How to Feed a Pea to a Betta

Use a frozen pea rather than a canned pea to avoid excess salt.

Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are available in a variety of bright colors and require little care, although vigilance is required to prevent digestion problems. They are known to have problems with constipation. If you notice that your betta is bloated, feed it a pea to get rid of any constipation. You can also feed a pea to your betta once a week to prevent any future constipation problems. It will help to clean out the betta’s digestive system. However, before feeding your betta a pea, do not feed it anything for an entire day. On the following day, feed the pea to your betta.

Instructions

1. Place a frozen pea in half a cup of water. Microwave for 10 seconds.

2. Drop the pea in cold water to cool it off.

3. Remove the skin of the pea. To do this, slice open the outer layer of the pea and peel off the skin. Throw away the skin of the pea. You should have two halves of a pea.

4. Chop one half of the pea into small pieces with a knife and drop it into the tank. Repeat with the other half of the pea if your betta still seems hungry.

Tips & Warnings

• To get your fish’s attention, drag your finger over the top of the water before dropping in the chopped pea.

• If you cannot get your betta to eat the pea, put a piece of the pea on a toothpick and drag it around the fish tank. Be careful to not injure your fish with the toothpick.

• Remove any excess pea pieces from the fish tank that your betta did not eat.

References

• Pet Fish; Constipation Information and Symptoms; Rachel Hunt
• Velvet Dragon; Swim Bladder Disorder and Constipation; Andrea Supalla
• Nippy Fish; How to Prepare Pea for a Bloated Betta; January 2009; Christie F
• Betta Talk: Betta Diseases
• Aquarium Guys: How to Care for Your Betta Fish