Betta Foods

Aqueon Betta Food is a mix of fish meal enhanced with garlic, which is known to enhance the appetite. Accepted well by Bettas, the pellets have a tendency to sink fairly rapidly. Feed small portions and remove any that sink to the bottom.

These small pellets float well and are generally accepted readily by Bettas. Like the Hikari product, these pellets are supplemented with vitamins and minerals and provide a well balanced diet. Like many food products some owners report issues with cloudiness, however I have not had this experience. Any food that falls to the bottom and remains uneaten will eventually cloud the water. For that reason any uneaten portions that have fallen to the bottom should be promptly removed from the tank.

An excellent pelleted food made specifically for the dietary needs and preferences of Bettas. Bettas accept it readily, and it will not cloud the water. The downside is the peculiar packaging, which is none too easy to open or dispense from. In spite of the package, I highly recommend this product to any Betta owner.

NutraFin Betta food consists of freeze-dried bloodworms and red algal meal. Although I would not offer it as a steady diet, it serves as a good alternate food to provide a more varied diet for your Betta.

An interesting blend of seafood that includes Black Cod, Krill, Rockfish, Shrimp and Salmon skins to bring out vibrant color in Bettas. Available in both floating pellets and flakes, both of which are readily accepted by Bettas.

Osi provides a specially formulated pelleted food that provides the proper nutrition for Bettas. Some owners report difficulty getting their Bettas to accept this food.

San Francisco Bay specializes in frozen foods, but offers a few freeze-dried foods as well. This product is simply freeze-dried bloodworms, a long standing favorite of Bettas. When it comes to feeding Bettas, you can never go wrong with bloodworms.

Blood worms are actually red mosquito larvae, which is a favorite of Bettas in their native habitat. If fresh bloodworms aren't available, the next best thing is frozen. Frozen products are the specialty of San Francisco Bay, and they offer Bloodworms in a two types of packaging. One is a flat pack, from which you break off small pieces and thaw before feeding to your Betta. The other packaging is a blister-pack of small cubes. The cubes are easier to work with because you can pop out a portion without even touching the product. However, if you only have one fish the cube is more than is needed for a single feeding. The flat pack allows you to break off any size portion you want, but has the downside of being a bit messier.

Krill and fish meal based, and enhanced with key vitamins, Seachem Betta Banquet is a good basic food for your Betta. As with any pelleted food, take care to remove uneaten portions promptly. Another issue that has been raised with this product, and several others is the use of Ethoxyquin as a preservative. Currently the FDA has not restricted the use of Ethoxyquin in commercially prepared fish foods. However, if the use of Ethoxyquin concerns you I would recommend using a freeze-dried or frozen product, as those are almost always Ethoxyquin free.

TetraBetta Plus Pellets are a blend of minerals, Omega-3 fatty acid and vitamins, that promote Betta health. Enriched with beta-carotene, these pellets also enhance brilliant colors. Owner reviews are mixed, with some saying their Bettas love them and other saying their Bettas refuse to eat them. My personal experience with this product has been good, but I rotate different foods so my fish don't get bored.

Although readily accepted by Bettas, these pellets tend to sink immediately. Because Bettas are primarily a top feeder, rapidly sinking foods are not ideal. Feeding small quantities frequently offsets this problem to some degree, as the fish catches the food before it falls to the bottom. Any pellets that fall to the bottom and aren't eaten within a few minutes should be removed to avoid fouling the water.