Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Woody Pet

How Often Do Betta Fish Eat

While you must feed your Betta fish in order for them to survive, there are other issues that need to be addressed concerning your pets’ diet.  You can easily be deceived by the willingness of the Betta fish to eat and their steady appetite, but in fact, what they seem to want is not necessarily what they need. A careful owner must know this before deciding to keep Betta fish at home. 

This article serves the purpose of helping you get to know your special Betta fish friend in the matters of their proper and timely dietal rations. For starters, a good thing is that they are not picky regarding the food, a fact which should help you keep them well fed.

Since this is a subject of a much-heated debate among Betta fish owners, as well as the people who are interested in keeping them in near future, let us together find out – how often do betta fish eat.

How Often Do Betta Fish Eat – Dietary habits

Depending on whether you keep Betta fish alone or together with other species, you should take a different approach in given circumstances. Also, bear in mind to ask what do Betta fish eat before buying any of the food in the pet store. 

When you have only Betta fish in your aquarium (which is the preferable option), the proper ratio would be up to three fish pellets a day. You shouldn’t exceed this number, because if you do give them more, they will still eat it since they don’t really know how much is enough for them. However, this can lead to negative side effects such as getting overweight, constipation, bloating, or even death. The Betta fish has a small belly and this is why you should be very careful. 

On the other hand, if you keep the Betta fish among other species of fish, you should follow the instructions on your product. You can also ask the people who actually are familiar with the Betta fish, for example, the employees in the place where you purchase fish food from. 

Many of you ask, how often should you feed your Betta fish flakes? Before pinpointing an exact number, you should know that the Betta fish don’t count their meals during their stay in the wild, so they would eat what they can get. At the end of the day, as a good owner, you need to know what is good for them, since they are fish and are not super intelligent. As much as they can appear greedy, bear in mind that in nature their diets are irregular, and are fine surviving with less. 

After this, you may ask yourself whether you can leave your Betta fish food for a week, and then relax. Please do not do this. Since they cannot ration their food, they might either die from overfeeding, or from starvation. 

You can also feed your Betta fish with some alternatives, such as bloodworm or brine shrimp. If you decide to switch to this diet, make sure to give each of your Betta fish three pieces a day. 

How Often Do Betta Fish Eat – Is the size of your Betta fish a determining factor? 

Another matter you should pay attention to is your Betta fish size. Simply put, the smaller require less food, and the bigger ones’ organism demands more. 

You should go with one meal daily for the smaller, and two for the larger. 

If you want to obtain a more accurate answer on how often you should feed your Betta fish, pay attention to their behavior and appearance. For example, if it behaves inactively, or it looks already bloated, you probably need to lower its rations. Also, this applies in the case when there the tank contains more waste than usual.

If it looks active and fit, and the tank is relatively clean of waste, you are most likely doing things right. 

So, the most balanced answer to the question of how often should betta fish eat<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>, is up to two times a day, with a ration of three fish pellets.

Also, you will do them a solid if you leave a day off food for them once in a week. This way, their stomach will be able to rest and get prepared for the incoming days of digestion. Pick one day weekly for your Betta fish fasting and stick with it. 

Is The Timing of Feeding Your Betta Fish Important?

Just as we humans, animals also need to establish a steady daily routine in their lives, which includes diet. The timing of feeding your Betta fish cute pal is pretty much crucial to their well-being. 

The organism of the Betta fish will adapt to the timing of the daily meal you are giving to them. 

If you are careless or indifferent to the exact period of the day you should do your duty as an owner to your pet, it can lead to irregularity in terms of a healthy routine for the Betta fish. You shouldn’t just write a note to yourself about feeding your Betta fish every day, but add a precise time when you should feed it. 

So the simple answer to this question is – yes, it’s very important. 

Also, you should seek to find the right formula for their meal and how much exactly they need.

In the meantime, cleaning the Betta fish tank from the food they left is also crucial.

Two to three minutes after you provide your Betta fish with food, clean the remains that are left not eaten by them. It is recommended that they should eat for no more than two minutes, and the rest of the food would prove to be just surplus. This way, you will make sure that your Betta fish will not overeat, but also, the water inside the tank will remain cleaner and healthier for your beloved pets. 

How Often Do Betta Fish Eat Conclusion

We learned that the frequency of feeding your Betta fish is crucial for their health, as well as their very existence.

Depending on many factors, you should evaluate your Betta fish’s behavior, and take into consideration their size, age, and how much they eat in the span of two minutes after you fill the tank with their food. 

In any case, it is pretty much universally established that they should be fed one or two times a day, considering the aforementioned circumstances. 

Anything above twice a day could lead to your Betta fish’s poor health, such as constipation, or, worst and saddest scenario, their demise. 

If you have any dilemma, or something isn’t working no matter how you try, ask the professionals. After all, their job is exactly to help you keep your Betta fish alive and well for as long as you can.