In this blog, we are going to discuss whether betta fish can eat chicken or not.
Overview
In this blog
- Can betta fish eat chicken?
- How to feed chicken to your betta fish?
- How many times can you feed chicken to your betta fish?
- Can you feed chicken eggs to betta fish?
- What do betta fish prefer to eat?
- Is chicken a good source of protein for your betta fish?
- Is there any drawback of feeding chicken to your betta fish regularly?
- Summary
- Frequently asked questions
- Reference
Can betta fish eat chicken?
Betta being a carnivore eat meaty food that contains a lot of proteins in their diets, like brine shrimps, bloodworms, crustaceans, and other insects.
Wild-bettas don’t eat chicken, but in their controlled environment they have been trained to have chickens.
Feeding chicken is not an issue, but feeding it daily or including chicken more in their diet than their favorite live food is not a good idea, as chicken may lack the necessary nutrients required for their growth.
How to feed chicken to your betta fish?
First of all, chicken is not considered the best food for betta fish, but if you are running out of fish food and you have to feed your fish because you don’t want to skip their meals, you can feed small chicken chunks to your betta fish.
Chicken can be considered as an alternative food for your betta fish but not the main food. It can be fed to your fish but you need to keep in mind a few things before feeding chicken to your betta fish:
Make sure to clean the chicken thoroughly, if it is not cleaned well it can cause infections in your fish. In chicken shops, they don’t maintain hygiene, so it is important to buy it from a shop where they are maintaining hygiene.
Avoid feeding chickens that have not been produced naturally. Some poultry farms are raising chickens by injecting different growth hormones for getting the desired shape and size. It would be better to not feed such unnaturally produced chickens to your betta fish.
Humans don’t consume raw chickens and prefer to add spices and other different ways to make them edible. But your betta fish cannot eat such spices. So try feeding them thoroughly washed raw chicken in small amounts.
If you want to feed cooked chicken to your betta fish then don’t add spices to it, boil it properly to make it soft and tender, so that your fish can digest it without any difficulties.
How many times can you feed chicken to your betta fish?
Chicken is not the main food of betta fish and it doesn’t provide the protein required for betta fish health. So, it is not recommended to feed chicken daily to your betta fish.
Chicken can be fed once a week if fish food is not available, and if fish food is available then it’s not required.
I have seen a few videos on youtube where they feed their betta fish chicken regularly and according to them their betta happily accepts that. I don’t know if chicken is best for betta fish or not.
Chicken feeding frequency to betta fish:
- Chicken should be fed if fish food is not available.
- If your betta fish like chicken then you can feed small quantities, once a week.
- It should be given occasionally only. Feeding chicken regularly can upset their digestive system.
Can you feed chicken eggs to betta fish?
Betta fish can be fed chicken eggs when they are a few weeks old and they are specifically fed egg yolks for their growth and development.
Mature or adult bettas should not be fed chicken egg yolk because it contains lots of fat in it and if you feed a lot of fat to your betta fish regularly they will become overweight and lethargic.
Overweight and lethargic betta fish will avoid swimming and will stay at one spot in the aquarium.
Feeding chicken egg- yolk to your betta fish is not recommended. It should be fed to betta fry only.
What do betta fish prefer to eat?
Betta fish prefer to eat both meat and plant-based food in their diet. They are very intelligent and can be trained easily in aquarium conditions to eat a variety of food.
Betta fish prefer:
- Live food ( insects, worms, crustaceans)
- Freeze-dried or frozen food (insects, worms, crustaceans in frozen forms)
- A plant-based diet (fresh veggies from your kitchen)
- Betta-specific pellets (contain necessary proteins and other nutrients required for their growth)
Feeding frequency of betta food:
- Live food- twice a week (Quarantine before feeding, Mental stimulation)
- Freeze-dried food or frozen food- once or twice a week (Defrost, before feeding)
- Plant-based food- once a week (for fibers)
- Betta specific pellets- 4-5 pellets, twice a day, regularly.
Is chicken a good source of protein for your betta fish?
Chicken contains lots of protein and vitamin B12 in it and it also doesn’t contain much fat in it. It can be a good source of protein for your fish if betta fish food is not available.
Different betta owners have different opinions about this, some feed their betta fish chickens regularly and some don’t prefer to feed.
I feel it depends on your fish too. If your fish gets trained to eat chicken then they will accept it wholeheartedly and if you have not trained them to eat and suddenly feed them, your fish might refuse to accept that.
Is there any drawback of feeding chicken to your betta fish regularly?
Every coin has two sides, feeding chicken also has its advantages and disadvantages:
Chicken is not the main protein source of betta fish, which they get from eating live food and other betta-specific food. If they eat chicken regularly they might not get the necessary nutrients required for its growth, development, and body coloration.
If you are overfeeding your betta fish chicken regularly then they might get various digestive issues like constipation and swim-bladder disease. Constipation can be reversed, but if your betta fish get swim bladder disease, then it will be difficult to cure it.
If you are feeding infected or hormone-injected chicken to your betta fish unknowingly they might end up getting various infections and other health issues, which can kill them gradually.
It is therefore advised to consult betta breeders or people who have good knowledge about this particular topic before feeding anything to your betta fish.
Your fish needs the right amount of care and the right care includes feeding the right and high quality food to your fish. Feeding anything and everything to your betta fish makes no sense. It will ultimately harm your fish and your pockets later.
Summary
Betta fish prefer to eat insects and worms more than chicken or other meats which humans consume. Chicken can be fed to your betta fish, but not regularly. It can be fed in small amounts and not as the main diet of betta fish.
Wash chicken thoroughly before feeding and avoid injectected to your betta fish.
Betta fish prefer both meat and plant based food in their diet. It is your responsibility as a betta fish owner to know what you should feed and what you should avoid.
Betta fish do not mainly get their protein from chicken. Rather, they get it from eating live food and other betta-specific food. If they eat chicken regularly, they might not get the necessary nutrients their body needs for growth, development, and body coloration.
You need to give your fish the right amount of care, including feeding them the right and high quality food. Don’t feed your betta fish anything other than food they are accustomed to eating. The long-term consequences of this behavior will be harmful to your fish and your wallet.
Frequently asked questions
Are betta fish carnivores or omnivores?
Betta fish are naturally carnivorous but can be trained to have a variety of food in aquarium settings and can be considered both carnivores and omnivores.
Can you feed chicken regularly to betta fish?
No, you should not feed chicken to your betta fish regularly.
Can you feed unwashed chicken to your betta fish?
No, never feed unwashed chicken to your betta fish, as it can come with lots of infections, which could be harmful to their health and other tank mates if you have kept your betta fish in a community tank.
To avoid the spread of infections to your fish and other tank mates, wash the chickens thoroughly before feeding your betta fish.
Does chicken contain proteins required for betta fish?
Chicken is a great source of protein for your betta fish, but the right type of protein your betta fish get is from live insects and betta-specific pellets.
Can you feed chicken to betta fish fry and juvenile bettas?
No, you should feed only egg yolks to betta fry and can train juvenile betta fish to eat chickens. Again chicken is not the main diet of betta fish and it should be given as traits occasionally.
