Java Moss Tank Backdrop Made Easy

As a general rule, live plants will take the edge off an otherwise stark tank.  But a java moss wall can really set things off inside your betta's watery world. Creating a green backdrop to showcase their fins and colors.

One nice thing about java moss is no heavy fertilizing is required.  In fact like most water plants it will absorb what it needs from the water.  Nitrites are a particularly favorite food.  In fact bettatalk.com did a quick test on how well it absorbs nitrites.  The water quality of the jar with the java moss and betta tested out far and away to be much better than the jar housing a betta without.  This alone makes a compelling case for having some of this stuff in your tank.

Tip: Regardless of where you get it from it's always a good idea to dip your moss into a 5% bleach solution to kill off potential pathogens and wipe out any unwanted hitch hiking snails and so forth before adding it to your aquarium. 

Oh and another selling point here is it's easy on your betta's best feature, their fins. Even better this species of aquatic plant is almost what you'd call bullet proof.  It's just about impossible to put in a tank suitable for bettas only to find that a clump of the stuff doesn't thrive.

Tip:  The moss may suffer a bit of a setback initially.  That's okay. It's adjusting to the new water parameters and lighting conditions.  It will be fine in no time.

Nor does it require first class accommodations to do well.  It will do well so pretty much regardless of the temperature although it may prefer cooler temps.  And it's not all that demanding when it comes to light either.  Even ambient light will suffice most of the time.  And if you pay just the slightest bit of attention to the lighting it will really take off and grow like crazy. 

As most any moss, java moss lacks a real root system.  You need some way to hold it in place.  You can tie it, attach it to mesh or some like to set up a java moss wall much like this video tells you how to do:. 



This video starts off with a list things you'll need to create your java moss wall.  That would include

1. Plastic crafters canvas or mesh
2. Plastic canvas needles
3. Fishing line
4. Suction cups with hooks that you run thru the mesh from a craft store
5. Of course clumps of java moss

If you wish for your "wall" to cover the entire back wall of your tank you'll need to measure and cut the canvas or mesh to the right size.  That is the right size when doubled over. 

Basically the approach commonly used requires creating a pouch. In this case it's done by stitching three edges closed.  Stitching seems easier than tying a series of knots along the edges as some suggest.  The idea is the same either way however. 

Next you want to stuff the pouch with sprigs of the moss.  Spreading it out over the entire area.  The more moss you use the thicker your wall vegetation.  Some LFS sell java moss by the pound.  Which is likely the deal wall builders want to find. 

Once the moss is all stuffed in, then stitch up the final side so no fish gets caught. 

Finally attach your suction cups to hold it against the back of your tank.  Flush. You don't want your inquisitive betta to try to go where no betta has gone before and drown.  Not exactly a life span extending move by your betta fish, I know. But don't underestimate their ability to do this. 

CONCLUSION: Okay so maybe a java moss wall isn't for everyone, but the affect can be lovely.  It softens or takes the edge off the tank and can remind you of the ivy in Wrigley Field for those who follow baseball.  Just don't start with the betta batter up stuff, okay?

5 Essential Betta Fish Care Do's That Don't Get Done

OPENING: How often have you checked out a betta forum only to see a slew of newbie questions one after another about disease, illness and sick bettas.  Given all those seeking sick betta fish care tips, it's enough to make one think there are no healthy fighting fish left, isn't it? 

Make no mistake it's not always easy to keep your beta in the pink.  It's not exactly easy to keep them doing laps of their tank for years.  And it is certainly not easy to have a male betta that never gets sick.  Problem is too many don't get around to doing some relatively simple tasks that can keep fighting fish healthy and bright eyed.  They fail to do these routine tasks and then act all shocked when their fish gets sick. 

Cardinal Care Rule #1: CTWS - Change the Water, Stupid 

The Mistake: Choosing to overlook the fact that poor water quality is the root of most betta health issues.

There is almost no problem with keeping crowntails, halfmoons or veiltails that regular water changes won't minimize.  If you've got a cycled tank replacing 20-25% of the water every 10 days or so ought to do it.  If your tank isn't cycled, then you'll want to replace more water more often. 

It's not hard.  It doesn't require any specialized skill.  It just requires that you do it.  Yet too often it doesn't get done to the detriment of your fish's health. 

Cardinal Care Rule #2: Bettas Are What They Eat

The Mistake: Flinging a few pellets in the tank and calling it good. 

After a while feeding your female CT is almost an afterthought.  You toss a few pellets into her bowl and off you go.  Which only goes to prove many are out to lunch when it comes to feeding their finny pets right. 

Hey!  Wake up and smell the grindal worms.  Wham, Bam, Time to Scram may work in some situations but not when it comes to feeding your bettafish.  At least not all the time.

• In the case of betas, their eyes are LITERALLY not bigger than their stomachs.
• Bargain basement betta food isn't the way to your betta's heart.
• And just like you wouldn't like eating shredded wheat every day, neither does your betta appreciate eating the same commercial foods all the time.

Yet it's surprisingly not all the tough to come up with alternatives.  Doesn't even take much imagination.  Two types of pellets, something from the freezer and a catch of the day like mosquito larvae or daphnia every once in a while is a great way to keep your betta enthused about his diet. 

And if he didn't clean his plate be sure to remove the leftovers before they go bad. 

Yet with busy betta keepers this critical part of betta keeping all too often doesn't get done. 

Cardinal Care Rule #3 Some Like it HOT

The Mistake:  Not keeping his water temps stable at around 78 degree F. 

These guys are called tropical fish for a reason.  They are.  From the topics.  And they like it hot. 

Yet too often having a heater is more than the novice betta keeper cares to spring for.  I've seen all sorts of excuses offered up. Starving Student.  Mom wouldn't get it for me.  It was either that or the new video game and well the fish can wait.  No it can't.  A good submersible won't break the bank.  Counting on global warming won't cut it.  Besides if you don't get it now it likely won't ever get done. 

Cardinal Care Rule #4: They'd Rather Be Alone

The Mistake: Sticking your shimmering HMPK in a community tank with snarky types like some types of tetras or angels or other known fin nippers.  

You won't need to call a fish match maker if you would but simply keep your betta by himself.  Nor will water conditions, that can be iffy in an overcrowded tank, be an issue any time soon that way either. 

Bettas don't get lonely.  They don't crave companionship (have you ever seen their courtship ritual, it's literally a contact sport).  And they don't appreciate another betta within eyeshot.  All the posturing and flaring and racing adrenaline takes its toll, weakening their immune system and opening them up to all sorts of problems.  

Keep them in their own tank from the start or it's quite likely it won't ever get done. 

Cardinal Care Rule #5: Break It to Them Gently

The Mistake: Dumping your new betta into their new home without any introduction to the water conditions whatsoever.

Alright, this may not be a total deal breaker but it still isn't a good way to break your fish into his new home.  And it may account for the stories of new fish being found DOA the next morning.  Shock will do that do a guy.  So acclimate gently.  Float the bag to equalize the temperature slowly.  Add a tablespoon or two of water over the course of an hour to give them time to adjust to different water parameters.  Then scoop out the fish and release, dumping the dredges you grabbed him from down the sink. 

Given this is a once and done event if you don't do it right the first time you can bet it will never get done.

Finally here's a slightly different look at the same issue of caring for bettas.  More or less some of the same rules just worded different.



It's simple.  Good water quality and minimal stress are the formula for success.

A filtration system is helpful although not necessary if you are willing to commit to frequent water changes.  But that's not to say that with some sort of filtration you won't have to do water changes. You will.

Heaters are only necessary if you can't keep the water temp at least 72 degrees F.  Which pretty much means you need a heater if you live anywhere that gets cold during the winter. 

Solitude is the best way for both of you to enjoy successful betta mastery.  

CONCLUSION:  Bettas are not predestined to get sick and die young.  No, it's more the neglect of their keepers that puts them on a fast track to sickness.  Yet, and I repeat, it doesn't have to be that way.  They aren't all that demanding and even a simple betta fish care guide like this can make a difference for some.  Perhaps it's not for lack of know how but more that for some reason too many can't find the time that mundane care routines never get done. You decide. 

What's the Ideal Betta Fish Water Temperature Q&A

OPENING:  When it comes to keeping your betta tank at a constant 78 degrees it's pretty much a no brainer that a reliable, submersible aquarium heater is the way to go.  But agreeing to that doesn't mean you agree that all your questions about bettas and water temperature have been dealt with.  Actually that's decidedly not the case as these follow up questions show. 

Question: What's the ideal water temp for bettas?

Okay so what temperature should betta fish water be?  If you are talking ideal temperature you want to keep it between 76 and 82 degrees.  Bettas can do okay in slightly higher temperature zones.  But they will frankly will not thrive for long in water that falls below 72 degrees for extended periods.  And overnight counts as an extended period. 

Question: I heard that if you keep them cooler they'll actually live longer?

Really?  Well, keeping any betta in water cooler than 72 degrees F will definitely NOT extend their lifespan.  If anything the added stress opens them up to disease which will tend to shorten how long they live if anything.  So anyone telling you that is simply misinformed.  And following that kind of advice isn't doing your fighting beta fish any favors. 

Question: Yeah but, is a fluctuation in temperature really all that dangerous?  Or maybe I should ask how much is too much?

Bettas are sensitive to what you might consider to be subtle changes in water temperature.  Even a degree or two is often too much.  So yes, fluctuations can be dangerous to their health.  Something to keep in mind about your crowntail betta fish's water temperature.

Question: What do you do about the heater when doing your partial water changes?

It you have it installed vertically in a corner it would be best to unplug it.  Even though anymore many models come equipped with an automatic shut off feature should the water get too low, why risk it?  It's not worth having your heater break on you. 

Question: Why do I see so some fish keepers with their heater placed horizontally in their tank? 

It's often just a personal preference, although there are some advantages to horizontal or diagonal placement of their submersible heaters at just an inch or so off the substrate. 

Here's why.  Heated water rises.  When it does so it will pull the cooler water off the bottom which will gently keep the water in the tank circulating.  This movement will also work to eliminate hot or cold spots.  Plus you won't have to worry about exposing your heater when doing water changes.  Or if you turn it off you won't have to try to remember to turn it back on. So it may be an all around better set up. So those may be some good reasons for placing it horizontally.

Question: How to you know how many watts you need?

The commonly used rule of thumb is to figure you'll need 4-5 watts per gallon.  Remember that the air temp in the room where you keep your bettas also plays a role in how many watts you'll need to keep the tank temp stable.  So if you keep it cooler by running the AC during the summer, you may need more watts to keep the water warm enough. 

FYI - Did you know many recommend Eheim Jager brand heaters?  At the risk of sounding like an infomercial pitchman, German engineering is cited as the reason for its durability and ease of use.  It is also surprisingly affordable making them a good value. So that might be one brand to consider if you are looking for a heater for your betta tank.  

Oh and another feature to look for in any aquarium heater is an auto shut off mentioned earlier.  That way should the water level get too low rather than explode, crack or overheat it is supposed to simply shut down.  Not foolproof.  But having that built in is better than not having it in my opinion. 

Question: Aside from the preferred choice of using a heater, what other ways are there to heat like say bowls. 

Not a fan of bowls. And this is one reason why.  They are hard to heat.  You can try some kind of heating mat, or a heating pad even.  Some keep several carefully spaced bowls, a betta in each, in a 20 gallon long tank heating the water in the tank which in turn will keep the water in the bowls warm enough.  You might want to have an air stone going crazy to keep the water circulating so all the bowls stay the same temp.  Just seems like a lot of work when moving up to a five gallon tank heated with heater, even if you added a divider, would be so much easier.  Less hassle too.

Question:  Any other ideas?

Don't forget to get a thermostat so you can see what's going on inside the tank.  It's an essential tool for anyone serious about betta care.  An easy to read one with a suction cup to keep it in place is only a few bucks.  Get the kind that you put inside the tank.  Those that you stick to the outside don't seem to be as reliable for some reason.  But having a thermostat can take the guesswork out of determining exactly how warm is warm for your veiltail.  Letting you know if you need to adjust the heater up or down or something. 

CONCLUSION:  Having the water for your betta fish at room temperature is likely not going to cut it.  You need to heat it some way or another.  Hopefully some of your more pressing questions involved with aquarium heaters have been resolved.

Growing Grindal Worms: Small Worms Big Benefits

OPENING:  It's sad but true.  Your stunning halfmoon male betta is getting bored with his daily pellet rations.  To him it's about as exciting as eating wall paper paste.  Not to mention that the sameness of it all is driving him mad.  Or at least making him mad and leaving him to wonder if it would kill you to offer a bit of variety to the same ole same ole diet day after day. 

Fact is some betta keepers are clueless about what to feed their fighting fish beyond pellets.  They're in the dark about their options.  Completely baffled as to how to tell good food options from the bad.  Unaware that easily raised live food options exist that have the potential to unleash a one fish feeding frenzy. Here's help.

Because one good alternative would be Grindal worms.  I know. You've likely never heard of them before.  Your betta probably hasn't either but in a flash he'll get the drift that the endless days of bland pellets are dead and gone. As he delights in sucking in all the wriggling tasty treats he can before you change your mind or something. 

This video shows how easy it is to culture them.  And don't worry I've taken notes for you which follow. So sit back, relax and take in the presentation.

Step One:  Accumulate items from your materials list:

• Substrate or growing media aka potting soil
• Butter bread aka Grindal worm food
• Probiotic yogurt
• Starter culture
• Culturing Container any disposable plastic container (like these Glad containers)
• Coffee Filter
• Duct tape and Masking Tape
• Blade Cutter
• Spray Bottle with Aged Water

Step Two:  Cut an air duct in the lid of your culturing container.  Tape a piece of coffee filter somewhat bigger than the hole using the duct tape it to keep the worms in and pests out

Step Three: Add the potting soil to the container.

Step Four: Spray down the potting soil until it is wet but not sopping wet. 

Step Five:  Spread the yogurt on the bread - this is the worm food.  Yogurt being full of beneficial bacteria are eaten by the worms and then the bettas.  So the betta is in essence getting his probiotics if indirectly from the worms.  You can feed the worms other things too like better quality dog food, freeze dried krill, keeping in mind what the worms eat your fish will be eating too in essence. 

Step Six:  Add the starter culture on top of the bread.

Step Seven:  Note the start date on a piece of masking tape taped to the lid and snap it onto the container. Set it aside to let the worms do their thing - eat and multiply.  How fast things develop depend on the temperature and quality of food. 

Step Eight: For ease of harvesting you might cover the food with some kind of plastic.  You could use plexiglass, the lid from an old CD/DVD jewel case, things like that.

Step Nine: Now if all goes well, things will progress and the piece of plastic will start to look like this.


Once the worms are literally crawling up the sides it's time to commence feeding.  You'll need a harvest tool if you won't want to swoop them up by running your finger along the side of the container.  That might be a tooth pick, paint brush or Q-Tip.  Then simply swish the worms in the water taking care not to over feed because any worms left uneaten will tend to foul the water which can cause all sorts of unwanted problems. 

CONCLUSION:  There you go.  If your hungry male betta is tired of pellets morning, noon, and night Grindal worms might just be the change of pace he needs to get him excited about meal time again. Or a great answer for those looking to solve the problem of what else can betta fish eat besides pellets? 

Diagnosing and Treating a Sick Betta Fish

OPENING: What do a betta speckled with white spots, a betta having trouble swimming and a beta with no appetite all have in common?  

They are all likely sick bettas possibly on the verge of soon to be dead bettas! 

But you don't have to wait for the seemingly inevitable ride on the porcelain railroad that departs with a flush.  You can fight back.  You can learn to diagnose what ails them and bring them back to the active, healthy little fighting fish you know and love.  Just takes a bit of know-how and some TLC.

To help with that here's some ideas on what to do when you see your feisty crowntail male is not quite acting like his normal, energetic, playful self. 

Talking Symptoms of a Sick Betta

Treatment of bettas who have come down with something all starts with understanding the symptoms.  Truth is you can't treat the disease you can't diagnose. So when it comes to symptoms, you'll know your betta might be getting sick if you remember "AILING".

• A - ALL covered with SPOTS
• I - IF his belly is BLOATED or swollen
• L - LOSS of FINNAGE as in eaten away
• I - IF fins are CLAMPED SHUT
• N - NO APPETITE
• G - GROWTHS and sores on his body

Any of those signs and symptoms can spell trouble.  And suggest you need to investigate further to see if you can't figure out exactly what's AILING your pet.  See how helpful that little mental memory jogger can be?

Talking Sick Betta Treatment

Of course if you have a betta fish that is AILING in some way you need to respond or obviously he might be a floater before you know it.To help with that this video hits the high points of how to treat your sick veiltail betta fish.


The point already made about the role of proper diagnosis is reinforced early on.  Again, in order to treat your ailing fish, you need to properly diagnose what's wrong.  This is key and where many betta keepers go astray.  They start dumping in "stuff" in the hopes it will cure whatever ails their fish.  That's a mistake.  Possibly a big mistake.  Because as the old saying goes this could be a case where the cure is worse than the disease.  Especially if it's the wrong cure. 

Now the more common ailments are typically caused by a fungus, bacteria or some insidious parasite. 

The first type of common problems with a sick fish you'll see would fall into the camp of white cottony growths on their body, rotting or fins that look like they've been eaten away, or cloudy or protruding eyes.  These are fungus based.  Treatments such as Fungus Cure by API are suggested. 

Another key, not-to-be-missed point is made about using any product to treat your fighting fish.  That would be to carefully read and follow ALL the directions. They'll tell you how to use it and how much to use. This is not the time to matter-of-factly or willy nilly make your best guess.  It's your job to put your betta in the best possible position to recover.  Don't blow it. 

Changing water is a common thread with most sick fighting fish treatments.  It's no different here.  Because water is the source of the problems far too often.  

A third key, not-to-be-missed point is to remember is to get rid of any carbon you may have in your filter as all it will do is remove the medication from the water.  Rendering it useless. 

Okay then another problem afflicting bettas is columnaris.  You'll know this because there looks to be something slime-like covering the fish's entire body.  This is a bacterial problem and there are anti bacterial treatments for that.  Again water changes are part of the prescription.

Here's an admittedly less than great video of what columnaris looks like. 



The final all too common ailment mentioned is ich.  This one kinda looks like someone has sprinkled salt on your betta.  Again remedies are suggested.  NOTE:  Ich does require a longer treatment period to insure you are treating all three stages involved in the life cycle of this parasite.  Fail to do so and it will never go away.  But your fish likely will.  Cold water is often the culprit here.  So raising the temps is also felt to be helpful when treating ICH. 

To sum this up

• Read and follow ALL direction of any medications you decide to use
• Change water frequently
• Remove the activated carbon in your filter

Talking Care of a Sick Betta Fish At the First Signs of Illness

Remember that a healthy betta is usually a hungry betta.  They instinctively seek out food all the time because in the wild you never know where your next meal is going to come from.  So if your guy suddenly shows a lack of interest in eating that's a bad sign. 

Then too bettas are usually quite active.  Lethargy or inactivity suggest something is amiss

If you notice either lack of appetite or sudden laziness start with the symptoms in AILING to see if anything wrong jumps out at you.  Then go from there. 

Sometimes it's nothing more than poor water quality that putting your guy off his feed.  Poor water is a big beta fish care NO NO!  One that is easily avoided.  Remember he is adding ammonia to his water all the time.  The water may be crystal clear yet laced with this deadly chemical.  The best way to monitor this is with a test kit.  Any level above zero is a cause for concern and call for immediate water changes. 

CONCLUSION:  When it comes to diseases of the betta splendens we've barely scratched the surface here.  Siamese fighting fish are prone to many health problems.  Most are caused by the fish living in water that leaves a bit to be desired.  But at least now, with the help of AILING, you might be in a better position to respond at the first sign your betta could be sick.

The Case For Prepping Replacement Water

OPENING:  Three Big Lies: The King is alive somewhere in Memphis, Big Foot is real, and everyone handles water replacement for their betta fish the same.

We all know water changes are critical to success with bettas.  No doubt.  But there is little agreement on how one goes about prepping the water to use as replacement - if you prepare it at all.

Naturally some of this depends on the quality of water from the tap.  Yet it's hard to account for other variations in approach other than personal preference.  Wait! What? So does that mean it's time to get out your magic lamps and chants?  No.  Just appreciate that there is no one right way and go from there.

So with the understanding there is NO perfect way to about this, let's quickly look at different ways to approach replacement water.  With the usual choices being to add a water conditioner or just to let it sit for like 24 hours.  Additional considerations may be some sort of additives.  (Oh and the names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

Heather uses water that has been reverse osmosis filtered.  But knowing the RO strips out beneficial metals, trace elements and the like she uses FreshTrace by Seachem to condition it.  Given how she adds back the good stuff taken out she feels since it's been filtered it is better than normal tap water.

Jaime takes water straight from the tap and once it has reached room temp he does his thing.  His thinking is he's only changing out maybe 20% of the water so any chlorine won't matter much if at all.  Which is one way to look at it. The beneficial bacteria might not appreciate it however.  Not so sure the fish do either.

Emerson aerates his new water for 24 hours and preheats it as well.  He uses Atison Betta Spa - an almond leaf based product.  It will also bind ammonia and adds calcium. That's a pretty popular additive actually.

Some prefer to use AquaSafe by Tetra as their dechlorinator and conditioner.  Fans feel it works great as a remover of chlorine, chloramine and metals from tap water.

Carl uses aged tap water supplemented by NutraFin Betta Plus water conditioner.  Similar to Atison Betta Spa it conditions the water and add a bit of almond leaf extract.  He also adds a bit of aquarium salt plus changes out his ketapang leaves when he does the water change.

Angela uses aged (24 hours),  heated water to which she has added API Stress Coat.  She too replaces her IAL when she does her weekly water change.

Whatever your approach know this.  Distilled water is out.  That's right, you never want to use straight distilled water. Bottled water is okay but why spend the money if you don't have to, know what I mean?  Unless the water from the tap is super hard or something it should be okay for the most part.

CONCLUSION.  Admittedly this isn't earth shaking stuff.  But it was somewhat surprising. And maybe I mentioned too many products here. As you can see however there are many options and some go all out with stuff they add.  Others not so much.  But all do the water change thing with great regularity.  So should you. At least for the betta fighting fish you want to enjoy a long lifespan and look good living it. 

Tell Me, What Do Betta Fish Eat?

OPENING: For some there are but two ways to feed their betta fish.  Give them what they think they want or give them what you think they need.  Yet either approach can leave health sucking holes in their diet.  So perhaps there's middle ground.  Or what you might call a better way to look at your perfectly imperfect feeding choices. 

The good news is grasping what it takes to supply your betta with what it needs to keep swimming for years and years is getting easier to do.  All the more if you have a quick guide that attempts to answer the "Tell me, what do betta fish eat" question thoroughly, if somewhat briefly, and quite clearly.  As luck would have it you'll find such a guide here.  Its purpose is to make it easy to shop the various fish food aisles of the pet shop.  (Okay sections would be more like it but work with me here.)  Wisely picking the best for your little fighting fish who wants you to believe they've got a big appetite.  So pick out your shopping cart and let's get shopping. 

From the Meat Aisle

Were you to bother to ask any self-respecting male betta on the prowl for something tasty "Just what do betta fish like to eat besides fish food?" their eyes would light up as if reliving the memory of their favorite meal.  Most likely it would have involved something that moved.  You know was alive?  Something that offered them a bit of a challenge and the thrill of the hunt and all that? 

There would basically be two categories here: Worms and non-worms. 

First for the worms.  Now you don't want to think earth worms - although if you bothered to cleanse them and them chop them fine enough they would work.  Still have you seen the size of your betta's mouth?  Given it is so small you probably want to think more along the lines of of grindal worms or white worms perhaps.  Both of which can be cultured at home cheaply with relative ease from a starter culture. 

Then listed among the non-worms would be things like daphnia, mosquito larvae, and gut loaded adult brine shrimp since any brine shrimp more than a day old isn't really all that nutritious.  You can change that by gut loading although we won't get into the how to do that here.  Again you can fairly easily culture any of these.  I'd say mosquito larvae would be the easiest of the three however - in season.  And bettas will scarf them up with reckless abandon. 

There is nothing fancy involved with feeding these live foods.  Just harvest a finger full in the case of the worms or net some of the non-worms, rinse and release.  No fish I know will turn up their nose to any of these living delicacies.

From the Frozen Food Aisle

There's no doubt that tasty treats await in the frozen food aisle.  Just short of live foods on the hit parade in terms of popularity, frozen grub comes in a wide assortment.  You'll find frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms - always a fan favorite, daphnia perhaps, and tubifex worms.  Although you'd want to stick with a name brand known for using parasite free tubifex sources.  Knowing as you do that these guys typically grow in less than sanitary conditions. 

Note too that I used the words "treats" for a reason.  Most of the choices are not exactly brimming with nutritional value capable of building strong bodies 12 ways.  Yet I know of no betta who wouldn't love to chow down on blood worms all day long.  Problem is so much protein can lead to digestive problems.  So you'll want to go easy.  Thaw some every now and again.  Just not too often no matter how much you see your betta with the freezer door open silhouetted by the light inside. 

From the Freeze Dried  Aisle

Then you can't beat freeze dried foods for convenience either.  Again there's a wide assortment to consider here too.  Typically blood worms, Mysis shrimp, tubifex worms, and brine shrimp.  Lots to choose from. 

Alas, not much of a fan of freeze dried.  For one simple reason.  Unless you bother to thoroughly, and let me emphasize thoroughly, presoak them really well, you are risking bloating and constipation problems for your bettas.   As freeze dried food not presoaked properly can suck up liquid in their guts and expand like crazy.  But not everyone thinks the way I do.  Understanding this I presented it, if briefly, as another somewhat viable option to choose from.

From the Prepared Foods Aisle

Lots of options here to choose from here.  Still commercially prepared foods come in two basic forms:  flakes and pellets.  And no discussion about your feeding options would be complete without at least contemplating, even briefly, the differences between the two.

Flakes vs. Pellets:  Sure flakes have been a popular option for feeding tropical fish for decades. Maybe the people's choice even although often not your betta's first choice.  Yet there's a compelling case to be made for pellets.  For one they are more densely packed with nutrients.  They tend to retain their nutritional values longer in water.  You see flakes, being paper thin, tend to absorb water quickly and as a result leach out any water soluble vitamins in next to no time.  Like in less than a minute no time.  And most commercial fish raising operations feed pellets for a reason.  They produce results.

Then there's the issue of swelling and again, pellets win hands down.  Flakes too can swell up in your bettafish's stomach.  That makes pellets less likely to cause bloating problems.  Which accounts for why pellets should be your prepared food of choice. 

Then the question becomes which brand should you feed and how can you tell the best from the rest?   You can tell the best by reading the label.  The labels of the blue ribbon winners will lead off with high quality, and preferably marine based proteins.  While short changing grain based ingredients like wheat middlings, soybean meal and the like are well down the list.  The rest, aka losers will reverse that order because it's cheaper to produce food full of filler.  For many in bettadom the choice of pellets  comes down to New Life Spectrum Betta Formula vs Attisons Betta Pro.  I'm not going to try to influence that decision one way or the other.

Feed according to fish size.  A couple of pellets twice a day should suffice.  Three if you've got a bigger betta's hunger to satisfy. 

Food from the Produce Aisle 

Awwwk.  And you thought bettas were strictly meat eaters.  Okay.  You got me.   But there's a reason to consider mixing in a blanched pea into their diet once a week.  Regularity.  They will help your betta's digestive system to keep humming right along.  Giving them the help they need in the morning - if you know what I mean. 

And you're right. Bettas are carnivores. But nothing like a little fiber to insure they are able to enjoy their mosquito larvae chase or chewing their favorite pellets without fears of getting all stopped up and bloated.  Not that they worry much about such things to begin with.  Which is why you should. And why you might want to read about curing betta fish constipation, just in case. 

From the Baby Food Aisle

Good things do come in small packages.  Once your fry have reached the free swimming stage, around day two, they can eat any infusoria found in their  tank.  Then from day five or six and beyond you'll want to feed freshly hatched baby brine shrimp (BBS).  Which your fry should be big enough to chase down and get into their mouth after about a week.  Prior to that you want to fill in with banana worms.  Or micro worms.  Or vinegar eels.  In other words, baby fish sized bits that can get them off to a fast start.  Eels might be the winner of the Breeder's Choice Award as they will tend to stay near the surface and can live in the water column for up to 24 hours.  That means the snack bar is open 24/7 making it easier on you rather than trying to feed them every two or three hours. 

Now for the next five or six weeks focus on feeding them freshly hatched BBS, mixing in the worms and eels for variety.  But the BBS with yolk sac attached will be more nutritious so should be emphasized on the fry menu. 

From the Specialty Food Aisle

Here you would be picking up some conditioning food.  Important since one part of conditioning the breeding pair is to feed them all primo protein laden food all the time.  So they get a steady diet of frozen blood worms, frozen Mysis shrimp, live baby guppies, live mosquito larvae.  You want to prep the for the rigors of breeding.  To do so you need to fatten them up just a bit for up to two weeks ahead of their big day.  Which includes bumping them up from feeding two times a day to three. 

That said, for normal feedings don't lose sight of the fact that bettas are relatively little fish.  And so the tendency is to over feed.  While they will try to convince you they prefer heaping helpings, really they don't.  Over feeding is not good for the fish, their water, or for helping them lead long healthy lives.

CONCLUSION:  So as you can see there is no one-size-fits-all answer for the question "What do betta fish like to eat?"  Perhaps the best answer might be a variety of highly nutritional, easily digestible choices.  Making both variety and nutritional are important.  Yet the real key may be variety.  Sure pellets may provide all your crowntail betta male needs.  But like someone famous once said, "Bettas cannot live on pellets alone!" Or at least they shouldn't have to.  Bon appetit.