Is my betta eating the java moss?

[tigron]

I was really worried this morning when I saw my female betta just floating listlessly at the bottom of her tank, with a bit of java moss hanging out of her mouth. Luckily, I managed to carefully remove it - it was about a centimeter long, which is pretty surprising. She seems back to normal now, so I'm pretty confident the java moss was the problem, but I'm still not sure why she ate it in the first place. I didn't feed her yesterday, but her feeding schedule has been regular otherwise. I'm just not sure what made her decide to snack on the java moss. (Edit: I was too busy trying to help her to take a photo of her with the moss in her mouth)

[velvet8]

It's unlikely she was after the Java moss itself, but possibly the tiny bugs that live within it.

[tigron]

It's unlikely she was after the Java moss itself, but possibly the tiny bugs that live within it.

She had a whole piece of java moss stuck down her throat, which I managed to pull out.

[velvet8]

It just goes to show you that betta are natural predators and they'll eat whatever they can get their fins on, even if it's not supposed to be food. Varying their diet is so important, it's not just about giving them different types of flakes or pellets, but also making sure they're not getting bored with the same old thing every day.

[velvet8]

I was really worried this morning when I saw my female betta just floating listlessly at the bottom of her tank, with a bit of java moss hanging out of her mouth. Luckily, I managed to carefully remove it - it was about a centimeter long, which is pretty surprising. She seems back to normal now, so I'm pretty confident the java moss was the problem, but I'm still not sure why she ate it in the first place. I didn't feed her yesterday, but her feeding schedule has been regular otherwise. I'm just not sure what made her decide to snack on the java moss. (Edit: I was too busy trying to help her to take a photo of her with the moss in her mouth)

My guess is that she was after the tiny crustaceans like amphipods or copepods that often call moss home.

[tigron]

It's unlikely she was after the Java moss itself, but possibly the tiny bugs that live within it.

I'm worried she might do it again, it really scared me seeing her like that.

[velvet8]

I was really worried this morning when I saw my female betta just floating listlessly at the bottom of her tank, with a bit of java moss hanging out of her mouth. Luckily, I managed to carefully remove it - it was about a centimeter long, which is pretty surprising. She seems back to normal now, so I'm pretty confident the java moss was the problem, but I'm still not sure why she ate it in the first place. I didn't feed her yesterday, but her feeding schedule has been regular otherwise. I'm just not sure what made her decide to snack on the java moss. (Edit: I was too busy trying to help her to take a photo of her with the moss in her mouth)

As long as there are bugs in the moss, I think she'll try to catch them again. How's your feeding routine like - is it varied enough to keep her satisfied?

[tigron]

It's unlikely she was after the Java moss itself, but possibly the tiny bugs that live within it.

I'm giving her four pellets daily.

[velvet8]

I was really worried this morning when I saw my female betta just floating listlessly at the bottom of her tank, with a bit of java moss hanging out of her mouth. Luckily, I managed to carefully remove it - it was about a centimeter long, which is pretty surprising. She seems back to normal now, so I'm pretty confident the java moss was the problem, but I'm still not sure why she ate it in the first place. I didn't feed her yesterday, but her feeding schedule has been regular otherwise. I'm just not sure what made her decide to snack on the java moss. (Edit: I was too busy trying to help her to take a photo of her with the moss in her mouth)

Four pellets a day is insufficient, that's why she's searching for food elsewhere. What's the brand you're using?

[velvet8]

I was really worried this morning when I saw my female betta just floating listlessly at the bottom of her tank, with a bit of java moss hanging out of her mouth. Luckily, I managed to carefully remove it - it was about a centimeter long, which is pretty surprising. She seems back to normal now, so I'm pretty confident the java moss was the problem, but I'm still not sure why she ate it in the first place. I didn't feed her yesterday, but her feeding schedule has been regular otherwise. I'm just not sure what made her decide to snack on the java moss. (Edit: I was too busy trying to help her to take a photo of her with the moss in her mouth)

I'm thinking of switching to OmegaOne Betta Buffet.