The current research says that using a pellet formulated for betta fish as the primary food source and supplementing with live(ish) food is the best. However, feeding them only a formulated pellet is significantly better than feeding them only live(ish) food.1
ISN’T FEEDING THEM ONLY LIVE FOOD MORE NATURAL?
You can’t feed your fish the same variety that they will find in the wild, no matter how hard you try. You also can’t account for the large number of macronutrients in natural water sources that aren’t in your aquarium water.2 The pellet has the added nutrients that they need and includes a formula of lipids, proteins, and amino acids that your fish needs that you will be unable to replicate.
ISN’T THE FISH MEAL THE BEST PROTEIN?
The best proteins by rank are soy, then wheat, then fish meal. They’re also usually ranked by price this way with the most expensive ones being soy, then wheat, then fish meal being the cheapest.3
BUT ISN’T WHEAT AND SOY JUST A FILLER?
When speaking of filler, most people mean cheap ingredients that are added to food to bulk it up but have no nutritional value. Wheat and soy protein are not cheap and are added for their high protein.4 It is not filler. You do want to look at fiber, though, and keep that below 10%.
WHAT ABOUT BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVAE PROTEIN?
There is research on black soldier fly larvae being a good protein replacement for fish meal. However, it is high in ash and fiber. As a result, in order to get high protein food with just black soldier fly would be difficult.5 One of the reasons why I like Aqueon Pro Betta Formula is because it contains BSF. If you want more BSF protein, Fluval’s Bug Bites Betta Formula Micro Granules are available, which due to their main ingredient being BSF have 8% more protein by weight. However, Flu Val’s micro granules are too small to float, contain five times the ash, and twice the fiber as Aqueon Pro.
CAROTENOIDS ARE IMPORTANT FOR RED BETTAS AND IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTH
The research shows that you want a pellet that has carotenoids. They allow a red betta to maintain its rich red hue. They are also important for immune system health so they’re also important for your blue bettas.6 Not all betta pellets contain them. Being earlier in the ingredient list is better. Buy betta pellets that are red in color from carotenoids being added. Common carotenoids are beets or astaxanthin. Avoid pellets like Tetra that are red just from paprika or food coloring.
SPECIAL DIETS FOR PLANTED TANKS AND RO WATER
If you have a planted tank or use remineralized Reverse Osmosis (or distilled) water, you’ll want a pellet that has iodine in it to prevent your fish from getting goiter, which is quite common in these situations.7 The oral iodine ingredient that you’re looking for will end with “-iodide”.
SPECIAL DIETS FOR OPAQUE AND IRIDESCENT BETTA
If you have an opaque white fish or an iridescent one, they’re prone to getting “diamond eye” where the pigment invades their eye.8 You can slow this down by giving them food that is low in purine. Purine is high in beans and fish, so you want to make sure to get a pellet where the protein is primarily wheat and not soy or fish meal. Again, Aqueon Pro Betta Formula or Fluval Bug Bites Betta Formula seems to be the best in this regard.
SPECIAL DIETS FOR YOUNGER FISH
In general, you want the fish’s food to be no bigger than 2/3rds the size of their mouth gape, but preferrably about 1/3rd.10 If you have a younger fish, you may need a micro pellet. Two choices are Fluval Bug Bites Betta Formula Micro Granules and Zoo Med Betta Micro Floating Betta Pellet Food.
WHICH FOOD DO YOU RECOMMEND?
I recommend Aqueon Pro Betta Formula pellets formulated for betta fish. The ingredients in Aqueon Pro are obviously trying to capitalize on the latest research on feeds. The pellet was first to introduce BSF after the BSF research was published. The pellet includes chlorella and garlic11, both written about in the scientific literature. The pellet includes three forms of carotenoids, more natural ones than others that only use pure extracted astaxanthin. Finally, they include pea protein and kelp as we now recognize that plants are an important part of a betta’s diet.
Literature Cited
1 Sipaúba-Tavares LH, Appoloni AM, Fernandes JB, Millan RN. Feed of Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens, (Regan, 1910) in open pond: live and formulated diets. Braz J Biol. 2016;76(2):292-299. doi:10.1590/1519-6984.11514
2 Eiras JC, Segner H, Wahli T, Kapoor GB: Fish diseases Volume 2. Science Publishers, Enfield, Jersey, Plymouth; 2008:2:1207. ISBN (Vol. 2): 978-1-57808-528-6
3 Naylor RL, Hardy RW, Bureau DP, et al. Feeding aquaculture in an era of finite resources [published correction appears in Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Oct 20;106(42):18040]. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;106(36):15103-15110. doi:10.1073/pnas.0905235106
4 Porcino N, Genovese L. Review on alternative meals for gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata. Aquaculture Research. 2022;53(6):2109–2145. doi:10.1111/are.15770
5 Makkar HPS, Tran G, Heuzé V, Ankers P. State-of-the-art on use of insects as animal feed. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 2014;197:1–33. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2014.07.008
6 Clotfelter E, Ardia D, Mcgraw K. Red fish, blue fish: Trade-offs between pigmentation and immunity in Betta splendens. Behavioral Ecology. 08 2007;18:1139–1145. doi:10.1093/beheco/arm090
7 Wildgoose WH, επιμ. BSAVA Manual of Ornamental Fish. 2nd έκδ. British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2001:6. https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/book/10.22233/9781910443538
8 Wyatt DN. Elements of Iridophore Pigmentation in Green and Blue Phenotypes of the Siamese Fighting Fish,’Betta Splendens’. Published online 1978.
9 Royal BK. Isolation and identification of the abnormal opaque material in the white mutant of Siamese Fighting Fish, Betta Splendens. Published online 1976.
10 Wickins JF. Feed and feeding of fish and shrimp — A manual on the preparation and presentation of compound feeds for shrimp and fish in aquaculture: Michael B. New. F.A.O. Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme ADCP/REP/87/26, F.A.O., Rome, 1987, 275 pp., illus. Στο: ; 1988.
11 Nya EJ, Austin B. Use of garlic, Allium sativum, to control Aeromonas hydrophila infection in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). J Fish Dis. 2009;32(11):963-970. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2761.2009.01100.x