Can Betta Fish Eat Fresh or Toasted Bread?
All you need to know
Betta fish is naturally a carnivorous animal. It prefers to eat insect larvae, blood worms, or even frozen-dried food and pellets that can be bought in pet stores.
But to answer the curiosity of others, yes, betta or Siamese fighting fish can eat bread but it should not replace their daily meal. It can be given as an occasional treat but never as an alternative to their diet. Better is protein, see if you Siamese fighting fish can eat beef heart.
In the wild, human food is not introduced to fish in particular. So as pets, owners should be responsible enough to let them eat what their little bodies need for them to grow healthier and longer lives.
Why Betta Fish Should not be Fed Bread?
Bread contains carbohydrates that can be hard for betta fish in processing in their digestive system. If not digested well, it can lead to other organs being compromised such as liver problems, and can cause severe illness and even death.
Bread also has ingredients such as oil and butter that can react harmfully during the digestion process. It also grows in size when it gets wet causing the betta to feel bloated.
To keep betta fish healthy, provide only the food that is usual to them so they can maintain their healthy fins and colors that make them very attractive animals.
Similar to betta fish eating chicken, it is not a natural food.
Bread has Zero Nutritional Value for Betta
Betta fish need a high protein diet that is vital to their health. Since bread contains high carbohydrates and lesser protein, it is not advisable to feed them constantly with this type of food. Bread is rich in carbohydrates, fiber, and iron that most fish do not essentially need in their dietary requirements. It also has lower nutritional values and is high in calories that can be associated with fattening and unhealthy conditions. There are also added ingredients to the bread that may be new to the system of the fish. Even the usual ingredients of bread such as salt or yeast are not good for betta fish. Humans need also to limit their intake of bread as it can cause health issues if consumed more than what is necessary.
Health Risks when Betta Eats Bread
Serious health issues may transpire when betta fish eats bread more than what is appropriate for them. It can cause constipation, bloating, and lethargy when it is not properly digested. Bread is very absorbent and it can soak up a lot of moisture when it gets wet in the water. Soaked-up bread can cause bloating to the betta and can even choke them while they are consuming it.
When the fish is bloated, it can also cause swelling of other organs. Digestion will not take place in its natural course hence lowering the pace of their metabolism and causing constipation. If they do not exhaust their waste outside their bodies, it will turn into toxins that can poison them from the inside. Breadcrumbs that don’t get to be consumed might also produce toxins in their environment. They will tend to submerge or settle down in the aquarium and can, later on, produce ammonia that will be toxic to all the inhabitants.
What Should You Feed to Betta?
Betta fish should be fed with rich protein food that can sustain their health and physical colorful appearance. There is frozen-dried food such as brine shrimp and daphnia, and floating pellets that can be easily bought in pet stores. There are high-quality brands that are packed with natural vitamins and minerals. Betta flakes are also an option if pellets are not available. These flakes are high in nutrients especially protein that is necessary for the betta fish diet.
For fresh food, worms and insect larvae are what the betta fish eat in their natural habitats. Pet stores nowadays also sell bloodworms and white worms which are good sources of fat and protein. Betta fish diet may consist of pellets or flakes and an alternative of worms and insects in a week so they can have a healthy diverse diet.
Vegetables such as lettuce, peas, and cucumber can also be given as a treat once in a while. Boil and peel the skin of peas and cucumber and cut them into small pieces before feeding the betta fish. It needs to be as small as bite-sized pieces for them to consume it immediately.
See our Betta Fish Facts for more information on their history.
What Food Should be avoided?
As much as possible, betta fish should avoid eating human food as they are not meant to be eaten by other animals. Critical food that should be avoided are fruits, yeast, meat, and anything high in fat and carbohydrates. The acid and sugar content in fruits are not good for fish. Also, betta does not have the natural enzymes to break down fat and carbohydrates in their bodies. Yeast and gluten are included in the list that can give them digestion problems.