feeding betta fish

Question
hello..finnegan is a gorgeous betta..he looked kinda sick when I got him, but put him up in a 5 star bowl with filter and lamp, live plant and a nice rock with a hole..he would not eat, but now, he is happy and seems healthy eating those little pellets..problem..he really eats good..I have heard all kind of things on how much to feed..I feed twice a day as I like to see his reaction to me..he is eating 6-8 pellets..too much?..that's the question..he eats it all..and not fat...his tail looks like its grown over an inch..thanks

Answer
Hi Arlene;

If he looks okay and doesn't seem bloated it's probably fine. To help avoid contipation in the future, which can be deadly for bettas, you should fast him one day a week and also offer little chunks of green peas for one feeding 3 times a week. The peas act as a laxative. Just take a frozen one and thaw it out. Pop it out of it's little round shell, break into little chunks and feed it to him. Most bettas actually like it. It works great. Also offer other foods like brine shrimp and blood worms and/or tubifex worms. Frozen, freeze-dried and live are available. It's best to vary the diet to avoid digestive problems.

Keep up the good work!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins