Seeing a betta spit out its food can be alarming, especially to new owners. Some new caretakers panic, wondering if their fish is sick.
While sickness and digestive problems can cause a betta to spit out its food, it’s less common.
Most owners simply need to tweak their betta’s food a bit. Usually, bettas spit out their food when it is too large for them. Owners can break the food into smaller pieces for easier eating. Soaking it can make it easier to swallow and digest.
Some bettas are simply picky and don’t like certain foods offered to them. They will reject the food until their owner provides them with something they enjoy.
The best thing for owners to do is observe their betta and try different foods to determine the problem.
Why Might A Betta Fish Spit Out Their Food?
The most common reason bettas spit out food is that it is too big or dry. Bettas may be full, too young, or too old. Some spit out their food because they don’t like the taste or texture of it.
In severe cases, a betta may spit out food if it suffers from constipation or internal parasites.
The Food Is Too Big
The most common reason a betta fish spits out its food is that it’s too big.
Spitting out too-large food frequently happens with pellets and freeze-dried products. Buying the right pellet size is essential to ensure the betta can eat them.
Buy pellets designed for betta fish. They come smaller, ideal for a betta’s tiny mouth. Betta pellets also contain essential nutrients not found in other fish food.
Still-growing bettas or those naturally small may have trouble swallowing betta pellets. Owners may need to break the pellets into smaller sizes for easier swallowing.
Dry Foods Expand
Pellets expand when wet. A betta may be able to fit a dry pellet in its mouth. Once in the mouth, the pellet expands with the influx of water. The betta’s small mouth may no longer hold the pellet.
Besides breaking up large pellets, caretakers should pre-soak pellets.
Pre-soaking pellets allow them to expand before feeding, making eating easier. It also makes it harder for owners to overfeed their bettas.
Some bettas will try to break up too-large food by spitting it out. Bettas sometimes inhale an oversized pellet, spit it out, and repeat.
The longer the pellet remains in the water, the softer it becomes and the easier it is to break up.
The force of pushing the pellet out of the mouth helps the betta break the food into smaller pieces.
Live, Frozen, Or Freeze-Dried Foods
Live and frozen foods are sometimes too big for bettas to swallow in one bite. Live foods also wriggle around, trying to escape, making eating difficult for bettas.
Bettas usually take a bite of the food while it’s in their mouth before spitting it out. Once they swallow, they’ll go back for another bite.
Freeze-dried foods are often too large for bettas to swallow in one bite. It’s easy for owners to break these foods into smaller, more manageable pieces.
They Are Full
A betta’s stomach is tiny — only about the size of its eye. It can only eat a small pinch of food before its stomach is full. A betta’s stomach will not allow it to eat more food than it can physically hold.
A betta that spits out its food may simply be full and unable to eat anymore.
Bettas love food and have no concept of being “full.” As long as food is available, they will continue eating until their belly no longer lets them. They must spit out the food once there is no more room in their bellies.
Fullness also means that the betta has overeaten. Consistent overfeeding can lead to constipation and other problems.
They Don’t Like The Food
Bettas tend to be picky; they may reject food simply because they don’t like it.
Ensure the betta is not sick before assuming it’s only being picky. Healthy bettas are voracious eaters; a betta that won’t eat is often ill or experiencing stress.
Once owners determine their betta is picky, they should try other foods. Don’t try to force a betta to eat food it doesn’t like; it’ll continue ignoring it. Owners should switch foods and keep trying until they find a kind their betta likes.
The Food Is Too Dry
Foods that are too dry, like pellets or freeze-dried food, may be difficult to swallow. Bettas sometimes spit them out to allow them to soak up some moisture. The added water makes the food easier to swallow and digest.
Owners can pre-soak pellets and freeze-dried foods for easier eating.
They Are Too Young
Juvenile betta fish live on a diet of live and frozen foods. They can’t eat commercial foods until they are several weeks old.
Juvenile fish not accustomed to commercial foods are rare in pet stores.
Pet stores usually sell bettas that are at least four months old. The bettas usually switch to a pellet diet for at least several weeks before selling.
Pet stores occasionally sell juvenile bettas that have only been living on a live or frozen diet. Only a few pet stores sell bettas this young as they are more fragile and difficult to care for.
A young betta that has never seen commercial food before may reject pellets. The taste and texture are foreign to it, and it isn’t used to it yet.
What To Feed Young Fish
Continue feeding juvenile fish frozen or live food until they are old enough to switch. Young bettas can only begin eating pellets around four weeks of age.
Feed juveniles a mix of live or frozen food and pellets to get them used to their new food. They aren’t likely to eat if owners immediately switch them to pellets and take away their other food.
Feeding them a mix of foods prevents starvation until the betta becomes used to its new pellets.
They Are Old
Aging bettas naturally eat less than they did when they were younger.
An older betta may think it’s hungry, taking some food into its mouth. It realizes its belly can’t hold any more food and spits it out again.
They Have Parasites
Parasites may cause a betta to spit out its food.
External parasites are more common than internal ones. Internal parasites are often more dangerous. Owners may not realize their fish has an internal parasitic infection until it’s too late.
The parasites absorb all the nutrients from the betta’s food. They leave the fish with nothing. Bettas become skinny and lethargic, despite continuing to eat.
Bettas with severe infections eventually stop eating. The discomfort or pain causes them to spit out food.
Treating Parasites
Caretakers must treat their betta’s infection as soon as they diagnose it. It’s best to consult a veterinarian when possible. Misdiagnosing is almost always fatal.
The earlier owners begin treatment, the more likely the fish will survive.
Treatment for parasites usually involves medication. Owners must administer the medication for a few weeks.
They Are Constipated
Constipation is another common problem that causes bettas to spit out their food. The fish want to continue eating, though their digestive system won’t allow them to.
Their digestive system is so backed up that it physically can’t hold any more food.
Constipation is one of the most common issues among bettas. New, misinformed owners are prone to overfeeding or feeding foods without proper nutrients.
Symptoms Of Constipation
It’s generally easy to tell when a betta is suffering from constipation.
The betta’s belly becomes large and bloated, and it often has trouble swimming. It will defecate less often, and its feces may become long and stringy.
Once a betta has been dealing with constipation for too long, it will stop pooping altogether.
Treating Constipation
Treating constipation is generally easy, especially if the owner catches it early. Treatment is essential. Bettas can rarely clear their digestive tract without some help.
Owners can usually treat constipation by fasting their betta for a couple of days.
A diet of fiber-rich daphnia may be necessary if fasting doesn’t work.
Try an Epsom salt bath for severe constipation if fasting and daphnia don’t work.
Untreated constipation can lead to more dangerous issues. The betta may develop swim bladder disorder or dropsy.
Don’t try to treat constipation with boiled peas, as some sources suggest. Peas are great for goldfish, who are also prone to constipation. They are not suitable for bettas, who are carnivores and cannot digest plant matter.
Use daphnia instead, which is high in fiber and works excellently to clear a betta’s digestive system.
FAQs
Why Do Betta Fish Spit Out Bubbles?
Male betta fish produce bubbles when they are ready to breed in preparation for the eggs.
Males are the ones that care for the eggs before they hatch. Females are a danger to the eggs; they often become stressed and will eat their eggs.
Male bettas produce many bubbles that stick to the water’s surface. They create a large mass called a “bubble nest.”
After mating, the male pushes the eggs upward into the nest, where they remain as the young develop.
How Do I Know If I’m Feeding My Betta Fish Too Much?
An enlarged abdomen is the most obvious sign of overfeeding.
Bettas receiving too much food may start spitting out their food. It’s too much for their stomach to hold.
Bettas have tiny stomachs about the size of their eyeballs. Only feed them two to three pellets, or a similar quantity of other foods.
Chronic overfeeding can lead to bloat, constipation, and swim bladder disorder.
Can Betta Fish Throw Up?
Betta fish can throw up, though true vomiting is very rare. Most new owners mistake spitting out food for vomiting.
Actual vomit looks more liquid than spat-out food, and fish rarely try to re-ingest it.
True fish vomit is a sign that something is seriously wrong with the fish. Usually, internal parasites or bacterial infections cause it.
How Often Should You Feed A Betta Fish?
Betta fish should eat one to two small meals every day.
Try to feed a betta about once every 12 hours; getting the timeframe perfect is not necessary.
Some owners feed their betta three smaller meals daily. Doing so keeps its energy levels consistent.
What Is A Healthy Diet For Betta Fish?
A healthy diet for bettas is rich in nutrients and has a high protein content.
Pellets are nutrient-dense, though easier to consume than freeze-dried foods.
Freeze-dried foods contain the most nutrients. They lack moisture and can cause digestive issues.
Live and frozen foods contain lots of protein and nutrients and help digestion.
We recommend feeding pellets three days a week, as they are the best staple diet. Provide frozen or live foods two days a week to help with digestion. Give freeze-dried foods once a week. They give an extra burst of nutrients without digestive complications.
How Long Can A Betta Fish Go Without Food?
Most bettas can live for 10 to 14 days without food.
In the wild, bettas cannot always find food every day. Their bodies have adapted to going days without food. Captive-bred bettas have retained this ability.
Though bettas can survive nearly two weeks without food, it’s unhealthy. They begin suffering adverse side effects after three to four days.
It’s okay for owners to forego feeding for two to three days while they go on a short vacation. They should not leave their betta without food for longer than that.
Fasting one day a week can be healthy for bettas. It clears their digestive system and prevents constipation.
