# What do betta eat? Do betta eat cricket?



## Nuttawet (Aug 18, 2009)

What do betta eat? Do betta eat cricket?


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

A cricket wouldn't fit in a betta's mouth...

However, they are carnivorous. I've heard some members feed their bettas fruit flies occasionally. You can also give them things like bloodworms or brine shrimp, but a regular diet of pellets is recommended, using the other things as treats.


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## Purple (Jun 25, 2012)

Nuttawet said:


> What do betta eat? Do betta eat cricket?


I believe that crickets might be too large for them to eat. I may be mistaken. Most pet bettas, when properly taken care of, eat about 80% high quality pellets or flakes that are labeled for betta fish and 20% frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, or live foods such as certain types of worms. I've never fed live foods, but I know they can eat banana worms and micro worms.

Pellets are better than flakes, but whether you feed flakes or pellets make sure that the first ingredient is some kind of fish/shrimp. Hikari brand has the very best frozen foods, in my opinion, because they are very sanitary and are the least likely to give your fish worms.


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## Nuttawet (Aug 18, 2009)

The smallest cricket is what i'm talking about, can betta eat smallest cricket?


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## MollyJean (Dec 29, 2009)

There are a few things you have to think about, a few risks too.

How big is the cricket? If it's like.. fruit fly sized (About the size of a sesame seed) you can try it, but watch him eat it, and if he has trouble, remove it. If it's larger he runs the risk of choking.

Is this a wild caught insect? Wild insects can bring bacteria and parasites into your fish tank and make the fish sick. I wouldn't feed a betta anything caught in the wild.

Also, something like crickets are not a full time food. He'll still need good pellet food as a regular, daily food source, and things like bloodworms, flightless fruit flies and such should only be a sometimes snack, no more then once a week, if that.


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## Nuttawet (Aug 18, 2009)

The cricket is the smallest size from Petco. Can i feed the smallest size cricket from Petco?


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## MollyJean (Dec 29, 2009)

I don't have a petco anywhere near me to look.

Seeing as it is petco live food, you could try one, but watch it very closely and be ready to take it out of the tank if it's too big.

I like frozen bloodworms, personally.


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## Purple (Jun 25, 2012)

Nuttawet said:


> The cricket is the smallest size from Petco. Can i feed the smallest size cricket from Petco?


No. Even the small crickets from PetCo are too large. Your betta would likely choke to death, or just not pay it any attention.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

He is talking about pinheads which are baby crickets and are tiny. I don't see a problem besides it is from Petco and Petsmart and there is always dead crickets in there, so they aren't the healthiest to feed. Just pick up a good pellet.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

kfryman said:


> He is talking about pinheads which are baby crickets and are tiny. I don't see a problem besides it is from Petco and Petsmart and there is always dead crickets in there, so they aren't the healthiest to feed. Just pick up a good pellet.


+1

If you really want to see him eat a cricket that badly, I would rinse the cricket off first...


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Nuttawet said:


> The cricket is the smallest size from Petco. Can i feed the smallest size cricket from Petco?


Can you give us an approximation as to how big it is? We don't have Petco here, and the Petsmarts sell large crickets that are about half the size of a betta.

You could always try the fruitflies they sell. I think some members have fed their bettas fruitflies as treats.


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