When it comes to feeding our pets, including our Betta fish, there is always a question of what food we should and can give them. Some people think that as long as food is good for humans, then it’s fine for their pets too. But others disagree and believe that pet owners have to be well informed about the type of human food they can eat. So, the questions that pops up now is – Can Betta fish eat bread?
In this article:
Is Bread Good For Our Betta Fish?
Well, first of all – when it comes to feeding our Betta with bread we can say that we can do it, but not too often. The main reason is because bread contains salt, oil, butter, and some other ingredients that can have a negative effect on Betta’s health.
Another thing to keep in mind if you decide to feed your Betta with some bread is that it tends to increase in size when it gets soaked so it is pretty easy to overfeed and even harm your Betta if it eats it before it increases its size. Bread can also cause constipation and makes your pet swollen.
Can Betta Fish Eat Bread Instead Of Betta Pellets?
Since Bettas require food rich in proteins, when we plan their diet it is very important to keep that in mind. Proper and well-balanced diet is extremely important if you want to have a healthy and happy Betta. Feeding it with food similar to the food from its natural habitat is the best option and as you can guess bread is definitely not on the list.
But, as we have said before, giving very small portions and not too often is OK, and we can think of it as a treat. But it is a big no-no to serve bread instead of Betta pellets. Their nutritional values are not even close.
Why You Shouldn’t Feed Your Betta With Bread?
When we think about it there is certainly no need to feed our Betta with bread, not even as a treat. To be honest, it will be for our own pleasure only and on the other side it can cause some real harm, so it is better to avoid that.
Bread is not the best food for your Betta pet fish. We’ve already said that it’s not good for them, and it can cause more harm than good. It’s not harmful to your fish until you get real food. This can be a one-time solution to feeding your fish when you don’t have proper Betta food.
Yeast, gluten, salt and oil that bread contains are harmful to Betta’s digestive system. Some of these problems are constipation caused by gluten which cannot be easily digested.
When your Betta eats bread it can cause bloating and swelling. This is because the yeast found in bread helps the bread rise. Betta fish cannot digest yeast and if it remains in their stomachs, it can even cause their stomachs to rupture and kill them. Yeast combined with gluten also causes bloating and gas.
Bread causes slow metabolism. Because of that your Betta becomes swollen and gassy, constipated, stops eating, stops moving around and swimming. They may also stop digesting the food and process the nutrients that are necessary to live. Then deficits in calories and nutrients increase and everything worsens rapidly.
Perhaps one of the most dangerous things that can happen to your Betta is poisoning. Because of constipation, the waste is being kept in the system and it starts building up in the intestines. This is definitely poisonous and can make your fish toxic and ill. You can even expect your Betta to die if you let the toxicity levels rise too high and stop and prevent further damage.
Bread left in the tank can damage the water quality as well. If it starts decomposing, it will release ammonia into the water that can be toxic to your Betta fish.
Final Words
To sum things up, bread contains yeast, gluten, oil and salt, which are bad for your pet Betta. Based on that we believe that we have a clear answer to the question – Can Betta Fish Eat Bread? Only offer it as a treat and do it rarely, and when you do it, do it with precaution. Keep an eye on your pet to make sure there are no problems.
If you take into consideration all the things we have mentioned above, bread is not a good choice and you should definitely use it when there is nothing else left. It is always better to use protein-rich food that is specially made for Betta fish like: floating or sinking pellets, Betta flakes, bloodworms and so on. There is always something better you can offer to your Betta instead of bread.