How to feed frozen brine shrimp to a nearly-blind betta

[metropolis93fan]

I think frozen shrimp is the kind I got. It's definitely the brand. It has fish oil too. I have a dragon betta (I didn't know anything about them when I got the poor fella) who is going blind. Totally gone in the left eye, and has considerably lost vision in the right eye in the last month or so. I fight to get the pellets in him, and I want to put floating plants in his tank. I was hoping to train him to go to a ring with frozen shrimp... something to help him find the food. If I place it in there it just sinks before he sees it. I've tried tweezers and he gets some, but a lot still falls and I'm constantly going between feeding and suctioning uneaten food out. Is there a proper way to feed frozen shrimp to bettas? Or a better product? This has the highest amount of protein in it than any of the other brands or varieties so I went with it. Should I have done something different? Please advise. Thanks!

 

[Byron]

A quality flake food that will (should) float longer might work, he will get used to feeding from the surface. As for frozen foods, when I had a Congo Tetra with blindness I used a baster to squirt the thawded food just in front of him. They have good smell, just be careful not to squirt very much and not hard or it may frighten him.

 

[metropolis93fan]

A quality flake food that will (should) float longer might work, he will get used to feeding from the surface. As for frozen foods, when I had a Congo Tetra with blindness I used a baster to squirt the thawded food just in front of him. They have good smell, just be careful not to squirt very much and not hard or it may frighten him.

What would a good flake food be? I always think of them for other fish. I want it to have what he needs, and not what he doesn't. I thought flake foods had stuff not good for bettas?

 

[Byron]

What would a good flake food be? I always think of them for other fish. I want it to have what he needs, and not what he doesn't. I thought flake foods had stuff not good for bettas?

Quality is key, as many foods (flake or sinking) are indeed packed with cereal meal, fish meal, and even worse. New Life Spectrum flake is good quality, as are Omega One foods. Other betta keepers can probably suggest other brands, I believe there is a "betta" one that has been recommended. @Essjay probably knows.

Bug bites would be ideal, but these do not float for more than a few seconds and given the blindness may end up piled on the substrate.

 

[metropolis93fan]

Quality is key, as many foods (flake or sinking) are indeed packed with cereal meal, fish meal, and even worse. New Life Spectrum flake is good quality, as are Omega One foods. Other betta keepers can probably suggest other brands, I believe there is a "betta" one that has been recommended. @Essjay probably knows.

Bug bites would be ideal, but these do not float for more than a few seconds and given the blindness may end up piled on the substrate.

I've got a couple places who might be able to help on the food type. I'll shoot out a message there. You just sounded so knowledgeable.. thought I'd ask you! Thanks for the help!

 

[Essjay]

There are a few specialist betta foods but they are all pellets, with the exception of Tetra which I wouldn't use as the main ingredient seems to be cereals.
Hikari Betta Bio-Gold is always recommended, but I can't find the ingredients. However, last time I read a pack in a shop I wasn't impressed.
Edit - found it. The first three ingredients are wheat flour, fish meal, soybean meal.
Ocean Nutrition (formerly Atisons) used to be good until it was reformulated so the first ingredients are now fish meal, wheat flour, soy bean meal.

Last time I had a betta I used Northfin Super Betta pellets. This is a Canadian company so you should be able to get it in the US. This brand lists fish meal in the ingredients but it whole fish meal not just meal made from the left over bits like skin.

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

Long feeding tongs so you can get the food right in front of him. You could also come up with a signal to let him know that it is feeding time like tapping the tongs in the water lightly and feed in the same spot.

My previous betta was really shy and he didn't like hands or feeding near the surface oddly enough, so I used to feed him with tongs.