The main foods of betta fish include zooplankton, insect larvae, aquatic insects and their larvae, etc. Betta fish are omnivorous fish with a wide range of diets. They not only feed on zooplankton such as Daphnia, copepods, and other zooplankton, but also like to eat aquatic insects and their larvae. Besides, betta fish will also eat agricultural pests and filamentous algae.
The feeding habits of betta fish vary according to different species. For example, the paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) mainly feeds on zooplankton, insect larvae and filamentous algae. While the round-tailed betta fish (Macropodus ocellatus) has a particular preference for aquatic insects and chironomid larvae, and can effectively control the breeding of mosquito larvae, thus helping to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.
The ecological value of betta fish is reflected not only in their food choices but also in their ability to control the number of mosquitoes and reduce the risk of the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, which is of great significance for optimizing the ecological environment.