The short answer
For granules Fluval says contain “up to 40%” black soldier fly larvae, Fluval Bug Bites Betta Micro Granules; at a low pack price, pellets Tetra says are “ideally sized for Siamese Fighting Fish”, TetraBetta PLUS Floating Mini Pellets; for bettas “six months and older”, per its maker, Ocean Nutrition Betta Pellets.
Our verdict
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Eight betta foods, compared on maker pages, Amazon listings and owner reports; we have not tested them. Each is sold by Amazon.com or the brand’s own Amazon storefront. Hikari Betta Bio-Gold, Omega One, New Life Spectrum and Northfin betta foods, named in the threads we read, did not pass that seller check.
Betta food finder
Find a betta food
Pick a food type and a pack-price tier; packs run from 0.18 to 1.34 oz, so compare sizes too. The suggestion is our editorial starting point, drawn from the eight foods below, not a test result.
Compare the picks
Compare the 8 betta foods
“Form”: the maker’s wording for the linked pack, shortened.
Fluval Bug Bites BettaInsect-first granulesDaily food, insect proteinSlow-sinking granules$5.99 Prime
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
TetraBetta PLUSLow-cost floating pelletDaily staple, floatingFloating mini pellets$3.74 Prime
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
Tetra Select-A-FoodThree foods in one canVariety, daily flakeFlakes$4.99 Prime
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
API Betta PelletsPellet, ammonia claimBalanced diet, pelletsFloating pellets$4.48 Prime
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
API Betta FlakesFlake foodBalanced diet, flakesFlakes$3.99 Prime
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
Ultra Fresh Betta ProPrawn-first pelletPrawn-first, floatingFloating pellets$7.09
Evidence: owners in one thread; one questions the pellet size, one the plant content; size not stated
Ocean Nutrition BettaPellet, 6 months and upBettas 6+ months, floatingFloating pellets$6.99
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
Fluval Betta BloodwormsFreeze-dried treatTreat, 2-3 times weeklyFreeze-dried bloodworms$5.99 Prime
Evidence: maker specs; no independent test found
Before You Buy: Floating or Sinking, Size and First Ingredients
Sinking or floating. Tetra, API (listing), Ultra Fresh and Ocean Nutrition call their pellets floating; Fluval’s granules are “slow sinking”. An r/bettafish owner who rotates Top Fin betta crumbles, New Life Spectrum betta pellets and Ultra Fresh Betta Pro says they “can all sink pretty easily”.
Size. The makers give Fluval 0.25-1.0 mm, and Ultra Fresh and Ocean Nutrition about 1.5 mm. On the forum of Aquarium Co-Op, a store that also sells fish, an owner wrote: “My male betta won’t eat the 1mm northfin betta pellets, or similar or bigger pellets.” He took 0.5 mm pellets.
First ingredients (makers’ lists; API’s from its listings): fish meal for Ocean Nutrition and API Betta Flakes; whole wheat for API Betta Pellets; insect larvae for Fluval Bug Bites; sword prawn for Ultra Fresh; none found for either Tetra food.
If a strong filter outflow makes feeding hard, see our guide to reducing filter current for bettas. Food is not a treatment: if your betta stops eating or looks unwell, test the water (our freshwater test kit roundup compares kits; our high ammonia guide covers the usual causes) and contact an aquatic veterinarian.
How We Chose These Betta Foods
How this guide was built
built from manufacturer documentation, published guides and owner reports; we have not tested these products ourselves.
Our food criteria, in order
Species fit (labeled for bettas); food form, sinking or floating, and size as the maker states; first ingredients; a maker feeding direction; pack price. All eight passed our stock and seller check.
Where each claim comes from
Where each claim comes from
We found no independent test of any pick; a ranking Practical Fishkeeping feature is “sponsored by Fluval”, so we did not use it. Owner reports from r/bettafish, FishLore and the Aquarium Co-Op forum are quoted as reports, not results.
Detailed Reviews: The 8 Betta Foods
Fluval Bug Bites Betta Micro Granules, Insect-first granules
1.05 oz · Slow-sinking granules
Keepers who want insect protein.
$5.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 05:08 UTCVerdict
Slow-sinking granules Fluval says contain “up to 40%” black soldier fly larvae, the first ingredient.
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Fluval Bug Bites Betta page.
Fluval gives crude protein (min) 45.0%. An r/bettafish thread on Fluval Bug Bites (formula not stated) relays a pet store employee who said to give them “every once in a while as a treat” and a vet assistant who called them “too high in protein and fat”; a second reply relays a fish vet on the protein. Most replies feed them daily.
Specs (linked: 1.05 oz)
- First ingredients: black soldier fly larvae, salmon, fish protein concentrate
Pros
- Insect larvae listed as the first ingredient
Cons
- Sinks slowly, where most picks here float
TetraBetta PLUS Floating Mini Pellets, Low-cost floating pellet
1.2 oz · Floating mini pellets
Budget buyers who want a pellet made for bettas.
$3.74 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 05:08 UTCVerdict
Small floating pellets Tetra says are “ideally sized for Siamese Fighting Fish”.
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Tetra product page and Amazon listing.
The listing calls it an “ideal daily staple food” but gives no ingredients (“See Label”). In a 2018 r/bettafish thread on “Tetra Betta brand pellets” (version not stated), one reply called Tetra “generally a crap brand”.
Specs (linked: 1.2 oz)
- First ingredients: not published in the text we read
Pros
- Floating pellets sized for bettas, per Tetra
Cons
- No ingredient list or analysis in the text we read
Tetra BettaMin Select-A-Food, Three foods in one can
Verdict
Flakes, freeze-dried shrimp and mini pellets in a canister Tetra says lets you “dial in the food that is desired”.
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Tetra product page and Amazon listing.
Tetra says “Red Mini Flakes” and “Brine Shrimp Bits”, 1.3 oz; the listing says “BettaMin Flakes” and “shrimp”, 1.34 oz.
Specs (linked: 1.34 oz)
- First ingredients: not published in the text we read
Pros
- Three foods in one canister, chosen with a dial
Cons
- No ingredient list in the text we read
API Betta Pellets, Pellet, ammonia claim
Verdict
Floating pellets API says “produce up to 30% less ammonia” (comparison not stated).
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: API Betta Pellets page and Amazon listing.
API sells one size, 0.78 oz (Amazon’s menu says “1 Ounce”).
Specs (linked: 0.78 oz)
- First ingredients: whole wheat, whole menhaden fish meal, squid meal (listing)
Pros
- API’s claim of up to 30% less ammonia from its food
Cons
- Wheat listed ahead of fish meal
API Betta Flakes, Flake food
Verdict
The flake sibling of #4, which API calls “a complete and balanced diet”; it shares #4’s Amazon listing.
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: API Betta Flakes page and Amazon listing.
Specs (linked: 0.36 oz)
- First ingredients: whole menhaden fish meal, wheat flour, wheat starch (listing)
Pros
- Fish meal listed first, in a flake
Cons
- Flakes are disputed: Boxed Nature, a hobbyist blog that earns Amazon commissions, says “Stay away from feeding flakes in general”
Ultra Fresh Betta Pro Shrimp Patties, Prawn-first pellet
Verdict
Floating pellets with sword prawn and akiami shrimp listed first by Ultra Fresh.
Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/bettafish: Betta Pro shrimp patties, size not stated.
Ultra Fresh gives an 8:2 animal-to-plant protein ratio. In an r/bettafish thread, one owner wrote “the bottle says 1.5mm” yet found it the size of 1 mm Northfin and Hikari pellets; another replied “not good it contains lots of plant matters”.
Specs (linked: 0.7 oz / 20 g)
- First ingredients: sword prawn, akiami shrimp, sardine
Pros
- Sword prawn and akiami shrimp listed first
Cons
- One owner says it can sink, though Ultra Fresh calls it floating
Ocean Nutrition Betta Pellets, Pellet, 6 months and up
Verdict
Floating pellets Ocean Nutrition makes “for bettas six months and older”.
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Ocean Nutrition Betta Pellets page.
Ocean Nutrition says they do not cloud the water “when used as directed” and gives crude protein (min.) 42.1%; the listing says 41.5%. The seller, San Francisco Bay Brand, “purchased Ocean Nutrition Americas” (the brand’s Americas business) in 2009 (company page).
Specs (linked: 0.53 oz / 15 g)
- First ingredients: fish meal, wheat flour, soy-bean meal, krill meal
Pros
- A pellet limit its maker ties to betta size and water temperature
Cons
- Made for bettas six months and older, per its maker
Fluval Betta Freeze Dried Bloodworms, Freeze-dried treat
0.18 oz · Freeze-dried bloodworms
Keepers who want a betta treat.
$5.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 05:08 UTCVerdict
Freeze-dried bloodworms Fluval calls “a great treat to compliment your Betta’s regular daily diet”.
Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Fluval Betta Freeze Dried Bloodworms page.
Fluval’s page gives crude protein (min) 55% and also says they “should be included as part of their regular diet”. It says to feed “only as much food as fish can consume in up to 1 minute.”
Specs (linked: 0.18 oz / 5 g)
- First ingredients: freeze-dried bloodworms only
Pros
- Single-ingredient bloodworms made for bettas
Cons
- Fluval calls it a treat and gives 2-3 times a week
How Much and How Often to Feed a Betta
Follow the label of the food you buy; the makers’ directions differ (page unless noted):
| Food | Maker’s direction (quoted) |
|---|---|
| Fluval Bug Bites | “Feed as much as fish can eat in two minutes, two or three times daily.” |
| TetraBetta PLUS pellets | “two times daily … 4 to 6 pellets” (listing description); “1-2 times day” (listing directions) |
| Tetra Select-A-Food | Flake “two to three times daily”; shrimp or pellets “several times per week” (listing) |
| API Betta Pellets, Flakes | Twice a day. Page descriptions: “within three minutes”; instructions and listings: “2 minutes” (pellets), “3 to 4 minutes” (flakes) |
| Ultra Fresh | “Feed 1–3 times a day, offering at most what they finish within 3 minutes.” |
| Ocean Nutrition | “Feed up to seven pellets twice a day, depending on the betta’s size and the water temperature (ideally 78-80° F).” |
| Fluval Bloodworms | “Feed 2-3 times a week, only as much food as fish can consume in up to 1 minute.” |
API says unconsumed or poorly digested food “causes waste and raises ammonia levels”. Our heater roundup covers the temperature side; going away, see how to feed fish while on vacation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is it better to feed a betta flakes or pellets?
Sources split: Boxed Nature advises against flakes in general, while API sells its flakes as “a complete and balanced diet”. Several owners in the threads we read feed both.
Q. What is the best quality food for betta fish?
No independent test names one, and owners disagree: one prefers foods with “3+ proteins within the first 5” ingredients.
Q. What if my betta is a picky eater?
On FishLore, a member answered a picky-betta post: “If he picky and you found something he will eat, go for it at least for a bit.” Smaller pellets helped the Aquarium Co-Op owner above. If a betta that ate well stops eating, test the water and contact an aquatic veterinarian.
The bottom line
Final Verdict
For insect larvae first, Fluval Bug Bites Betta Micro Granules (check price); at a low pack price, TetraBetta PLUS Floating Mini Pellets (check price); for bettas six months and older, per its maker, Ocean Nutrition Betta Pellets (check price). The comparison table above sets out the other five.
More guides: sharing the tank with snails or shrimp? See our snail food and shrimp food guides.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
