Guppies are ravenous eaters and will eat every time you serve food to them, whether they are hungry or not. They need varieties of food to ensure their faster growth and enhanced color.
When it comes to betta food, many owners keeping guppies and betta in their home aquarium want to know whether guppies can feed on betta food or not. So, Can guppies eat betta food? Let us find out.
Guppies can eat betta food as they are omnivores. However, betta food contains only meat-based proteins, which should not be a staple part of your guppy’s diet. Instead, consider feeding your guppies complex food, including meat and plant matter food, to ensure faster growth and enhanced color.
In this article, we will discuss the ideal dietary requirements of guppy and betta fish and whether guppy fish can feed on betta food. Also, we will discuss whether guppies and betta are compatible tankmates or not. So, let us get into it.Â
Contents
Can I feed betta food to my guppies?
You can feed betta food to your guppy fish.
However, betta food should not be the staple part of your guppy’s daily diet and should be served as a treat to them.
Betta food is made keeping in mind that they are carnivore fish.
Guppies are omnivore fish and require plant and meat matter food in their diet. Relying on only meat food will affect their health in the long go.
Betta food, like high-quality pellets, contains about 40% protein, and the rest are filled with fiber and fats.
Guppy fish feeding on betta food for a long time can affect their health.
Feeding food like bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms should be a treat for your guppies.
Bloodworms are rich in fat and can affect your adult guppies’ health, making them bloated if feeding regularly.
You can feed betta food to your guppies 1-2 times a week and not as a staple diet.
Also read: Best Homemade Food For Guppies.
Guppy fish ideal dietary requirement.
Guppy fish are omnivore fish and require both plant and meat matter food in their daily diet.
Usually, you can feed high-quality veggie pellets and flake food to your guppies.
But, we recommend feeding your guppy fish a variety of food that includes live, freeze-dried, and frozen food.
| Guppy Food | Serving Quantity | No of Times |
|---|---|---|
| Veggie pellets | One small pinch at a time | 2-3 times a day |
| Brine shrimp | One small pinch at a time | 1-2 times a week |
| Mosquito larvae | 10-15 pieces | 2-3 times a week |
| Bloodworms | One small pinch at a time | 1-2 times a week |
| Tubifex Worms | One small pinch at a time | 1 time a week |
| Zucchini (Blanched) | One small slice | 2-3 times a week |
Feeding your guppy fish complex food in their daily diet will ensure enhancing color and faster growth.
Also read: Best Food For Guppy Fish.
What is the ideal dietary requirement of betta fish?
Betta fish are carnivore fish and require meat matter food in their daily diet.
Betta feeds on small insects, bloodworms, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, and other fish in their natural habitat.
When keeping betta fish in captivity, ensure feeding them high in protein food.
Betta needs meat food in their everyday diet.
Bettas will require food like meat pellets, flake food, and other frozen food present in the market.
Bettas also require a variety of nutrition for their faster growth and enhancing color.
Feeding live food like brine shrimp, bloodworms, tubifex worms, and mosquito larvae will greatly benefit bettas.
Can guppy live depending on only betta food?
Guppy cannot live long depending on only betta food.
Guppy fish require both plant and meat matter food in their diet as they are omnivore fish species.
Betta fish are carnivore fish species and require only meat matter food in their diet.
Guppy can eat betta food, but it should not be a staple part of their diet.
Like you can feed your guppies live food like bloodworms, tubifex worms, and brine shrimp, but not daily like betta fish diet.
Betta food is made by keeping in mind that they are carnivore fish.
Betta food will provide some meat base nutrition to your guppies but will lack lots of other nutrition guppy fish require to thrive.
So, when it comes to guppy fish, they cannot depend on betta food for a long time.
Also read: Can Guppies Eat Bloodworms?
How to feed guppies and betta in the same tank?
It can become challenging to feed bettas and guppies in the same tank.
Start to feed guppies first as bettas will not be interested in feeding on plant matter food like veggie pellets and flake food.
Once your guppies are full, serve betta food to your bettas.
However, guppies will try to feed on betta food as they are ravenous eaters and always hungry.
But, it is not a problem until it happens in a regular manner.
Also, consider feeding guppies not too much protein in their diet as they will munch on betta food and get enough protein from that.
You can try feeding your guppies and bettas at different aquarium corners.
With this strategy, many owners are successful in feeding their fish separately with no interactions.
Also read: How Often Should You Feed Guppies?
Are guppies and bettas compatible tankmates?
Guppies are betta fish seem to be compatible tankmates when it comes to their water parameters and condition requirement.
| Particulars | Guppy | Betta |
|---|---|---|
| Water temperature | 72-82°F | 78-80°F |
| Water ph level | 6.8-7.8 | 7 |
| Food | Both Meat And Veggie Pellets | Meat |
| Behavior | Non-Aggressive | Semi-aggressive |
However, guppies are peaceful fish, whereas bettas are semi-aggressive.
There can be chasing and nipping in your tank when adding guppies and bettas.
Consider adding one small female betta as they are less aggressive and female guppies.
Too many male guppies can result in male guppy chasing female betta for mating.
Female betta will show aggression when being constantly chased by the male guppy for mating.
So consider adding female betta and guppies to avoid chasing and nipping issues in your tank.
Also, when it comes to food, betta fish are carnivore fish, and guppy fish are omnivore fish.
Consider feeding your guppies veggie pellets and flake food first, as betta fish will not be interested in guppy food.
Once your guppies are full, serve betta food to your bettas.
Also read: Can Guppies Live With Betta Fish?
Conclusion:
Guppy fish can eat betta food, but it should not be a staple part of their daily diet.
Bettas are carnivore fish and feed on meat-based proteins.
Guppies are omnivore fish and require meat and plant matter food in their daily diet.
Feeding your guppies only meat-based food will affect their health.
Consider feeding your guppies veggie pellets, flake food, and other live, freeze-dried, frozen food like bloodworms and brine shrimp to ensure faster growth and enhanced color.
Reference: ResearchGate, ResearchGate,