To Pea Or Not To Pea...

[Brenton]

Silly me thought I knew something so I piped up and offered some advice...which included a Betta's diet. I suggested: pellets, bloodworms, shrimp, fasting for one day a week and follow that day with a bit of skinless defrosted pea.

I know peas are good for constipation and therefore are full of fibre the Betta cant break down so it cleans them out. I've always believed it to be a good thing to do once a week - seems I may have been lead astray by whatever advice or comment I read somewhere.

But my guys and girls seem to really enjoy their pea, or that could be because they haven't eaten for a day...or have I created Betta with eating disorders?

So, should I stop feeding them a bit of pea each Sunday?

[Wild Nut]

I honestly never use peas on my bettas. However, I also don't feed a pellet heavy diet so don't really have any issues with constipation.

I believe it is brine shrimp and mysis shrimp that are good at clearing bettas out, but don't quote me on that.

I am on several other betta forums (all with an international member base) and the opinion on whether to feed peas or not is pretty divided. I have noticed a swing away from using/recommending peas on one forum, because bettas are insectivores and a pea is not a very 'natural' food source (of course the argument could be that neither are commercially manufactured pellets).

I think it is completely up to you. I don't think your fish will keel over from eating a small piece of pea once a week, but I also think if your water temperature is right, your fish are healthy and you a feeding a quality pellet, you should not be running into too many issues with constipation anyway.

[Bettarazzi]

I'm not against feeding peas I'm just too lazy. But I have no argument for feeding peas either.

[Brenton]

Thanks guys - I rotate my feed with blood worms and shrimp, and the occasional live food like mealworms or crickets (if I can catch the little :censor:/>/>...

So would the general consensus be that because they're already getting shrimp, then the pea is overkill unless they are constipated (I've not had a make will (edit: male with) constipation symptoms yet, and the girls were bloated to due a suspected case of internal parasites (which seems to be clearing up nicely now I have the right medication).

Edited August 30, 2013 by Brenton

[Bettarazzi]

I'm tired just reading the menu. But I'm probably on the extreme end of the lazy fish keeper spectrum. I have only one tank that I will bother walking over to the freezer for because the won't eat pellets.

[Brenton]

Not lazy, Razzi, just been doing it longer, and now, probably, a lot smarter, than me :)

[Phil]

I have found in the past that peas are amazing at fixing a blocked up and bloated betta. I also find Bettas find peas irresistible. I highly recommend them from time to time

[maddzvk]

like ash said i think people are divided.

for bloat and constipation the power of the pea is obvious.

i dont give much to oh but they dont eat that naturally cause people are the worst culprits for not eating natural things

besides theres plenty of foods in the diet they wouldn't normally eat in the wild, (vinegar eels and pellets for a start, not to mention things like beef heart...pretty sure bettas arent great at hunting cattle)

if it works it works I find my CT ladies always seem to get super round (fatties) after about a year so think they at least are gonna go on a weekly pea detox :)

[Brenton]

Agreed Maddie - although, pound for pound, they're supposed to have a bigger bite force than the great white so unwary cows beware!

And although these fish are descended from wilds, I'm guessing none of them have ever been outside a controlled environment, and so it is totally up to us what we feed them as long as they remain healthy and happy, then I cant be doing too much wrong.

But now I know Shrimp has plenty of fibre, I'll try and leave the pea for medical instances for now, unless constipation suddenly starts to become a problem, and then I'll revert.