself the same question in regards to feeding your Betta fish with bread. Pet owners are constantly struggling on what human food can they feed their betta fish.  

It is arguable whether your cute beta fish can eat bread or not. Since bettas are a specific kind of fish that require proper diet, the answer should be: only occasionally. While they would like it when you give it to them, when you step over the line and start feeding them with pastry on a daily basis, the consequences are bad, sometimes even disastrous. 

The problem with feeding your betta friend with bread is that it contains many ingredients which can do a great injury for their digestive system. Some of the food ingredients that are considered staples in human cuisine, such as butter, oil, salt, and yeast, are not so harmless for the other species – including betta fish. 

You must also take into consideration the fact that when you put the bread inside the aquarium, it becomes larger because it’s in water. This can lead to big problems, such as making your poor betta fish swollen or unable to empty their bowels-which means constipation. 

And these are not the worst things that can happen to the betta fish if you feed them with bread as a regular food. 

Unfortunately, bread can even cause death to your betta fish pet. Because, once it enters their system, it gets bigger and besides the bad effects we mentioned above, it can kill your poor pet. 

What Food Exactly Should You Feed Your Betta Fish With?

We strongly recommend that you should stick with feeding your betta fish by buying and using proper food.

This includes mainly food that contains protein.

Also, you can give betta pellets, betta flakes, as well as bloodworms (both live and frozen), brine shrimp and daphnia.  

During their existence in their natural habitat, the betta fish do not have much of a choice of food. For these reasons, they are not fastidious, and would eat what they get.

For example, they prey on insects, worms, and even other smaller fish. 

Mostly, they eat meat, since they are carnivores and protein containing food is recommended. 

These are the kinds of food for your Betta fish you should stick to:

Floating Pellets

This is a widely used food for the Betta fish and you can hardly go wrong. They love to swim up to the surface and eat them while floating, since this is the manner they want to eat while they are on the loose in nature. To choose the best kind of floating pellets for your Betta fish friend, don’t be cheap on quality and make sure that the product contains protein.

Betta flakes

This is also a regular food for the Betta fish. However, the problem with the betta flakes is that they go down quickly, and if your special pet doesn’t eat them soon, they are tough to be pulled out.

Sinking pellets

This might not always work, since betta fish like to swim up to the surface and eat their food that way when they live in nature. However, it is worth a try.

Blood Worms

While Betta fish are very keen on eating them, please be careful with the dosage you’re rationing. Make sure that you don’t give them more than two worms at a time, because anything more than this can be too much. You don’t want your pets to become overweight. 

As a treat, but be mindful, not too often, you can give them tropical food. If you overstep the limit, this kind of food can cause them problems such as swim bladder disease or bloating. 

Additionally, you can prepare some betta fish homemade food – you can find some DIY recipes online. 

If your betta fish has a constipation problem, you can try boiled peas as a treatment for one day of the week, and leave them one day without any food. Try this once and check out if that works. If this doesn’t help, use blood worms, again, with one day off-food weekly. 

While it may appear to you that they like eating the bread, be mindful that they are fish and are not aware of the bad consequences it can cause to their health, and can even cost them their life, and it would cost you a great deal of sorrow and regret.

If, however, one or more of the bad side effects show up after you overfeed your Betta fish with bread, at least make sure you take proper care in order to cure the damage. 

Conclusion – Can Betta Fish Eat Bread?

Based on the facts stated above, we strongly advise you to have a proper food at your home to feed your beloved Betta fish pet. Feeding them with bread should definitely not become your habit as their owner. If you are in deficit with proper Betta fish food, the bread can become your last resort for one use, but make sure you don’t overfeed them with it and get the needed supplies as soon as you can. 

The best option is to always stock up on the food for your beloved pet. In the latest months, with the quarantine and supply shortages, we have learned the importance of always having some of the most important things in bulk. 

Also, don’t be afraid to ask. Next time you go to the pet store, ask the seller what they would recommend. Pet store owners and staff are trained in knowing and recommending the best choices for each animal. Same as us, they will probably advise you on not feeding your betta fish with bread, and provide you with the best suitable alternatives. 

So, the final verdict on whether you should feed your betta fish with bread is: only if necessary, and only for a short period of time. Otherwise, avoid the pastries for your cute little pets.