Can Betta Fish Eat Bread? The Truth
Jaime Douglas
Writer at The Aquarium Keeper
It is widely known, that a bunch of fish love to eat bread when they get the chance. People feed their pond fish with slices of bread, and some fishkeepers even use it as food in their aquariums. But can it be used as food for smaller aquatic creatures like betta fish too? Larger fish have an easier time digesting even the strangest meals, while smaller, more elegant species like the betta fish need specific food. Continue reading this article, to find out if betta fish can eat bread.
Table of Contents
Can Betta Fish Eat Bread?
In a short answer, betta fish will eat bread if there is an opportunity, but you should avoid feeding it this particular food. Betta fish are known for having digestive problems, and bread can literally cause bad problems to their digestive system and internal organs.
There can be a lot of reasons you would think that feeding bread to a betta fish is a good idea. Maybe you saw someone else do it, or maybe you ran out of food. Whatever the reason might be, try to avoid putting bread into your betta fish tank, because these species need a specific diet, and bread is not part of it.
You might also like to read: Can Guppies Eat Betta Food? Guppy Food Guide
What Kind of Food do Betta Fish Eat?
Siamese fighting fish are carnivorous species, that need a high-protein diet to live healthily and happily. In nature, betta fish hunt insects, that have fallen into the water. They also eat insect larvae, brine shrimp, and blood worms. These species are natural predatorial hunters and love to observe their prey before consuming them. Some people even try to put neocaridina shrimp with a betta in the same tank, and even those types of shrimp get hunted and eaten.
In the fishkeeping hobby betta fish are mainly fed fish flakes or pellets, which is also a good option. There are a lot of special foods, that are made specifically for bettas, which are rich in nutrients and protein. If you want to spoil your betta, I suggest feeding it live bloodworms or brine shrimp, so that it would have more fun hunting their food.
Even though betta fish are carnivores in nature, occasionally these creatures portray herbivorous behavior and graze on algae and other plant material. If your betta somehow decides to eat an algae wafer or some sort of other fish food, that is not for them, in most cases, your betta should be fine. It is important to occasionally change the food because it can get boring for your betta to eat the same meals every time.
What Human Food Can Betta Fish Eat?
Moving on, there are a lot of human food options to feed your betta, which is perfectly normal and not harmful. Here is a short list of human food that your betta fish can eat and safely digest:
- Boiled spinach
- Boiled lettuce
- Boiled cucumber
- Boiled peas (without the shell)
- Boiled sweet potato
- Boiled corn
- Boiled chicken
- Canned tuna (without oil)
All of the foods mentioned above are perfectly safe for betta fish. Just be sure you don’t give these food types too often and not too much. Boil them until they are relatively soft and easily digestible, also serve in very small pieces, so your betta would have an easier time swallowing.
What You Shouldn't Feed Your Betta Fish
Not everything is suitable for betta fish. Their bodies just can’t handle some meals we are used to. Here is a list of things you should avoid feeding your betta fish at all costs:
- Bread (bad for digestive system)
- Crackers (too much additives)
- Citrus fruits (acidity level is too high)
- Raw meat (needs to be proccessed properly)
- Goldfish food (in most cases there is wheat and other additives, which make it hard for betta digestive system to process)
These types of foods are very bad for betta fish and can cause severe injuries or even death if they eat them. There are other countless possible food types to give to your betta, so be sure to do your best for your little pet.
How Often Should You Feed Betta Fish?
Sometimes betta fish can look like they are always hungry. Fish are very smart creatures, and can easily recognize their owners and start begging for food. You shouldn’t be tricked by this, and have a regular feeding schedule and food proportions. It is best if you feed your betta fish 1 time per day. Your fish should finish eating in about 2 minutes, otherwise, it means you put in too much food.
If you are feeding pellets, be sure to put 5-6 pellets for your betta fish. When it comes to other types of foods like flakes, brine shrimp, and blood worms, follow the 2-minute feeding rule. Overfeeding is a serious issue, and can cause a lot of problems for your betta fish.
What to Feed Betta Fish When Out of Food?
If you find yourself in a situation, where you are out of betta fish food, there are a couple of things you can actually do. Firstly, you can try and feed one of the human food types, that betta fish can tolerate (mentioned above), or you can just not feed your betta fish at all. These species can survive up to 10 days without food. It is okay to skip a day and not feed your fish, just be sure to get betta fish food the next day and feed it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Betta Fish Need to Eat Everyday?
Betta fish certainly need to eat every single day to live happily and healthily. These species are highly active and burn a lot of energy, so feeding them regularly really is a must.
Why Does my Betta Fish Spit Out His Food?
These species have very tiny mouths, which means the food is too big for them. Try to feed your betta fish smaller pieces, since it is easier to digest smaller food, and your betta will have no problem eating it. Also be sure to feed your betta fish the right foods, because it might be spitting out food because it is not good for them.
Writer's Thoughts
Bettas are amazing species, but they are very fragile and should only be fed certain food types, so avoid feeding these species any bread, because they can’t digest it properly. Betta fish are very popular, and they have their own special betta fish food, try using that instead of bread.
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