Betta fish food comes in many different forms, and as such it can be confusing to a new owner trying to figure how much and of what he should be feeding his Betta. First of all, you have synthetic or formulated foods, like flakes and pellets, and then more protein and fat-heavy foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc. To many of us today, processed or synthetic food has a negative connotation, but one of the only reasons that Betta fish tend to live longer in captivity than in the wild is that we are able to give them a better balanced diet than the occasional bug can provide. However, there are exceptions and below we'll explore in detail everything you could possibly want to know about Betta fish food.First things first: your Betta fish food, at least the main daily diet, should be either a formulated pellet or flake because, as eluded to above, you can boost your Betta's lifespan by making sure he has a well balanced source of food.
Pellets or Flakes? Now you have a choice to make, both are practically identical in nutritional value, but there are some pros and cons to each. For example, flakes are easier for the fish to eat than pellets, are usually cheaper (an added advantage of being cheaper is that this is probably what the pet store feeds them, so they will be used to this type of food). However, by the same token overfeeding becomes more of an issues with flakes because pellets are generally uniform in size and it's easier to measure out the appropriate amount of food than with flakes that vary greatly in size. In the end, I choose pellets for my fish because it's easy to dole them out each day.
Note: If your fish isn't eating the pellets right away, give it time, it took mine almost a week to give in. Also, soaking the pellet in a cup of water before putting it into your tank will help soften it for them if needed.
Feeding Amounts: One of the most common causes of Betta illness and death is overfeeding, which is counter-intuitive because many food bottles for flakes and pellets will recommend way too much food each day. If you decide to go with pellets, 2-3 pellets once per day should be plenty. Also, try to feed at around the same time each day, your Betta will get on a schedule and be super excited when he sees you and knows it's time to eat!
Treats & Live Food: Even though your daily diet should be well balanced and nutrient rich, Betta fish love the types of live foods I mentioned earlier, and even freeze dried blood worms will make a tasty and protein-filled snack. Once a week I like to give my Bettas some blood worms as a snack, just don't overdo it if you're already fed them their normal food that day!
Food complications / Constipation: Once you get to the point where your Betta has a blockage, you might be at a dangerous point of no return. However, if your Betta does get constipated or bloated, one big thing that can help is vegetables. Once of the easiest solutions is to microwave a frozen pea in a little dish of water, then peal off the outer skin and feed him a small piece or two of the pea. These act as a natural laxative and can help your pet when normal Betta fish food would just cause further problems. Beware doing this for too long though, as Bettas are carnivores and need protein; so be sure to try and get your Betta eating normally again ASAP!