The short answer
Feed a betta once or twice a day, offering only what it finishes in about two minutes — for most fish that’s just a few pellets per meal. Betta stomachs are roughly the size of their eye, so the biggest mistake is overfeeding. Uneaten food rots, spikes ammonia and clouds the water, and a chronically overfed betta becomes bloated and constipated.
How much is the right amount
A good rule is 2–4 quality pellets per feeding, once or twice daily. Watch the first few meals: whatever your betta eats eagerly within two minutes is the correct portion. Anything left sinking to the bottom is too much — scoop it out and give a little less next time.
Choose a food made for bettas. They are carnivores, so a high-protein pellet or the occasional frozen or freeze-dried bloodworm and brine shrimp suits them far better than a generic flake. See our fish food picks and browse the full food range.
Signs you’re overfeeding
- A rounded, swollen belly that stays big between meals
- Leftover food on the substrate and cloudy or smelly water
- Stringy waste or a betta that struggles to swim level
If you see these, cut back and add a fasting day. A day or two off food usually resolves mild bloating on its own.
The bigger picture
Feeding is only part of keeping a betta thriving — clean, warm, stable water matters just as much. Learn what a healthy, contented fish looks like in how do I know if my betta is happy, read the full betta care guide, and if you’re just starting out, see how to set up a betta tank.