Caring for a Betta can be very difficult to know exactly what they can and cannot eat.
Well, wonder no more! Here, we have compiled a list of everything you could ever think to give your fish (well, almostโฆ), and weโve broken down for you exactly what your pet can have and what can be lethal, as well as everything in between!
Fish Foods
Can Betta Fish Eat Bug Bites?
Yes. In fact, bug bites are a very good food choice for Betta fish as theyโre high in protein and closely resemble their natural diet.
Can Betta Fish Eat Goldfish Food?
Somewhat. Bettas are able to digest Goldfish food, but since Goldfish are omnivores, Goldfish-specific food does not meet the nutritional needs of a Betta. Goldfish food should only be given on rare occasions if, for example, you run out of Betta fish food for a day.
Generally, though, it shouldnโt be a chosen part of your Bettaโs diet.
Can Betta Fish Eat Micro Pellets?
Yes. Micro pellets are fine for Bettas. Some are even specifically made for them. These are great for baby Betta who isnโt big enough to eat regular-sized pellets.
Just be sure to follow the feeding instructions carefully in order to prevent overfeeding or under-feeding your baby Betta.
Insects
Can Betta Fish Eat Ants?
Yes. Ants are a great high-protein snack for your Betta. Just ensure that if you choose to feed your Betta ants, you feed them black or brown ants.
Larger species of ants can be too big for your Betta, and some species, such as fire ants, can be aggressive, so youโll want to avoid these too.
Can Betta Fish Eat Aphids?
Yes. Aphids are a great high-protein source of food for our Betta. Just ensure they are sourced from a reliable breeder or store in order to minimize the risk of parasites or toxins passing on to your fish.
Can Betta Fish Eat Bloodworms?
Yes. Bloodworms are one of the most highly recommended foods for your Betta, as theyโre super high in protein.
Many Betta owners like to make bloodworms a regular part of their Bettaโs diet and feed frozen bloodworms or freeze-dried bloodworms regularly.
Can Betta Fish Eat Cockroaches?
Sometimes. Obviously, a cockroach is far too big for a Betta to ingest the whole thing. If youโd like to make roaches a part of your Bettaโs diet, since theyโre a great high-protein choice, you can crush one up and offer a very small amount at meal times.
Can Betta Fish Eat Crickets?
No. Crickets are too large for your Betta to eat, and unlike the roach, itโs not very easy to crush one up!
Can Betta Fish Eat Fleas?
For this one, we first have to define fleas – Fleas from your cat or dog? No! These can be harmful to your fish too!
Water fleas, on the other hand? Yes! These are more commonly known as daphnia, and many Betta owners choose to make them a staple part of their petโs diet.
Can Betta Fish Eat Flies?
No. Since these are not commercially bred, live-caught flies can carry various parasites or diseases that can be harmful to your fish.
If a fly falls into the tank, it drowns, and your Betta eats it. However, it likely wonโt harm your fish. Just be sure that itโs not been given intentionally.
Can Betta Fish Eat Maggots?
Yes. Unlike flies, maggots can be bought commercially occasionally.
Theyโre high in protein and make an excellent supplement or tasty treat for your Betta.
Think of a maggot like the Betta equivalent of a burger, though – high in protein, but not super nutritional, or indeed healthy.
Can Betta Fish Eat Mealworms?
Yes. Baby Mealworms.
As babies, mealworms are not as big, nor is their exoskeleton as hard, making them much easier to eat for your Betta. Theyโre still typically larger than what should be offered, so itโs a good idea to cut them up and offer them in small pieces to your fish so that he doesnโt choke.
Can Betta Fish Eat Mosquitos?
Yes. Mosquitos are a natural part of a Bettaโs diet. Theyโre high in protein and are exactly what they would eat in the wild!
Mosquito larvae are also a delicious and nutritional snack.
Can Betta Fish Eat Spiders?
No. Many spiders are either too big for your Betta to eat or they are poisonous. To keep things simple, itโs best just to avoid them altogether. There are plenty of other things which your Betta can eat!
Can Betta Fish Eat Stink Bugs?
No. Most fish refuse to eat stink bugs. Bettas are no different. They may also contain parasites or diseases, so itโs best not to try offering them to your fish.
Can Betta Fish Eat Worms?
Yes. Bugs and worms are a staple part of a Bettaโs diet as they are high in protein and very tasty to your fish.
Just be sure that if you offer your Betta a worm, it has been purchased from a reliable source. This is because, as with any wild-caught food not bred in captivity could pass parasites or diseases to your fish.
Sea Creatures
Can Betta Fish Eat Krill?
Krill is not highly nutritious, but we all like to have our cake and eat it – thatโs no different for your fish! You can feed frozen Krill to your Betta around once a week as an occasional treat. Itโs tasty but has low nutritional content – a lot like cake!
Can Betta Fish Eat Salmon?
Yes. Obviously, donโt try to feed it a whole Salmon – that likely wouldnโt play out too well. But if you have salmon for dinner, you can cut a tiny bit off for your pet, and he will love it! Just be sure that it is unseasoned, and you can feed it to your Betta either raw or cooked.
Can Betta Fish Eat Sea Monkeys?
Yes, similar to brine shrimp, sea monkeys are perfectly fine and rather nutritious, so they are good for a Betta to eat!
Can Betta Fish Eat Shrimp?
This depends! Frozen or fresh and chopped up – yes. But live? That could be a good food choice, or it could be a friend.
Depending on how well-fed your Betta is or how much he likes to hunt live food, introducing live shrimp to the tank as a snack may result in acquiring a new housemate.
You should also bear this in mind if you intend to house a shrimp with your Betta. Whilst you think they might make good friends, your shrimp could easily get eaten.
Can Betta Fish Eat Tadpoles?
Yes. Tadpoles (provided that they are small enough) are a nutritional and safe food for your Betta to eat.
Fruit
Can Betta Fish Eat Bananas?
Yes, a small piece of banana can be offered as a treat for your Betta. Though not as nutritional as protein-heavy foods, bananas are much better for your fish than most other fruits as theyโre less acidic than citrus and very soft.
Can Betta Fish Eat Grapes?
Yes, grapes are fine. Again, just be sure not to make them a staple part of your Bettas diet, as theyโre low in protein, so they wonโt provide your fish with the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Can Betta Fish Eat Strawberries?
Yes. Strawberries are tasty treats that you can feed your Betta on occasion. Theyโre sweet, soft, and not acidic, so your Betta can enjoy this once in a while.
Can Betta Fish Eat Tomatoes?
Yes. Tomatoes contain many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which can be beneficial to your fish as long as they are fed sparingly, and as part of a well-balanced, protein-rich diet. So as long as you donโt rely on tomatoes as a main source of food for your fish, it should be fine as a treat every so often.
Vegetables
Can Betta Fish Eat Broccoli?
No. Your Betta shouldnโt be eating broccoli. While some vegetables can be safe and tasty, broccoli can be bitter and difficult to chew and digest. As itโs low in nutritional content, it doesnโt really make a good treat either, so whilst it wonโt kill your Betta, itโs advisable not to offer it anyway.
Can Betta Fish Eat Cucumber?
Sometimes. Whilst you can offer it to your Betta, itโs not advisable. They likely wonโt think itโs too tasty, and as a carnivorous species, its low protein content means it doesnโt fit in too well with their regular diet. However, if you have any omnivorous fish in your tank, theyโll probably love it!
Can Betta Fish Eat Green Beans?
No. Green beans are typically high in fiber, and whilst most vegetables are not typically nutritious to Bettas, the high fiber content in green beans could be harmful to your Bettaโs digestive tract if ingested.
Can Betta Fish Eat Peas?
Whilst peas are not a recommended food. Itโs common knowledge among fish keepers that peas can be an excellent cure for constipation amongst fish. That being said, if your Betta fish is constipated or experiencing swim bladder issues, itโs best to feed them high-protein, fiber-rich food, such as daphnia, as this is much better for them overall.
Can Betta Fish Eat Zucchini?
Yes. If boiled and cut up, cooked zucchini, although not highly nutritional, can sometimes make for a tasty treat for your Betta if fed sparingly.
Plants
Can Betta Fish Eat Algae?
Whilst not harmful to Bettas if ingested, they generally wonโt choose to eat algae. This is best left to one of their cleaning-crew tank mates, such as a Corydoras Catfish.
Can Betta Fish Eat Duckweed?
No. Duckweed can be extremely harmful to your Betta and may even kill it. Some owners have reported that their Betta is kept with duckweed in their tank, and theyโre perfectly happy and healthy. Thankfully for them, they likely donโt have a nibbler! But in all seriousness, itโs just not worth the risk to have it around.
Can Betta Fish Eat Hyacinth?
Water Hyacinth is a good addition to your Betta tank. It blocks light for those species that thrive better in low-light environments. That said, itโs more decoration than food, and in all likelihood, your Betta just wonโt eat it.
If he does choose to have a little taste, though, it wonโt hurt him!
Can Betta Fish Eat Moss Balls?
Not really. Betta wonโt eat moss balls as theyโre both low in nutrition and not very tasty.
If you keep your Betta in an aquarium with moss balls (as I would recommend), It may occasionally look like heโs eating it. Actually, this isnโt whatโs happening – your Betta is just playing and trying to push it around with his mouth!
If he does have a taste, however, it wonโt be harmful, but he likely will learn that itโs boring and tasteless and probably wonโt do it again!
Can Betta Fish Eat Pothos?
Not really. While Pothos can be ingested without harming your fish, itโs low in nutritional content, and since Bettas are carnivores, they tend to stay away from plants anyway. This means itโs a safe addition to your tank as decoration – not as a snack.
Can Betta Fish Eat Seaweed?
Yes. Whilst seaweed alone doesnโt make for a great Betta snack. There are actually many Betta fish food formulas containing the likes of Seaweed and Algae, which are both nutrient-dense plants. This food is created to provide your fish with a well-balanced diet, containing all the right levels of nutrients and vitamins they need.
Can Betta Fish Eat Spider plant roots?
No. Whilst they wouldnโt be harmful to your fish if he did decide to eat them, theyโre neither very tasty nor a source of protein.
Other Foods
Can Betta Fish Eat Beef Heart?
Yes. Whilst not a natural food source for a Betta, beef heart is incredibly nutritious in high in protein. Itโs also very cheap, so many breeders may use it as a food source to help their fish grow faster. It’s probably one of the best human foods for Bettas.
Can Betta Fish Eat Boiled Eggs?
Yes. Boiled egg yolk is especially good for baby Bettas. Itโs high in protein and can make for a very tasty treat! Like a beef heart, It’s another good food thatโs great for helping your little fish grow into big ones!
Can Betta Fish Eat Bread Or Bread Crumbs?
Sometimes. Bread is very low in nutritional value, but Bettas love it – like us with cake. You can throw them a couple of breadcrumbs in occasionally, but this should be kept to a minimum, as its low nutritional value means it can be harmful to your fish if consumed in excess.
Can Betta Fish Eat Calcium Powder?
Yes. Calcium is good for your fish, and because their diet is typically low in calcium, giving them a supplement such as calcium powder can be quite beneficial to your Betta.
Can Betta Fish Eat Cheese?
No. Bettaโs stomachs cannot break down or digest fat, so whilst you might have thought cheese would be a good way of getting calcium into their diet naturally, itโs probably not the best idea. They think cheese is delicious, so the teeniest bit every so often wonโt kill them.
Can Betta Fish Eat Chia Seeds?
Not really. Chia seeds just likely wonโt be ingested by your pet. They wonโt be harmful if your fish does manage to eat one, but they generally wonโt consider them food.
Can Betta Fish Eat Chocolate?
No. Do not give your Betta fish chocolate.
Chocolate has very high levels of fat and is poisonous to your fish, so keep it away from your tank at all costs!
Can Betta Fish Eat Cooked rice?
Yes. Rice is soft and mushy, and to some fish, even quite tasty. Not every Betta will want to eat it, though, like humans, they all have their own personal tastes.
It must be noted, though, that cooked rice doesnโt have much nutritional value for a Betta and should only be served occasionally as a treat.
Can Betta Fish Eat Popcorn?
Since they are a carnivorous species, Betta generally wonโt eat popcorn. Itโs tasty and soft, and many fish love it, so if you have a community tank with some omnivorous fish, you may want to offer it to them as a treat. It wonโt harm your betta, but it might not be his favorite treat.
Can Betta Fish Eat Ramen?
No. Ramen noodles are generally very low in nutritional value – even for us humans. Ramen is also highly processed, containing many preservatives and additives, which are not good for your fish.
Can Betta Fish Eat Sugar Cookies?
No. Another processed food, sugar cookies, should not be given to your Betta. Any processed food is difficult for your fish to digest and should be avoided at all costs.
Can Betta Fish Eat Sunflower Seeds?
No, these are generally not a good choice for Bettas due to their hard shell and large size. Theyโre high in nutrients and, if crushed up, may make for a tasty treat, but itโs best to avoid them and offer something else which may be a better choice.
Can Betta Fish Eat Turkey?
Yes. Obviously, again, donโt try to introduce this to your tank alive! But like with Salmon (or indeed chicken), if youโre cooking it at home – unseasoned, of course- you can share a little bit with your Betta, as it makes for a tasty, protein-rich snack.
Can Betta Fish Eat Yogurt?
No. Yogurt, like cheese, can be quite fatty. Itโs also not easy to feed your fish; yogurt will disperse through the water very easily, going bad and contaminating your tank. Itโs just not a good idea!