If you are curious about the food of bettas, you’ve probably wondered, “What do betta fry eat?” A great question is, “What do bettas eat in nature?” Zooplankton are tiny organisms that live in both fresh and saltwater. Bettas also eat crustaceans, including brine shrimp and daphnia.
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Infusoria
Infusoria are small, aquatic organisms that baby betta fish can eat. You can buy them at some pet stores or online and feed them to your betta fry. Infusoria are not the only food your betta fry will eat. Betta fry can also spawn at random and eat greens, so they’re a great source of protein for your fish.
Baby brine shrimp
When a betta hatches, its fry begin searching for food. While the fry can easily eat commercial baby dry foods, they do best with a brine shrimp culture. Fry feed on infusoria, or water that is alive with microorganisms. In fact, aquarists are divided on which type of food to feed their fry. However, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Egg yolk
You can feed your betta fry egg yolk in your aquarium. To use the yolk, you can either sprinkle it directly on the water’s surface, or mix it into the water. The yolk will float for a short time on the surface and eventually sink to the bottom. Both methods are effective and are free of unpleasant odors. Alternatively, you can use powdered egg yolks, which are smaller and easier to handle than real suspended egg yolks.
Live plants
A primary food for betta fry is live plants. Live plants provide essential nutrients that bettas cannot get from dry food. Betta fry are born with egg sacs, and they swim around the nursery looking for these foods. Live plants contain infusoria, which is a single-celled organism that provides essential nutrients for betta fry. Adding a few live plants to the tank can make the tank look more appealing to betta fry and increase the chance of a successful hatchling.
Bloodworms
During their wild lives, betta fish are often seen munching on crustaceans, insects, and meaty foods. To feed your betta fry, try feeding them bloodworms, which are bright red larvae of midge flies. You can find these worms at most pet stores in foil-sealed individual cubes or slabs. Hikari bloodworms are one of the best types to feed your betta fry, as they are clean and contain the highest nutritional value.
Blackworms
Betta fry can eat live brine shrimp, bloodworms, or brine shrimp pellets. Live foods should be introduced two to three times daily until the fry have fully grown. As the fry grow, they can be introduced to dry foods. Ideally, they should be fed twice a day until they reach full size. If they become too big, they can be switched to pellet food. This is one of the most important decisions you will have to make.
Grindal worms
Live foods are important to maintain a healthy betta population. Unlike Microworms, grindal worms are small and eat soil. This makes grindal worm culture an excellent alternative for fish breeders. In addition, grindal worms can be harvested for a longer period of time than Microworms. And as a bonus, grindal worms do not carry parasites, making them an ideal choice for bettas.
