One of the most common fish in aquariums is the betta fish, sometimes known as the Siamese fighting fish. The fishes are one of the simplest fish to keep, in addition to having brilliant, iridescent colors and particularly noticeable fins. But occasionally, you will have to leave your lovely betta alone longer than you intended because things do not always go as planned. What should you do in terms of diet if this occurs? How long can betta fish go without food?
A betta fish can survive without food for how long? The explanation is at least seven days, but if the aquarium has previously been maintained in an ideal tank environment, your betta fish may be able to go two weeks without food—yes, think about it. A full two weeks!
This article will address how it is feasible for your fish to exist for a while without food for those fish owners who may have been concerned that their fishes are not feeding sufficiently or those who are cautious about skipping a few feeding sessions for their betta fish.
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For How Long Can A Betta Fish Can Survive Without Food?
Although betta fish may go up to ten days without food, it is not advised!
They might even live for a few more days, but this is only survival, and you are steadily starving your betta fish, which makes it easy for them to pass away.
Despite the fact that betta fish can go for long periods of time without food, it is rarely a good idea to rely on this fact. This is so that each betta’s ability to go without food for a certain amount of time will depend on a variety of conditions. Since every fish varies somewhat from one another, a variety of factors will determine how long they can survive without food.
Tank Capacity
Surprisingly, the volume of the tank your betta fish is in will have a considerable impact on how long it can survive without meals. This is due to the fact that it depends not only on how long a betta can go without food but also on the circumstances of the tank it is swimming in.
How to setup a proper tank for a betta? Find out here.
The conditions in your tank will deteriorate more quickly the smaller it is. This implies that even while your betta fish will be capable of going without food for a short period of time, it would still have to deal with the problem of living in unfavorable circumstances, which could be extremely detrimental or even fatal.
In addition, a betta’s health suffers greatly when it is stressed because of unfavorable circumstances. The length of time it can go without food may be affected by this.
The Fish’s Wellness
The general state of your beta is a third crucial aspect to take into account when considering leaving your aquarium unattended for an extended period of time. Though there is a generic recommendation, since no two bettas are exactly the same, they can all be left alone for varying lengths of time.
How long you may keep your betta fish unfed safely depends on a number of factors, including age, metabolism, general health, mental stress, and tank conditions. Younger bettas might be more resilient to the strain of malnutrition and deteriorating tank conditions than older fish.
However, because their metabolisms tend to be slower than those of younger, growing fish, elderly fishes may have enough fat stored to go longer without eating.
Filtration Of The Tank
Whether or not your aquarium has a filter will also affect how long a betta can be left unattended. Due to the accumulation of food leftovers, trash, and other unwelcome particles that cannot be filtered away, unfiltered betta fish aquariums require upkeep.
An unfiltered tank would accumulate a lot of unwelcome dirt that a filtered aquarium would not if you were going away for one week and a half or two weeks. Despite its capacity for prolonged fasting, this could hurt your betta fish and have a negative impact on its health.
What You Feed Betta Also Makes A Difference
Despite your betta fish may live without feeding for two weeks, it is advised that you avoid trying this out because doing so starts to reduce their stored fat, which could lead to stress and other medical issues for your fish.
Betta fish are insectivores, which means they consume insects like blood worms as food. They also particularly like frozen brine shrimp. This may be due to the fact that they need a diet high in protein, as well as other nutrients like fiber, fat, calcium, phosphorus, and a few vitamins like Vitamins A, D, E, K, the B complex vitamins, and Vitamin C.
If you feed your betta plant-based foods, it is possible that they will not want to eat them, yet even if they do, they will not be getting enough nutrients from them. Therefore, you must ensure that you are providing them with the proper food.
Therefore, in order for your fish to be able to last two weeks without eating, it must have been previously fed with the right diet, which is one that is provided by feeds that are high in protein. Otherwise, your fish may not be strong enough to last even two weeks.
It Is Okay For Your Betta To Go A Day Or Two Without Food
Naturally, you would think it is insane to let your Betta go without food for a day or two, yet doing so can be beneficial for your pet. These fish frequently consume everything offered to them, even scraps.
They will keep eating if you keep offering them food. Therefore, there is a good probability that you will overfeed your betta fish. Betta fish suffer from overfeeding, which is bad for their health. It can lead to a variety of health complications, such as swim bladder difficulties and unhealthful weight growth.
Given this, underfeeding your Betta fish is preferable to overfeeding it. In light of this, make sure the meager food you provide them is nutrient-rich! Your fish’s digestive system will have enough length to settle down the bits of food absorbed during the previous few days if you do not feed them for a day or two.
Their general health and well-being will benefit as a result of this. Give your Betta at least one day between meals if you want them to live longer.
How Can You Help Your Betta Fish If It Is Not Eating?
The food you provide a Betta fish will also affect how long it goes between meals. A diet rich in protein is the ideal one for Betta fish. The reason is that Betta fish are carnivorous. In the wild, they eat only insects and insect larvae. This is the reason you should offer them meals that have protein and do not contain fillers like wheat or maize.
They may not eat it if you do not provide them with food that is heavy in protein. Giving your Betta fish high-quality flakes or pellets is the best approach to emulate their diet. Along with the pellets, you can give them fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried food to give them a balanced diet.
It is advised to disregard the directions on the back of the fish food bottle while feeding Betta fish pellets. It is because these directions are frequently vague and deceptive.
Since fishes have small stomachs, as was previously said, you do not want to overfeed fish and increase food waste. Betta fish should ideally be fed twice daily for six nights a week. Do not offer your Betta fish more than 4 to 6 pellets each day if you feed them pellets.
At each meal, give them between two and three pellets. This will prevent you from overfeeding the fish.
Techniques For Feeding Your Betta Fish
Here are a few substitutes to keep your betta nourished while you are away if you are forced to abandon your fish when you are not present.
Fish Caretaker
When you are not around, a fish babysitter will take care of your fish and their aquarium. This might be a friend, a member of your family, a neighbor, or a person you hire. This is your best choice every time you ought to leave your bettas for an extended period of time since they can keep an eye on things other than your fish, such as the filter pump and the temperature of the water in the tank.
Asking someone to take care of your fish has several advantages, including the fact that they’ll always get in touch with you if they see something strange or have concerns about taking care of your fish. No matter what, do not forget to leave a letter with all the pertinent information about your fish.
If you do not have a friend who will watch your fish, you can also consider hiring a professional fish sitter, like those that take care of aquariums in public areas like workplaces, schools, hospitals, and other public locations.
Automated Fish Feeder
The next best choice, if you can not get somebody to look after your betta, is an automated feeder. Your tank has equipment attached to it that can store food and periodically deliver it to your betta, all in accordance with your programming.
Numerous of these feeders, each with a distinctive design based on your preferences, is available in stores and online. Regardless of the automated feeder type you choose, it is critical to test it before leaving with your tank setup. A few days or so before you want to consider leaving your betta alone, see how it works to see if there are any problems.
Although automated feeders are practical, you should be aware that they might occasionally result in overfeeding. We advise against using them as a substitute for regularly feeding your fish and only using them when you will not be at home.
Block Feeder
A block feeder is a final solution we will suggest if you are unable to utilize any of the alternatives above. The block feeder is a substantial block of protein you provide to your tank before leaving for an extended period of time. In the aquarium, these blocks will gradually disintegrate, providing food for your fish.
Since it requires a while for the component to distribute the food in bite-sized chunks, your betta fish won’t be able to consume more than they need. However, there are certain documented problems with feeder blocks. One of them is that you lose the ability to regulate how much food your fish will consume. It is risky to overfeed your fish since some will continue to eat as long they are able to see food.
Feeder blocks also provide a problem in that, if left in an aquarium for an extended period of time, they may rot and degrade, releasing ammonia into the water. Even in little amounts, ammonia is harmful to betta fish, but it might be too much even for your filtration to effectively remove.
What Makes Ammonia Risky For Betta Fish?
Food blocks in the vacation feeders, which some individuals use in feeding their Betta, generate a lot of ammonia. No matter how effectively your aquarium is cycled, the excessive ammonia output will prevent the helpful bacteria from converting into nitrite and nitrate in a timely manner.
Nitrate levels may significantly rise as a result in the coming weeks. The living standards for your Betta can worsen if you are unable to replace the water or test your aquarium for some reason. Ammonia can substantially shorten the lifespan of the gills in your Betta fish by damaging them severely and permanently.
Its scales and fins are burned off in addition to suffering severe damage to its eyes and jaws.
On the other side, nitrite causes “brown blood illness,” a disorder. This syndrome manifests when the blood of fish poisoned by nitrite turns brown. This acts more as a symptom than a sickness.
How To Get Your Tank Ready Before Vacation
You can lessen the consequences of abandoning your aquarium and betta fishes for a prolonged period of time if you make proper preparations before leaving. You must maintain your betta fish’s stressful situations low and develop their capacity to fast for about 3–4 days if you want to keep their tank in top shape before you go on vacation.
If you intend to neglect your tank for 10–14 days, these procedures can help you avoid ill health and diseases brought on by stress. If you take the actions listed below, there is a strong probability that you will return to a happy betta fish and tank.
Enhance The Tank’s Conditions
Optimizing the liquid and aquarium conditions is the first step you should do before departing. By doing this, you can be certain that your Fish are living in a safe environment while you are away.
Your bettas will be forced to spend time in an aquarium where the circumstances eventually deteriorate to a very harmful level if you depart with improper setup tank settings.
Make sure the filter in your tank is functioning properly. Remove trash and food scraps from the gravel and decorations. Check the pH (6.5-7.5) and hardness (3-4 dGH) levels. Then, inspect the gear and equipment, trim the plants, and remove any algae.
Examine Your Heater
Check your heater to ensure that the bettas will not spend an excessive amount of time in water that is the incorrect temperature. Betta fish prefer freshwater that’s also around 75 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit, because they are tropical freshwater fish.
Ensure your heater is on, and the temperature is between these ranges. Additionally, make sure the aquarium (especially if it is a smaller aquarium) is not directly exposed to sunlight and that there are no unnecessary heating or cooling systems in the area. Position the tank away from any outlets that may release hot or cold air.
Add A Cover To It!
When you depart for a prolonged period of time, be sure to cover the tank. Unbelievably, betta fish frequently use an organ known as the labyrinth organ to obtain oxygen from the upper atmosphere while they graze at the surface.
The quality of water in your tank degrades if you are away for a while. This makes the bettas surface for air more frequently. It possibly even attempts to jump out of the top of the tank! While you are away, make sure the tank’s top is on. After all, you do not want to find any bettas out of the tank when you get home!
Purchase Timed Lights
Timed lights are essential for the health and lowest potential stress levels of your betta fish. Ensure that the lights are turned on for roughly 8 to 10 hours each day. So your betta can sleep at night and stay active throughout the day.
The best timetable for your betta is this one. However, if you are not home and your lights are not timed, it will not be possible.
Timed lights are essential if you are going to be gone for more than a few days. Keeping your fish healthier and with low-stress levels will help to ensure they are okay while you are away.
FAQ
How Frequently Ought Bettas To Be Fed?
Once or twice a day, between two and four pellets should be fed to your betta fish. Pellets are incredibly nourishing for your betta fish and expand when placed in water. One or two days a week, you can use fresh or freeze-dried food in place of their pellet feeding.
Why Does My Betta Continue To Reside In The Bottom Of The Tank?
It may not be a problem if there is a betta lying on the tank floor. However, there might be a problem if the betta fish is both not eating and lying at the bottom of the aquarium. This behavior is frequently brought on by modifications in the water’s temperature or chemicals. Largely, it is a result of ammonia poisoning being the most frequent problem.
What Causes Bettas To Vomit Up Their Food?
Due to their extremely small stomachs, betta fish can only eat very small amounts of food at once. If its stomach is full, your betta might not even be capable of swallowing a pellet. In order to make food simpler to chew and digest, bettas may sometimes spit out food. So, it can disintegrate into little bits in the water.
How Often Can I Replace The Water In My Betta Tank?
The short explanation is that once every 7–10 days, minor water changes of 10–20% are optimum for your betta’s health. Additionally, this assumes that you are using a filter. Although smaller water changes are preferable for stable water conditions, water changes of 20–30% can be made once every two-three weeks.
Conclusion
You will not need to worry if you adhere to the above betta care instructions and return home to a content and healthy betta fish! If their aquariums are in decent condition, betta fish are surprisingly tough and may easily spend time alone. A betta fish can go without food for 10–14 days, but not longer. For fry, consider utilizing an automatic feeder. This is because they need to eat more frequently but may still go for two to three days without food.
A journey of a couple of days should be fine. But if you are gone for longer, designate somebody to feed your Betta. Additionally, do not feed your Betta with plant material or vacation feeders.