Zoo Med Betta Banquet Block 6 Blocks per Card

• Up to seven days from one block – Zoo Med's rating for a single betta. The actual duration varies with the pH and hardness of your water, which Zoo Med states directly rather than glossing over.
• Real pellets and krill, not just paste – whole Micro Betta Food Pellets and krill meal are set into the block, so what the fish eats is recognisable food rather than a slurry.
• Feeds gradually, not all at once – the matrix dissolves over days and exposes food progressively, instead of dumping a week of rations into a small volume on day one.
• Six blocks per card – enough for six separate trips, or for a longer absence with a carer swapping blocks.
• No power, no battery, no mounting – nothing to fail while you are out of the country.
• Full declaration published – the complete ingredient list and guaranteed analysis are on this page rather than left to "printed on pack".

Calcium Sulphate, Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Squid Meal, Soybean Meal, Krill Meal, Fish Oil naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Shrimp Meal, Dehydrated Beets, Lecithin, Garlic Powder, Iron Oxide, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (stabilised Vitamin C), Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Niacin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Beta Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganese Sulphate, Zinc Sulphate, Ferrous Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodate, Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin, Propionic Acid (natural preservative), Rosemary Extract.

Preservatives and colours

The preservatives named in the declaration are mixed tocopherols and citric acid on the fish oil, propionic acid, and rosemary extract. No ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT appears in Zoo Med's declaration for this product.

No artificial colours are named. The colour-related entries are astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, beta carotene and iron oxide.

Allergen and source notes

Derived from the declared ingredient list, this block contains fish, crustacean (krill and shrimp), mollusc (squid), soy and wheat. Relevant if anyone in the household handles fish food and has a shellfish allergy.

Zoo Med does not publish a country of manufacture for this item, so we have not stated one.

Component names are reproduced as Zoo Med declares them, including the American spelling of fibre.

Put the two declarations side by side and the purpose of each becomes obvious.

Calcium sulphate is the first ingredient, which is the block's binder and the reason calcium runs to 25–29%. The nutrition is what is embedded in that binder, and there is not much of it per gram by design – a block that fed like a daily food would foul a small volume of water within a day.

That is the honest trade-off. A block keeps a betta fed and unstressed for a week. It is not a week of good nutrition, and it is not something to run back to back.

• Use one block per betta. Do not add a second block to make it last longer.
• Drop the block in immediately before you leave, not days ahead.
• Zoo Med instructs a routine weekly water change. Do one before you go, and another as soon as you get back.
• Remove any undissolved remnant on your return rather than leaving it to keep breaking down.
• For an absence longer than seven days, arrange for someone to change the water and place a fresh block.

Why the duration varies

Zoo Med states that how long a block lasts depends on the pH and the hardness of your water. Two tanks given identical blocks can run out at different times.

If a trip matters, test one block at home first. Drop it in on a normal week, watch how it behaves in your water, and you will know what to expect before it counts.

Suitable for

• A single betta, left for up to seven days
• Keepers without a neighbour or friend who can be trusted with a food container
• Tanks and bowls where an automatic feeder cannot be mounted
• A backup in the cupboard for unplanned absences

Not suitable for

• Everyday feeding. At 3.5% crude protein this is not a diet, and using it as one is a slow welfare problem.
• Community tanks or more than one fish per block.
• Absences beyond seven days without someone intervening.
• Very small unfiltered bowls left with no water change either side of the trip.
• Shrimp or snail tanks where a dissolving calcium-based block is an unknown against your existing water chemistry.

Store the card somewhere dry and sealed. These blocks are hygroscopic by nature – the whole design is that they break down in water – so humidity in a Queensland summer is not their friend.

Keep them away from the tank itself. A card of blocks stored on a lid where condensation collects will not be six usable blocks by next year.

Zoo Med does not publish a shelf life for this item, so we have not quoted one. Buy what you will use.

• Zoo Med Micro Floating Betta Pellets – the daily food this block is a holiday substitute for, and the same pellets embedded in it.
• Zoo Med Bettamatic Automatic Feeder – the alternative if you are away often. It feeds real pellets on a schedule instead of a one-off block.
• Zoo Med BettaTherm Betta Heater – food is only one variable while you are gone. Temperature is the one that does damage fastest.
• Zoo Med Betta Cleaning Kit – for the water change Zoo Med asks you to do either side of the block.
• Browse the full Zoo Med range for the rest of the betta line.

Zoo Med publishes no warranty term for a consumable food block, and we will not invent one. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in full and are not limited by anything on this page.

This is a shelf-stable dry product. There is no cold chain requirement and no dangerous goods restriction, so it ships as standard freight.

How long does a Zoo Med Betta Banquet block actually last?

Zoo Med rates one block at up to seven days for a single betta, and states that the real figure depends on the pH and hardness of the water. Harder or softer water changes how quickly the calcium sulphate matrix breaks down. If a specific trip depends on it, run one block at home first so you know how your water behaves.

Can I feed Betta Banquet blocks all the time?

No. The declared guaranteed analysis is 3.5% minimum crude protein and 0.4% minimum crude fat, against 40% protein and 8% fat in Zoo Med's daily Micro Floating Betta Pellets. The block is a vacation feeder designed to keep a fish fed without fouling the water, not to nourish it long term. Use it for absences and feed a proper pellet the rest of the time.

Why is calcium so high in a fish food?

Calcium sulphate is the first ingredient and forms the solid matrix that holds the food and dissolves slowly, which is why the declaration shows 25–29% calcium. It is structural rather than nutritional. The actual food in the block is the micro betta pellets and krill meal set within it.

Do I need to do a water change before using one?

Yes, and Zoo Med says so directly: perform routine water changes weekly. Do one immediately before you leave so the fish starts the week in clean water, and another as soon as you return. A block dissolving into water that was already due for a change is the scenario that causes trouble.

Can I use two blocks for a longer trip?

Do not. One block per betta is the instruction, and doubling up puts twice the dissolving material into the same small volume without doubling how long it lasts. For an absence past seven days, have someone change the water and drop in a fresh block, or use an automatic feeder instead.

Is Betta Banquet safe with shrimp or snails?

Zoo Med publishes no invertebrate guidance for this product, so we are not going to claim it is safe or unsafe. It is designed for a single betta in a betta setup. If you keep shrimp or snails alongside, the sensible course is an automatic feeder or a carer rather than a dissolving block whose effect on your water chemistry is not documented.