Can Betta Fish Eat Frozen Shrimp? What Experts Say?

Trying to bring some changes to your betta’s diet? Well, adding shrimp can be a nice touch. But storing live shrimps is a hard task. That’s when the idea to offer frozen and dead shrimps kick in. But can a Betta fish eat frozen shrimps?

Betta fish enjoys both live and frozen shrimps equally. The nutrition level remains the same after freezing the shrimp. Brine and Mysis shrimps are the commonly available options in any pet store.

We know you have much more questions about frozen shrimp. We have tried to answer each and every important query people usually have about feeding frozen shrimps (of any size) to Bettas.

Key Takeaways

• Frozen shrimps are perfectly fine for bettas.
• Brine and Mysis shrimps are the most available frozen shrimps at fish stores.
• You need to defrost the frozen cubes before feeding your Betta.
• Hammer the cubes to customize the serving size for your pet.
• For one betta, use one-third of a cube.
• Usually, Mysis shrimps have more high-quality nutrients than Brine shrimps.

Can My Betta Eat Frozen Shrimps?

You must already know that being carnivores, Bettas are all about hunting live insects. So, eating pellets each and every day can be boring for your little pets. Here’s what you can do. Try offering shrimp (both live and frozen options are fine) to them.

The problem with live shrimps is that you have to measure the size carefully. If the size is more than 0.4 inches it would be hard for a matured Betta to eat comfortably. Unfortunately, Bettas are prone to bloating. You overfeed it by mistake and the next thing you know, it is swimming around with a concerning bloated belly. It’s just that not every Betta is skilled enough to rip the shrimp’s body apart after killing it.

No worries though. Just because your bettas didn’t have a good experience with live shrimps doesn’t mean it’s over. You can rely on store-bought frozen shrimp. It’s just as good as live shrimps. There’s no harmful chemical or change in nutrition value. Most importantly, you get to choose how much of the cube you will  offer per day. It’s way better than the previous method.

Discover more cool facts about Betta with this detailed post! When To Start Feeding A New Betta Fish?- Mine Is Not Eating!

Nutrition Value Of Commonly Available Frozen Shrimps

If you go to any fish store, almost every frozen shrimp is either brine or mysis shrimp. The package contains small and identical cubes. Each cube has a highly condensed percentage of raw shrimp (finely chopped).

What you have got to do is, pick one cube. Seal it in a zip-lock bag. Put it on the kitchen counter and start hammering it (don’t go too rough though). Then, thaw the frozen pieces for a while. Now, it’s time to choose how much you would be putting inside the tank. Experts suggest you don’t go beyond 1/3^rd of a cube for one Betta fish (per meal).

Now, that you are aware of the feeding process, let’s check out which frozen shrimp option is more nutritious for your Bettas. Shall we?

Particulars	Brine Shrimp	Mysis Shrimp
Size Range	0.2 inches	0.3-0.4 inches
Fiber	0.5%	0.5%
Protein	4%	6.4%
Fat	0.57%	0.3%

 As you can see, all the other nutrients look kind of similar in both species, except the protein component. Research shows us Mysis shrimp has more protein along with a high percentage of good fat. So, if you want to feed protein-rich food to your Bettas, frozen mysis shrimps are better. Apart from that, there’s no significant difference. Most of the Betta-keepers go with brine shrimp because it is easily available at any local shop.

How Often Should I Offer Frozen Shrimps To A Betta?

Unlike many other manufactured food for Bettas, shrimps contain a high amount of fiber. It helps to keep the digestion process smooth. But that doesn’t imply you would feed them shrimp every day. To put it simply, shrimps are like candy to your Betta. It’s yummy just like a dessert. However, desserts can’t replace everyday meals.

To grow properly, Bettas require lots of nutrition in small servings. That’s why specially produced pellets for Bettas are the only day-to-day food you should rely on. The problem with shrimp is that, it can easily fill a Betta up and cause them to reject any other nutritious food you offer. Considering how small their stomach is, you can’t offer treats that are too filling.

If we have to give a number, offering shrimps twice or thrice a week is alright. If you mistakenly provide too big of a portion, don’t hesitate to let the Betta fast the next day. don’t forget, overfeeding is a slow killer.

If Betta piqued your interest, this article will take you even further. Can Betta Fish Eat In The Dark? – Or Is It Dangerous?

Can I Feed Regular Frozen Shrimp To My Betta?

By regular shrimp, we mean the ones mostly used in human food. For example, you must have seen white or brown shrimp if you are a fan of Asian cuisine. There is literally no problem feeding such regular shrimps to your Bettas except for the size. The shrimps we keep in our refrigerators are way too big for your little water pets. Some of them even go over 2 to 3 inches in length.

Not chopping it up properly might cause issues like overeating, bloating, and even choking. Plus, it is difficult to settle on an appropriate portion for each serving.

Even though it seems like a bigger hassle, there is no restriction from our side. As long as you figure out a way to finely store the shrimps and chop them up really well, you don’t have to spend money on frozen shrimp packets from the store.

Before You Leave!

Frozen food is quite handy, isn’t it? If you agree with that, you must check out frozen bloodworms as well. It has become very popular among Betta keepers recently. After all, your bettas would love a change in their treats sometimes.

However,  if you are concerned about the feeding process, check out our article discussing frozen bloodworms as Betta food. Hope it will simplify the whole process for you.