New baby betta won't eat

[Nina7777]

Hi everyone-

I know new betta's don't normally start taking pellets for a few days....but I got my new betta which came from a breeder and is only about 2 months old two weeks ago. Since then he hasn't liked any of the 6 foods that I have tried to feed him.

I know he is hungry because he sucks in the food very quickly but then spits it out.
I;ve tried everything and am very worried about the little guy as he was pretty skinny before i got him and getting skinnier by the day.

Any help appreciated! Thanks!

 

[wuvmybetta]

Just keep trying. Any idea what she/he was feeding them before you got the baby? My 2 1/2 month olds eat frozen brine,(fr)bloodworms,(fr)mysis shrimp, crushed pellets,(fr) daphnia and zooplankton.

 

[Jayderana]

I agree with Wuvmybetta... I have had a couple young ones that I bought and they wouldn't eat....being as paranoid as I am I bought a bunch of foods...my main problem was that they were to tiny to eat the bio gold pellets or any kind of pellet... I started with freeze dried brine shrimp but i didn't want to keep feeding that because of the digestive issues i have read about... so I brough home a sample of hikari micro pellets and she wouldn't eat them at first until i started hand feeding them to her by letting her peck them off my finger tip...she wouldn't eat them any other way. But she has now grown enough to eat the boi gold pellets. You just have to keep trying...maybe the food is to big for him and that is why he can't follow through on eating it. What have you tried feeding?

 

[Nina7777]

Hi there- I've tried bio-gold micro pellets, frozen bloodworms, freeze dried bloodworms, bio-blend, tetra min granules, betta flakes, and fz brine shrimp.

He's still very active but i cleaned his tank this morning and there was so much food on the bottom I know he hadn't eaten.

 

[Jayderana]

You should ask the breeder you bought him from what he was eating when he was there. Or what he/she suggests you do about it. Then get him that. Nutrition is especially important for babies as I am sure you know... I would definitely try to figure out what he was being fed... they can be so temperamental but I think it is worth it to buy them young because you get to see them grow. I know that the ones I have had from babies have a greater trust for me than the one from adulthood. Good Luck with your little one

 

[Nina7777]

I'm sorry I should have explained better or mnetioned this. The breeder said she was feeding them baby brine shrimp, but had weaned them onto the micro pellets. I've tried both of these with no luck. Thats why I posted thinking someone may have a trick to get him to eat.

My other baby that I got about 9 months has grown up soooo much and was never a picky eater!

I just don't want poor little liberty to starve himself to death.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Do you crush the pellets ?
Maybe let them soak a bit to soften them up.
If all else fails, try frozen bloodworms. Break them up while they're frozen so they defrost in tiny pieces. In the meantime, I would give him/her a shot of BettaMax since it supplies vitamins via the water.

 

[Jayderana]

That is a tough one....considering you have tried the food that he ate at the breeder. I honestly don't really know what else to suggest.... you said that he is active and I assume you have made sure that he is parasite free etc... Maybe he is lonely can he see your other fish from where he is? Maybe try freeze dried daphnia or brine shrimp.... I found with one of my baby's that was prone to spitting out food that she would only spit part of it back out and eat a little... I am sorry I know how frusterating fish troubles can get I am having a few myself right now