Before we throw a bunch of web sites at
you...and there will be links below...we want to briefly go over some of the "pros
and cons" of various live foods. Based on our personal experiences with most of the
foods and understanding based on conversations with friends who also raise Bettas, we
think that you will have a good understanding of which might appeal to you and your
Bettas. While your Bettas might enjoy a very wide variety of foods, you might find that
some of the foods just don't fit your life-style. You and your pet may have to reach some
compromises.
All Bettas...splendens and other
species too...are primarily surface feeding fish. Here of course we focus on Betta
splendens.
You can tell by their natural unturned
mouths that Mother Nature was providing them with tools to eat from the surface. They are
fairly adaptive and will eat foods in mid-water but primarily they are built in such a way
that they see better looking up (every notice how them tilt downwards to see even slightly
below their body mid-line?)...and awkwardly eat from the bottom of the container. Feeding
them on the bottom of the container also increased the chances of them having their longer
finnage dragging on the bottom...an area often housing bacteria and fungus which might
create some damage to the fins.
Most fish will need a varied pallet of food
sources during the course of their lives and Betta splendens is no different.
Because the fry of a splendens is more larval than some, the foods in the
beginning of it's life are quite small. Unlike a newly born livebearer which might easily
accept newly hatched brine shrimp for example, many splendens fry are too small for BBS
and need to be feed one of the micro-foods. Large adult Bettas can not survive on
micro-foods and must be feed foods which are substantially larger. The pallet of foods for
a Bettas may be 4, 5 or 6 items compared to other fish which may only take 2 or 3
different foods for the same results.
No one said this was going to be easy. But
the fish are certainly worth the effort.
infusoria
Easy of Culture: 
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. Some
bacterial odor when starting a new culture, but temporary.
more info
paramecium
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. Some
bacterial odor when starting a new culture, but mild and temporary.
more info
vinegar eels
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Swim throughout the water column. Live for weeks in fresh water. It takes a bit
of planning to start multiple cultures prior to the spawning of the fish but easy to
culture and small in size. Little odor but harvesting will smell a little like a salad
dressing.
more info
microworms
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. A yeast
smell with fresh and utterly foul smell when the culture is on it's way out.
more info
newly hatched brine shrimp
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest :
Relative Nutritional value:
(within the first 8 hours)
Relative Nutritional value:
(after the first 8 hours)
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for fry at
three or four days post hatch
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. Very
little odor.
more info
moina
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. No odor.
more info
daphnia
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. No odor.
more info
grindal worms
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. The
culture smells of moist soil when healthy...foul smelling if the culture is in trouble.
more info
fruit flies
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. Usually
some odor when harvesting.
more info
adult brine shrimp
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. Very
little odor.
more info
bloodworms (the larvae of a
gnat, )
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. No odor
(depending on the source of course).
more info
mosquito larvae
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. No odor
(depending on the source of course).
more info
blackworms
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. There
should be no odor.
more info
tubifex
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. There
should be no odor.
more info
whiteworms
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. The
culture smells of wet soil.
more info
redworms
Easy of Culture:
Easy of Harvest:
Relative Nutritional value:
Size: very VERY small...appropriate for newly hatched fry
Extremely easy to culture and very easy to
harvest. Will usually live for days in the fresh water. They offer an advantage in their
quick "starter to harvest" time frame...but sink to the bottom quickly. The
culture smell of damp soil.
more info
Good notes do help. |
