# Can bettas eat regular tropical fish food?



## Ianthe (Jun 1, 2011)

We recently moved my daughter's betta from his 2 gallon bowl into her ten gallon community tank. So far, things are great, he is more active and seem much happier...he used to just lay around in his bowl. However, I cannot keep him from eating the tropical flakes that we feed the other fish in the tank. I am able to feed him his pellets fine, without the other fish stealing him, and I feed him first, but then when we put the flakes in, he also eats those along with everyone else. I'm afraid he is going to get overfed. What should I do? He loves the flakes, can we just switch him to those, or does he need actual betta food? What if we switched them all to a tropical fish pellet? (If flakes are bad...?) Thanks!


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

He can eat the flakes.  

Just make sure he actually gets a couple of bites, because most fish will outcompete Bettas for food.


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## Ianthe (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks! So should I stop the betta pellets altogether?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

If he eats them.

Bettas seriously think of themselves as kings/queens. They are picky and some won't even touch processed food. 

The boy in my avatar didn't eat for two weeks after him and his sister arrived. She eats everything. He only eats frozen blood worms or daphnia.


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Yeah you should stop with the pellets, if he's going to eat both the pellets and the flakes he might get bloated. 

So just feed him whenever you feed the other fish.


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## Ianthe (Jun 1, 2011)

OK, thanks! He is not picky, he'll eat anything LOL


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