BETTA FOOD, BETTA FEEDING-- "HOW TO "

  Feeding care tips advice for any or all new betta owners!! Ok where do i begin? I suppose i could start with a list of foods first? Or feeding frequency and schedules? I think ill start with the single biggest advice i can give you,yes! Were going to start with advice tips first! Ignore any other web feeding articles, as everything you need and more then can find elsewhere is right here, from top breeder, FOR FREE! ,,-- -
advice crucial tip-
#1- Vary the foods as often as possible. If feeding man made food vrs frozen or live, what i do, and the absolute best method, hands down ( believe me i experimented with every suggested way on web, and some my own over nearly decade ( 7 n half yrs) of experimentation) but  you wanna buy more then 1, at least 2, types of betta granules or pellets. And you want to mix them together or rotate between the two back in forth, back in forth. But to us, they are just granules, but trust me, to a betta? ones chicken /ones pork. And by varying, or mixing 2 or more brands, they get a mix, vrs same boring thing- every day. Same thing for live and frozen foods as well!! Feed one type food 1-2 days, then another for 1-2 days. and then feed processed food for few days. Not only does this keep them happy and hungry vrs bored and uninterested in same stuff every meal, but, this ensures a well balanced nutritional intake, as one type of food will have completely diff oils, vitamins etc then another. So remember get at least 2 types processed, 2 types frozen, or live, and alternate between all of them every day or two.
 #2- NEVER feed adult bettas flakes! Only "granules" or "pellets"  avoid flakes at all costs! However avoid pellets or anything else and only use flakes for your fry if forced to use man made foods. Simply place some of the flakes in palm of hand, and swirl index finger in circle motion, and this grinds the flakes to fine powder, small enough,  for fry over 14 days or so old, to eat no problem, and i have had great success, at times even raising them all way to adulthoodhood! ( this happens often if im out of frozen or live foods for fry at time of them reaching free swimming age. So if for first 3-6 days of free swimming age, were on flake powder,, then i just keep them on it all way, and have YET to fail or do poorly using it!
  #3 Pretty much any where you can buy flakes, you should be able find some sort of granule or pellet fish food.
  #4- it matters not if the label says "bettas" or "betta foods" on the packaging ! Be vary wary of this! Many , in point of fact , i would say MOST foods ( processed, or man made) that are marketed for bettas, are marketed for human betta owners in the pet store, infinitely more then they are designed for being great betta foods. No, in fact, just ignore the species or picture on the packaging all together. What you want to do is turn it round and read the back, not the front of the label! You wanna look for 3 things,-
   4.1- some sort of statement, or guarantee of sterility, cleanliness, quality etc.  (odds are if they lied about this, they probly been sued or pinched for it already, lol, lol) but contaminated foods, whether procesed, frozen, or live is always something you need be aware of and avoid at all costs, particularly if you are breeding the fish you are feeding the contaminated food to, as infections etc etc can ruin a bettas ability to carry full term healthy pregnancys! Not to mention kill them in the extreme cases ( which not all that rare).
   4.2- Next youll be focusing on the "ingredients". You wanna look for a- foods rich in shrimp any shrimp, brine or otherwise, but typically if it has high shrimp content percentages these are the better processed foods for bettas ( for 2 reasons
                                       #1- shrimp is extremely rich in many nutrients and essential ingrediants for vibrancy of color in particular, and total, over all health in generall, but particularly color and finnage development as well. and-
                                        #2- because of fish meal, fish oils, other fish products parts even whole fish like anchovys, or sardines, or herring minced, may be in many foods. but of all fish and fish products, and of all other food ingrediants, such as yeast, flour, water, salt, vitamin additives, wheat, soy, tofu, etc etc etc.. out of all the ingrediants used in betta and fish foods, by volume and by the pound, shrimp species are by far the most expensive of any of betta food ingrediants, by far! So the theory is, if the company was willing to pay the extra expense to put high shrimp content in the production of their foods, then they prob didnt cut corners like watering it down, or using too many fillers, or skimp on the much cheaper then shrimp costs of the vitamins etc etc, So good rule of thumb- is if it has high shrimp content, and/or many shrimp species, its most likely all way round going be your best betta food choice.)
     b- you must pay close attention to the amount, and at least inclusion of fish oils! these also can be called other names like anchovy oil, or omega 3, etc, but a- these are full of essential nutrients, fatty acids etc that bettas ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE to remain healty. b- And equally important, bettas can have a prob with very dry foods, actually injuring their stomachs and digestive systems, and believe me, constipation of your betta is least of your worries,( i always chuckle when i see you tube (they"re always female in particular ), betta owners fret and freak and stress about their betta being constipated lol, the constipation itself is just a symptom, and doesn't do much in way of causing betta death, lol, however the dryness of food and lack of omega 3's and fish oils that causes the constipation, is also very much the same thing that does cause the actual injury's, bloating, and at times deaths.)  the prob is not only does it slowly damage the stomach to where accumulative effects can kill over time, but it actually can kill within 12 hrs - 48 hrs after eating dry meal if preexisting damage from non oily, dry, low quality foods exists prior to this time, then death may result. 
      c- they ( fish oils like omega 3s etc etc ) also are essential for bettas production and maintanence of its own slime coat and saliva, which protect itself from disease and infection. The saliva coats the gills and   mouth, throat, even upper stomach, and the slime coat covers entire body and fins protects them from infection, and parasites, and disease, even injury or abrasion ( like on a rock for example, or nips from a lover, or opponent.).
  #3- next, you want to pay attention to the "nutritional values" on the back. Just like when you buy bag of chips in store, or candy bar, or any food for humans, on the back, there will be listed vitamins nutrients minerals etc etc etc etc and their correlating percentages. These are pretty much exactly same as human food, vitaminsa,b,b6,b12,iron, etc etc etc. There are no exact minimum numbers i can tell you to follow, but if the number #1 and #2 above are met, and there appears to be lot differant vitamins etc listed, and seems have decent percentages of each, in each per serving, and it appears to have minimal "fillers like wheat soy, flour,corn meal etc then its prob ok.
#4- Even though it is best to vary, alter, rotate, etc the TYPE of food, it is not the same with the feeding TIME. It is best to try to feed your bettas close to same time on feeding days. It is  not necessary to make an exact science of this, just roughly the same time, like any time in a.m every feeding day, or mid day, or night etc but no need  to do exactly same time every day.
   #5- It is best to feed once daily, with once a week or so (this does not need be religious once every 7 days thing just roughly once every 5-8 days or so) your going want to skip one day week and not feed anything.
   #6-  You will read on most web sites, and see n hear on you tube videos time after time after time,  many  false myths regarding breeding bettas and bettas and betta care. Another very popular one of these myths is " dont feed your males for few days before spawning or whilst hes guarding nest for the frys in the nest stage prior to free swimming, or it will make your male eat the eggs more. and want keep on eating".... I cannot tell you how many sites i read that on and you tube vids i heard that on 6 years ago or so. Look its this simple, if you starve your betta for 2,3,4 days prior to eggs laid. Then for another 3 or so days while he parents the nest, then all you end up with is a deleriously starving betta, who hasn't eaten in nearly week!! And he of course in turn will eat much much much more of the eggs then he would of if fed him every day.
   #7-feeding betta fry times- feeding betta fry should be 1 time daily if correct amount of food given each time.
   #8 fry foods- ok its very simple, if you follow this regiment youll be fine
  a- try think ahead and if possible go to local pond ( every town has golf course and they typically loaded with ponds full of life) or somewhere where there is 1- veggetation and decaying veggetation and 2- still non current non moving water. It will be full of tiny microscopic organisms that will help new born betta survive the first few days which are by far the hardest to survive for a betta fry.
  b- during first 14 days you are going want to feed them exclusively baby brine shrimp ( frozen) preferably sterile and decapsulated baby brine shrimp.  But stick to a once daily feeding of baby brine shrimp. ((( warning i do not even want to mention this out of fear it may promote beginners to think its ok to not use bbs but no!! Use the bbs, as a beginner the deck is sooooo stacked vrs you any way you wanna do much as you can to give your bettas a chance to beat the odds and survive,,, but, in case of emegency if absolutely cannot find or afford bbs at the time hikari makes a pouch of powder fry food ( newborn only only for first few days like 3-4 days of bettas life after hatching)   but buy it before planning on ever spawning and keep it around for when your in a bind. But it is called "first bites" it is made by hikari and is of highest standards. The combo of pond water and the hikari first bites powder is enough get them through the first few days until they can eat the baby brine shrimp. Then you wanna feed them nothing but baby brine shrimp for first 14 days. Then you can ween them off of bbs and onto flakes or brine shrimp (regular frozen adult, not baby) or rotate between the two but the really good flakes are planty more then enough to raise your batts on every day from week 2- adulthood when can eat regular granules and pellets.)))
   #9- if your betta is not eating either a- he may be sick, or too cold, or b- if hes healthy he will eventually after few days get hungry enough he will eat what your giving him as long as its some thing on this post ...
#10- ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY to only feed small amounts once daily, and within 30 minutes of feeding, if any uneaten food of any kind is uneaten  and left behind in tank ( and there are not tank cleaner tankmates like snails or shrimp like our grass shrimp to eat the left over food immediately) then in under 30 minutes you must scoop it out throw away.! Or else t will immediately start to foul and poison the water! ( sponge filters wil help also and are mandatory for breeding or you will never have much success or very healthy bettas ( if any survive at all) )))
 ok live foods frozen foods-
 brine shrimp
 other shrimp species like mysis shrimp etc
blood worms (also come in freeze dried)
 eels
 etc
 fry or baby betta foods ( frozen or live )
 infusoria
 bbs (preferably decapsulated)
 hikari first bites
     ALSO-- F Y I - - - Solely as a conveniance to our customers ( cause at these low prices we only make few cents  theres no profit or getting rich from it) we offer the finest and cheapest betta food weve ever found! for only couple bucks get the finest betta adult premium foods!! and enough last  ayear for 2 -5 bettas ! But for your convenience we ofer the 1 and only bet betta flakes for fry, and the 3 best kinds of adult betta food we have found.. You can see the video of the betta foods we offer on our you tube page at any time. Enjoy!