food for a betta

Question
We just brought home a betta that was a center peice at a party. I can't make it to the pet store for a day, but I have some "TetraColor" Tropical Flakes, can I feed him a some until I make it to the pet store? The flakes are for a fish we have owned for almost 2 years, I was told it was a Blood Parrot (sp) but it does not look like any pictures I have seen of Blood Parrots. Anyway, would it be safe to feed the betta? Thank you

Answer
Good afternoon, Crystal! Thank you for your question.

It would be fine to feed this food to your betta. Those tropical flakes are pretty standard fare, any fish that accepts them can eat them. The reason betta food comes in those tiny containers (with the wee bitty pellets) is that a betta's stomach is only about the size of its eye. So feed it very sparingly. Crush the flakes finely so that you get pieces about the size of this o - maybe even smaller.

Feed him one tiny piece at a time, wait for him to consume each piece before feeding another. He may not find them very palatable - if he doesn't eat right away, don't be overly concerned. Betta fish (and most tropical fish) can safely go several days without eating. Within 5 minutes he should be completely done eating. Any food that is left uneaten is best vacuumed out of his bowl or tank, to keep it clean.

Flake food loses its nutritional value rather quickly. If I ever buy a large container of flakes (which I only do if I do not have a choice of a smaller size) I put it in the fridge to keep it fresher longer. Check out this site to learn more about feeding your new betta:

http://www.bettatalk.com/food.htm

The website itself is an excellent resource! Check it out if you haven't done so already. It is maintained by the founder and president of the L.A. Betta Society. Good luck!

Happy to help,
Nicole