# Betta Loves Algae Wafers



## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I have a Betta in my shrimp tank, he leaves them alone. However he has developed a gorging habit when I feed my shrimp, violently attacking the wafers trying to bite a piece off. He will eat until he is extremely bloated I can not keep him away from it. I feed him NLS so his diet is great...but what is this consumption of algae doing to his digestion?


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

You are going to want to keep him from doing this. Bettas are gluttons and your guy has figured out how to gorge himself. If he keeps it up, he could set himself up for swim bladder problems or dropsy. I'm not sure if there is a way to feed the shrimp and keep him away? Maybe you could use a feeder of some sort? I wonder if something like this would work? https://www.amazon.com/Zeroyoyo-Aquariums-Supply-Crystal-Suction/dp/B01EJAW0CM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1471058924&sr=8-5&keywords=Glass+shrimp+feeder

My Betta just figured out that the bigger snails in his tank taste good. He ate a Nerita snail. All of it.


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## gbb0330 (Nov 21, 2015)

i had platties die from algae wafers(hikari brand), they would get bloated and die overnight.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Bettas are carnivores not omnivores, they can't properly digest algae/plant matter (don't give them peas if constipated-use daphnia instead). I lost a betta last year that got clogged from munching on his floating plants. I own several bettas all in planted tanks, he was the only one that ate plants (and only his floaters). 
That said I had a betta several years ago that ate cucumber and algae wafer (he was housed with otos and thought he was one) but I lost him after a few months when a new fish brought in columnaris (always qt new fish!!). If he's lived I'd expect he's have died of a clog issue too.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Thanks for the info everyone, this fish means a lot to me. I got a feeding cone the shrimp can pick through but the Betta can not charge the food anymore I will give it a shot!


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## Helmetless Stig (Jan 10, 2016)

Try using a slice of cucumber instead. I use it to feed my BN pleco. Other fish peck at it but find it hard to get a piece.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

I had a betta in community tank who would tear bites of zucchini off. One day he choked on a large shrimp pellet. The other fishes mouths are too small- they would pick at it until it softened up and fell apart. I didn't realize the betta would try to eat the whole thing- I saw him struggling with it stuck in his throat and I opened the lid to grab him out of the tank -thought I could extract it w/tweezers but I didn't get a chance to try. He thrashed around and died in front of my eyes. It was very quick.

So yeah, if your betta is going for the wrong food try to find a way to exclude him from it. I have a bottle fish trap turned into a feeder specifically for my kuhli loaches- it has openings just big enough for them, but the cherry barbs can't get in. I'm sure you can fashion something like that for your shrimps.

Bump: Oh, sorry- I see you already found a way to solve the problem.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

You can also feed at night after tank lights out (right before your turn off room light), did that with my oto and cory tanks so they got food.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> You can also feed at night after tank lights out (right before your turn off room light), did that with my oto and cory tanks so they got food.


Why is it this strategy has never worked for me. I tried it to feed the kuhli loaches, but the barbs always smell the food and zero in on it even if they can't see. I tried it in the dead of night, all dark, fishes very still- sleeping- but no matter how slow and quietly I open the lid they wake up and come looking for food. I tried dropping food down the gap where filter outflow is, same thing happens. They smell it.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

JJ09 said:


> Why is it this strategy has never worked for me. I tried it to feed the kuhli loaches, but the barbs always smell the food and zero in on it even if they can't see. I tried it in the dead of night, all dark, fishes very still- sleeping- but no matter how slow and quietly I open the lid they wake up and come looking for food. I tried dropping food down the gap where filter outflow is, same thing happens. They smell it.


Same


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

JJ09 said:


> Why is it this strategy has never worked for me. I tried it to feed the kuhli loaches, but the barbs always smell the food and zero in on it even if they can't see. I tried it in the dead of night, all dark, fishes very still- sleeping- but no matter how slow and quietly I open the lid they wake up and come looking for food. I tried dropping food down the gap where filter outflow is, same thing happens. They smell it.





Teebo said:


> Same



Sorry that doesn't work for you, my guys were in lidless ripariums so no noise since no lid. Didn't think about lid getting in the way.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I have no lid either, but, the Betta has a sense of smell like a dog haha


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