Can Betta Fish Eat Insects and Worms?

Bettas are very popular tropical fish and most beginners choose this pet because they are beautiful, active and easy to care for. These fish are carnivorous, which means they require to eat meat-based food.
Bettas can and will eat bugs and worms, and they are actively hunting for insects and worms in their natural habitat. Live daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp or glass shrimp gets them excited. Feeding your betta fish these water creatures is definitely a good choice.
But can betta fish eat ants, spiders, flies, cockroaches, crickets, night-crawlers, mealworms, or other insects or worms?
In this article, we are going to talk about the benefits of Bettas eating bugs and worms. We are also going to show you which are the best ones and things to keep in mind when feeding your Betta with bugs and worms.
Is It Safe for Betta Fish to Eat Bugs?
It is safe to feed insects to your Betta fish but it is also important to be careful with it. Insects can carry pesticides, bacteria and all kinds of harmful stuff. You can never know for sure where they come from. Instead of catching insects in your home, get them from a well-known and reliable source.
Some of the chemicals that can be commonly found on insects can even kill your Betta fish.
Are Insects Better than Fish Food for Betta Fish?
Bettas can get so much valuable nutrition of insects that there is really no need to feed them fish food. Of course, you need to feed your pet various different insects for this diet to work. Each of the insects and worms we are going to talk about is beneficial in a different way.
If you combine them the right way, your Betta fish will be healthier than ever. A great thing about insects and worms is that you can easily breed them at home. Otherwise, make sure to get them from a reputed source.
Bugs and Worms Betta Fish Can Eat
There are multiple bugs and worms that are healthy for your Betta fish to eat. By combining them, you can provide a well-rounded and super healthy diet for your pet. We strongly advise against feeding only one type, as variety is key.
Without further ado, let’s see which are the healthiest options when it comes to worms and bugs.
– Daphnia
The daphnia is one of the best resources of fiber and protein for the Betta fish. It is also a great live food to offer if you want to introduce some variety to its flake or pellet food-based diet. It is rather easy to breed daphnia at home as well, as it provides your Betta with a steady source of live food.
Daphnia will surely set the digestive system of your fish at ease, but you still shouldn’t throw in more than 4-6 of them per Betta.
– Mosquito Larvae
Mosquito larvae is one of those live foods that you can feed to your Betta fish every single day. There is really nothing to worry about, as it does not contain any fat and it is completely harmless in big amounts.
This is also what Bettas consume in their natural habitat all the time. However, one single meal should consist of about 3-5 larvae. Then, when your fish has consumed that meal, you can add another 3-5 larvae. Repeat this until you notica that your Betta stops eating.
– Fruit Flies
For Bettas, eating Fruit Flies is not far from their natural diet either. Once you push that fly underwater, it is unlikely that it is going to fly out and will instead end up as the prey of your Betta. If you are worried that your flies will get away, you can also remove their wings and give them to your fish that way.
Since those flies are pretty big compared to the typical Betta foods, you should feed only 1 or 2 of them to your pet. You can breed Fruit Flies at home if you want to, just make sure not to feed them to your fish all the time. They should be a part of a mixed, healthy diet.
– Brine Shrimp
Although Brine Shrimp is one of the most commonly recommended Betta foods, you should rather think about it as a supplement. It can be healthy in small amounts as part of a well-rounded diet. What makes Brine Shrimp a healthy option is that it comes with a range of nutritional values.
In a fish diet, feeding too much of something good can result in an adverse effect. A great approach is to feed your Betta fish a small amount of each healthy food so that he can thrive. Brine Shrimp should be fed to your fish like any other occasional treat, only a couple of times a week.
– Black Worms
This is one of the Betta foods that is not mentioned as often in the fish keeping community, yet it contains plenty of nutrition. In our opinion, Black Worms should be the part of a balanced Betta fish diet. It is not only full of nutrition but can also enhance the colors of your fish.
Color enhancers can be found in many commercial foods as well, although those are not as fresh and natural as Black Worms. The reason why it does such a great job at enhancing their colors is simply because these worms are super healthy and they make your fish feel great.
– Bloodworms
A common misconception among fish keepers is that feeding only Bloodworms to Bettas is healthy and contains all the nutrition they need. It is not that they are not nutritious but these worms can quickly become too much for your Betta fish.
First off, you should not feed Bloodworms to your pet on a daily basis. By doing so, the risk of constipation would become too high. A tolerable amount for them is to consume it once or twice per week. This way, consuming Bloodworms will be actually beneficial for them because they will get plenty of iron out of it.
I love feeding bloodworms to my bettas because they will tear them apart with other small mouths and teeth in no time. It is a lot of fun watching them eat bloodworms.
– Mealworms
Mealworms contain a lot of great nutrients for your little Betta fish. One big problem with them is that their skin is too tough, which makes it hard for your pet to consume them. These worms are also quite big and can’t really fit into your Betta’s mouth.
However, there is so much nutritional value in them that it is definitely worth preparing them for your Betta. The easiest thing to do is to buy baby Mealworms. Since their exoskeleton is still soft and they are also small, the problem is solved in its entirety.
Mealworms should also be fed to your fish once or twice per week. You can also cut the big ones up into smaller pieces so that it fits into your Betta’s mouth.
Can Betta Fish Eat Earth Worm?
Bettas can definitely eat Earthworms as they are an outstanding source of protein. Feeding Earthworms to them is not popular for some reason but this does not change the fact that it is healthy. You don’t even need to buy them if you can find some worms in your backyard.
The great thing about them is that you can find plenty of them in your typical fish bait store.
Can Bettas Eat Spiders?
As you walk around in your home, there is always a chance to find a spider in one of the most rarely cleaned corners. If you have a Betta as well, then it might be tempting to give that spider to him.
But is it any good for Bettas to eat spiders? The answer is that if the spider is small enough to fit into your Betta’s mouth and you are sure it is not poisonous, then it is fine.
However, I would not advise you to feed spiders to your betta fish, because these spiders consume flies and bugs that might be contaminated with chemicals.
These chemicals can end up in your betta’s digestive system and water, which will cause more harm than good.
Always source live or frozen food for your betta fish, from reputed pet stores or cultivate your own live food at home.
Wrapping Up
Bettas absolutely love to eat insects and worms so don’t be shy to get some for them. Most of the ones we mentioned on our list are also very nutritious.
You only need to remember which are the ones that you need to feed occasionally and your Betta fish will be healthier than ever.