Feeding female bettas in community tank

[Suzisuzisuzi]

have a small tank with a snail, a cory, 2 female betta, a swordtail, platy and molly. All fish seem to be doing well. The sword, platy and molly all usually hang together and the two betta girls are often swimming peacefully together. The cory despite not having a school is acting just like other cories I have observed. I test my water regularly and we're doing well (main problem there is hard water where I live) I'm NOT interested in stocking lectures.

My pet store assures me that the betta girls will do just fine on tropicalfish food but I am skeptical. Anyone here keep similar species in a community tank? If so what do you feed? If you feed different foods for different fish, what do you do to be sure fish eat the right food?

 

[xraycer]

Bettas will do fine with tropical fish food. Bettas are tropical fish after all, and don't really have a special diet. In the wild, they feed on whatever bugs or aquatic critters they come across.

 

[Suzisuzisuzi]

That matches what the fish store said. I did a like online research which of course always makes you sure you're screwing everything up, and several sites suggested that bettas are closer carnivores and might get digestive problems from the vegetation in general tropical food, while the tropical trio Are all much more omniverous and could get problems of feed just betta food.

They HAVE all been getting tropical pellets with occasional blood worm "treats" but I thought it worth an ask. Xraycer, have you kept bettas and other easy tropicals together with just regular tropical food?

 

[TheReefer]

That matches what the fish store said. I did a like online research which of course always makes you sure you're screwing everything up, and several sites suggested that bettas are closer carnivores and might get digestive problems from the vegetation in general tropical food, while the tropical trio Are all much more omniverous and could get problems of feed just betta food.

They HAVE all been getting tropical pellets with occasional blood worm "treats" but I thought it worth an ask. Xraycer, have you kept bettas and other easy tropicals together with just regular tropical food?

Like with most fish, I'd say a 50/50 mix of frozen and pellet food would be a good mix. For frozen/live/fresh some good foods would be brine shrimp, daphnia, blood worms, mysis, scuds, etc. A good pellet I'd recommend would be New Life Spectrum Betta Natruox Series, Omega One Betta Buffet Fish Flakes, and Fluval Bug Bites Betta Granules .

 

[xraycer]

Xraycer, have you kept bettas and other easy tropicals together with just regular tropical food?

Sure have! I just fed everybody one the of food whether it's flakes or pellets. I'll give frozen or love as a test here and there.

 

[xraycer]

Xraycer, have you kept bettas and other easy tropicals together with just regular tropical food?

Sure have! I just fed everybody one the of food whether it's flakes or pellets. I'll give frozen or live as a treat here and there

 

[Suzisuzisuzi]

Like with most fish, I'd say a 50/50 mix of frozen and pellet food would be a good mix. For frozen/live/fresh some good foods would be brine shrimp, daphnia, blood worms, mysis, scuds, etc. A good pellet I'd recommend would be New Life Spectrum Betta Natruox Series, Omega One Betta Buffet Fish Flakes, and Fluval Bug Bites Betta Granules .

Thanks for your reply. I've kept bettas before, mostly solitary males or a pair with a divider, and am familiar with their diet. I wasn't so much asking what to best feed a betta, but rather asking how to solve the problem of fish with different diets sharing the same tank. If you'd advise the betta girls to get betta food I'd love to know how you'd suggest I get the right food to the right fish in a betta/other tropical stocked tank.

 

[TheReefer]

Thanks for your reply. I've kept bettas before, mostly solitary males or a pair with a divider, and am familiar with their diet. I wasn't so much asking what to best feed a betta, but rather asking how to solve the problem of fish with different diets sharing the same tank. If you'd advise the betta girls to get betta food I'd love to know how you'd suggest I get the right food to the right fish in a betta/other tropical stocked tank.

Oh, ok, well seeing as bettas are carnivores, they'll likely stick with the meaty items, while the other fish are more so omnivores, so I would just feed a mix and they'll likely eat what they would want to, so try just feeding normally and see if they eat the right food. If not, then just feed frozen/live food and then use a turkey baster to put algaemax or something like that a bit lower so the bettas don't get it but the molly, platy, cory and swordtail does. I used to keep a betta in a community tank and I just fed the tank normally and the betta completely ignored the algaemax and other plant matter and just ate the frozen food. And I know you said you don't want a stocking lecture but you should add in more mollies, sword tails, platies, and cories.

 

[Suzisuzisuzi]

By

Oh, ok, well seeing as bettas are carnivores, they'll likely stick with the meaty items, while the other fish are more so omnivores, so I would just feed a mix and they'll likely eat what they would want to, so try just feeding normally and see if they eat the right food. If not, then just feed frozen/live food and then use a turkey baster to put algaemax or something like that a bit lower so the bettas don't get it but the molly, platy, cory and swordtail does. I used to keep a betta in a community tank and I just fed the tank normally and the betta completely ignored the algaemax and other plant matter and just ate the frozen food. And I know you said you don't want a stocking lecture but you should add in more mollies, sword tails, platies, and cories.

Yeah I'd add in more but the tank is too small. The tropical trio really acts like they are all the same species, it's the cory I worry most about being solo. I think I'll try the variety strategy since I have the right foods on hand anyhow. They do tend to stick together by types so hopefully if I drop the right foods on the right parts of the tank everyone will get the food they most need

 

[Suzisuzisuzi]

Oh, ok, well seeing as bettas are carnivores, they'll likely stick with the meaty items, while the other fish are more so omnivores, so I would just feed a mix and they'll likely eat what they would want to, so try just feeding normally and see if they eat the right food. If not, then just feed frozen/live food and then use a turkey baster to put algaemax or something like that a bit lower so the bettas don't get it but the molly, platy, cory and swordtail does. I used to keep a betta in a community tank and I just fed the tank normally and the betta completely ignored the algaemax and other plant matter and just ate the frozen food. And I know you said you don't want a stocking lecture but you should add in more mollies, sword tails, platies, and cories.

Ugh Stupid fish. The bettas dove for the sinking tropical pellets while the others played with the bettas pellets at the surface.