How can I tell if my Male Betta is hungry and how big should the Betta food be?

Question
I was wondering how can I tell if my Male Betta becomes hungry? And the food I feed him is mini pellets exclusive used to be fed to Bettas. The size of the pellets be in different size and shape and they seem to drift to the side of the bowl. Oh yes, the Male Betta I have is in a medium sized fish bowl, and I'm getting the idea that he wants to be in a fish tank than a fish bowl. Point is, I can never tell when he's hungry or not. And should I be feeding him something else other than Betta pellets? Thanx, Brandon

Answer
Hi Brandon;

The truth is, fish are hungry all the time. They don't need food all the time though. Just 5 or 6 little pellets once a day is enough to keep a betta healthy. Bettas like other foods too and it's good to vary their diet. I give mine tiny bits of frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp, frozen or freeze dried bloodworms, daphnia, and tubifex. Just get a tiny bit on the end of a toothpick once a day and feed it to him. I found the following link helpful too;

http://www.healthybetta.com/articles/New%20To%20Bettas/foodsource.htm

It's also good for bettas to "fast" one day a week, which means to withhold food from him for just one day. It helps to clean their digestive system and avoid contipation. Constipation is a very common and often deadly betta ailment. Here is a link to an article about it;

http://www.healthybetta.com/articles/Illness%20Diagonsis/constipation.html

Bettas do great in fish tanks with filters. You just have to be sure the filter moves the water very slowly. Bettas can't tolerate a strong current. Anything 2 gallons and larger is perfect for him. Keep in mind that even with a filter, every tank needs a 25% water change at least once a week. Vacuum the gravel every 2 to 3 weeks too. Your local fish store should have gravel vacuums and should be able to show you how to use one.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins