Why Does My Betta Keep Spitting Out Food? – Reasons & Ways to treat

Every betta fish owner may have wondered, ‘Why does my betta keep spitting out the food I feed? Is it a problem with betta fish? Do I need to take any action to save my betta?‘ These are common questions we often receive from most betta owners.

This article will provide answers to all your questions related to spitting behavior, including the reasons behind why bettas spit out their food during feeding time. Importantly, easy and quick ways to fix this behavior in your beloved betta are also addressed.

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Is it normal for a Betta to spit out food?

Yes, most Betta fishes are likely to spit their food to crush it and eat it smoothly by softening it. Their body mechanism often works like that because of their small stomach size and mouth. It is a natural habit for them to spit out food 3 to 4 times to swallow it completely.

However, in some cases, this spitting behavior can indicate whether your Betta is okay with the food you feed them. The main reasons behind this unusual spitting behavior are listed below

What can be the reasons for this spitting behavior?

Not a suitable food for Betta:

When you feed your Betta fish with unsuitable food, they are likely to spit it out and refuse to eat it. Like us, Betta fish can be choosy eaters.

If you don’t address this matter, sickness or stress can start to build up, and uneaten particles can mess up the tank environment. A few reasons why your Betta may not like the food are listed below:

Cannot swallow the food:

When the size of the food is too big for the Betta or too large to fit inside the betta mouth, it starts to spit it out several times to break or soften it so that it can be swallowed. This behavior is often displayed by juvenile Betta during their growing period. They quickly eat the food and spit it out a few more times until it softens. If this is the case, you should opt for smaller-sized food so that your Betta can eat it with less spitting effort

Since many aquariums sell Bettas that are 4 to 8 months old, it is better to feed them smaller-sized food

Betta are picky eaters:

As mentioned earlier, Bettas are picky eaters, and preferences can vary from one Betta to another. Some Bettas might prefer one type of food, while others like a different one.

It is better to start with mixed feeding patterns. Once you observe the food that captures the best attention from your Betta, consider choosing that particular food as the primary one

Food texture & smell:

Each food brand and type will contain different textures and smells based on its ingredients and preparation methods. If your Betta doesn’t like any one of them or both, it means he/she will dislike eating it altogether.

This issue can be solved by incorporating mixed food patterns, allowing you to identify and replace the best food for your Betta fish.

Sickness or Disease symptoms:

Sometimes, the reasons for spitting out food can be related to sickness or disease. It can be a starting point to figure out the problem with your Betta and begin giving him/her proper care and treatment.

Constipation:

The spitting behavior might be due to the constipation issue. Yes, betta fish are too affected by constipation problems. When you feed them foods with lower fiber content, it will affect their digestive abilities, thereby leading to constipation issues.

Due to these constipation difficulties, your betta cannot eat food properly, therefore spitting his food. You can fix this by leaving your betta to fast for 24-32 hours, which will reduce constipation and relieve the stomach stress in your betta.

How do I identify betta fish constipation?

The best way to identify constipation is to look at the tummy of your betta. If your betta is slightly losing its appetite and its stomach is bulging, it means digestive issues are there. Some additional signs of constipation are stress, standing in the same place, reduced movements, and no recent feces.

Parasitic infection:

The sudden and unusual spitting habit may be due to any parasitic infection in its stomach. Even though these infections are uncommon, possibilities are there. If you have any betta fish tankmates, plants, or snails, then the chances of parasitic infections are high.

If you feel it was due to the parasitic means, first move the betta to a quarantine tank and give him/her parasite antibiotics; this will clear out the infection and solve its stomach issues. After the treatment, start slowly feeding him pellets one by one.

Stressed Betta:

Stress in betta fish is one of the most common issues faced by betta fish lovers. Most of the betta will end up stressed once you get it from the aquarium shop, after a water change, and so on. When your betta becomes stressed, it will start to lose interest in eating food, thereby displaying this spitting habit. The way to fix this issue is by giving him suitable tank conditions that will keep him happy without any stress. Do these things below to keep your betta fish from stress and depression:

• Have a low-flow filter.
• Add decors or Toys
• Add any live plants and tank mates.
• Feed him mixed foods.
• Provide good water quality.

Ways to fix this food-spitting behavior:

As this spitting habit is a sign of something going wrong with the betta, it is better to address it before it worsens

Feed suitable Betta food:

Change the betta food by purchasing some of the best options available in the market, and try a mixed feeding approach.

Analyze which pellet your betta shows more attraction to and enjoys eating without spitting it out.

Once identified, finalize that particular food.

Additionally, avoid feeding flakes to your betta, as they generally do not like the textured nature of flakes. Betta fishes tend to spit out flakes, and they quickly dissolve in the water. Therefore, stop from giving flakes to your betta fishes

Cure the Betta sickness:

If your betta fish has just recovered from diseases such as pop eyes, fin rot, dropsy, or any other illness, it may tend to spit out food, especially when it softens for smoother consumption. During this period, it is advisable to feed your betta fish with live bloodworms or other live feeds to enhance its nutrition and facilitate a quicker recovery from the disease.

Sometimes, if your betta fish exhibits the spitting habit due to an ongoing disease, switch to live food like bloodworms and refrain from providing pellet food to reduce the chances of digestive issues.

The key to resolving this issue is ensuring your betta fully recovers from any underlying diseases

Wrapping up:

So, the spitting of food by Betta fishes is normal to see. However, it can be a symptom of several problems with Betta fishes.

Addressing this spitting behavior early, identifying the reasons, and fixing this issue can be beneficial for every Betta owner.

We hope that we’ve provided you with valuable information about the nature of Betta spitting food. If you have any doubts or need clarification, feel free to comment. We are pleased to address those.

Thank you and goodbye for now

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