# Please help! soaking pellets



## peaches3221 (Jun 1, 2010)

I've heard that if you feed your betta pellets you need to soak them in water, or they will swell up in the fish's belly and make him/her sick. is this true? if so, do I need to use bottled/conditioned water, or just tap water? how long should I soak them? thank you for your help! :-D


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## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

I have the floating pellets and they swelled up even before the fish noticed them. I am curious as well to how to presoak.


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## Capricorn (Sep 4, 2010)

Yes! This is true.

I just take a plastic spoon (I use the same one each day) and a small dish. Take a teaspoon of water from the tank, put it in the dish and then just add the pellets. I wait for about two-three minutes or until they're soft. 

I didn't soak mine the first couple days and Nettle was very bloated, but now that I do he barely bloats at all.


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

On another note, if your betta stops eating pellets for any reason like distaste or just generally disinterested, you could soak them in freshly crushed garlic juice.  Not only does it give them a nice taste, but it's a natural anti-parasitic.


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## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

Can they overdose on garlic juice? I mean, is there an optimum amount?


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

I don't think so. OFL soaks her pellets all the time and recommends it to others but never specifies how much, so I don't believe you can OD on garlic juice.


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## peaches3221 (Jun 1, 2010)

thanks everyone! i will make sure to soak pellets from now on! :-D


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## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

Woohoo Sam ate his first pellet!! I pushed it a bit in the water so it was moving and he did a fairly good shark impression and gobbled it up. Since they like live food I thought maybe if the pellet was moving it might look more "food" like. So he's had a bloodworm and a pellet. Is that enough for today or should I try another pellet later?


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## Lilpeanut (Sep 19, 2010)

I have been using the Hikari Betta Bio-Gold pellets for years, and I have never presoaked them. My bettas have always done fine with these pellets, and they really do enhance their color. My bettas are faily large, so I feed them four pellets twice a day, so a total of eight pellets every day.


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## JaspersANGEL (Oct 12, 2009)

Yea u should always soak ur pellets, all drie food for that matter should be soaked. Freeze dried bloodworms should be rehydrated (I'm soaking bloodworms for my puppie's now, I can't beleive I forgot Jet's birthday), if not it will cause bloat..and if never soaked over time will affect ur bettas system, I never knew that with my first betta and by the time I knew he was already too far gone to fix.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I've never presoaked my pellets, either.


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## shell85 (Aug 27, 2010)

does it matter what water you soak them in? i usually fill an old pitcher with water and declorinate it then throw in a few pellets.


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## NoodleSolly (Sep 20, 2010)

shell85 said:


> does it matter what water you soak them in? i usually fill an old pitcher with water and declorinate it then throw in a few pellets.


I don't think it does but just to be on the safe side I use some tank water. That way I don't have to worry about it and it's preheated to make the soaking go quicker!


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## jmtriro01 (Jun 22, 2010)

my bettas won't eat the pellets if its already soaked...


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> I've never presoaked my pellets, either.


Neither have I. :dunno:


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## Lilpeanut (Sep 19, 2010)

jmtriro01 said:


> my bettas won't eat the pellets if its already soaked...


Yeah, my bettas won't eat the pellets that have been sitting in their tanks for even a few minutes. If I don't take those pellets out, they wind up eventually sinking to the floor and fouls up the water sooner.


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