Hi,i Have a Betta fish Digesting Question

Question
Hi Dear Expert :),I have my betta fish for 3 moths now,when i buy him from store he was healthy but after 1 week he got ich and fin rot in same time but after 5 days not eating anything and tearment THANK GOD he Get Healthy again but after that i nothiced that after i feeding him he won't poop! So i search the web and find out that cooked pea can help his digestive system so i started to give him pea but after a 1 week or 2,feeding him with flakes plus pea i stoped giving him peas,and just feeding him with pallets and flake food and i nothiced that the "don't pooping" Problem cames back again now i feed him with TetraBetta flake and Pallets but also i 'Have' to give him pea to make him poop! what is the problem? How can i make him poop Regulary like a normal betta without giving him pea? if his digestive system has problem what should i do to cure it? and what can i feed him instead of pea to do the same job? what vegtebels can betta fish digest? Please help i asked the local aquarium stores and they just dont know the answers to my questions,and the season of pea just past and i can't find fresh pea in store they just have Canned peas that my betta hates it and he's spitting it out everythime i try to feed him with that peas,Please help i'm so worried,THANK YOU.For everything.

Answer
Hi Narbeh,
And you are certain he isn't pooping regularly? The best way to tell of course is to check the bottom of his tank for his poop.

Bettas should poo at least two times a day or so. It does depend on their diet. Like if they are getting a very rich protein diet they may do more. If they are getting a starchy diet like flake foods that have a lot of fillers, they may go a lot less.

Can you find frozen peas? Your betta might like them much better.

Try limiting the amount of pellets he eats. Or presoak them before you offer them to your betta. Otherwise, if he swallows them relatively dry, they can cause some digestive issues as they absorb water inside his belly.

Cutting back on his pellets and feeding smaller meals throughout the day should definitely help. Bettas rarely eat any other vegetables other than peas.

I do hope this helps and good luck!
Susan~