FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Does anyone feed freeze-dried foods to their Bettas? Has anyone noticed problems with feeding freeze-dried foods to Bettas?

I feed freeze dried bloodworms as an occasional snack and haven't had any problems. People have told me that feeding them too often can cause problems like constipation.

Mine get freeze dried bloodworms and krill (crushed of course) once a week and they're all doing great. I haven't noticed any problems with treating them a few times a week- they still eat their hikari betta bio-gold with no "complaints."

Mine gets freeze dried bloodworms as well. Feed him/her a pea once a week or so, and things should be fine. I believe live is better, but freeze dried won't hurt, and it's a lot easier to have your pet sitter feed.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

i feed them freezdried bloodworms when helping condition them for breeding and the problem i found isnt trying to get them to eat it, its getting them back on flakes after breeding!

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

I always fed my Bettas freeze dried bloodworms twice a week. But, recently I have been reading about intestinal problems and constipation being caused by feeding freeze dried foods to Bettas. And since my previous Bettas had problems and died rather quickly, I was just wondering if the food could have been the cause.

Since others have had no problems with these foods, maybe it's the brand. What brands of freeze dried foods do you use?

I use the freeze dried bloodworms you can get at walmart in the bright pink container. (Sorry I don't have the brand name, I just ran out and have already thrown away the container.) I've also fed my bettas the kind that come in the clear rectangular box with the flip-top lid that the pet shops put near the betta section. Mine prefer the walmart kind though- I think that one stays fresher as the walmart container has an airtight seal the other doesn't have.

I think the problem with feeding freeze dried food may come from feeding ONLY freeze dried foods with no variety. I noticed that my fish show better color and seem healthier with a variety of foods rather than just being fed one kind every day.

I use Tetra brand fd bloodworms too(in the pink container at walmart)

I've given my bettas freeze dried tubifex worms, bloodworms, and baby shrimp.

I've always soaked them first, though, to soften them up. I haven't had any problems in doing so.

Yeah soaking sounds like a good idea. I'll have to make sure I do that everytime I feed freeze dried foods. Thanks for the info, everyone.

i use freezwed dried bloodworms. it does make the betta "go more" but just like humans going to the little betta room isn't a bad thing.

i think someone already said it, but the problem would mainly be with the dried product swelling in the gut and ccausing blockages.

Think like adding water to oatmeal, its a a similar thing.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

"...the problem would mainly be with the dried product swelling in the gut and ccausing blockages."

Soaking the food for a few minutes before feeding should solve that, correct?

yup yup yup, i should think so. It works for horses and dogs

Also, its a good thing to get your fish used to eating as soaking the food in liquid antibiotics is a good way to medicate if the need ever arises.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Alright, sounds good. Thanks for all the info.

Now that you all mention it… I did noticed once that my Gouramies developed quite a tummy as soon as I began feeding them freeze-dried bloodworms (San Francisco Bay brand) - I stopped immediately after noticing that they were getting bloated (just from the tummy). Since this happened, I only feed my fish frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp – I have had no trouble with this type of food.