Betta Feeding Problem

[opal_eyes]

Hi, I'm new to fish keeping, and I got my very first fish on friday, the 24th. He is a betta named Gibson. I was told to feed him once a day with betta pellets. The problem is he doesnt seem interested in thhem, so he hasnt eaten anything. Is this normal while he's adjusting to his new home perhaps? Any ideas and help would be greatly appreciated. Thanxe!

 

[e11cloud]

Hi, I'm new to fish keeping, and I got my very first fish on friday, the 24th. He is a betta named Gibson. I was told to feed him once a day with betta pellets. The problem is he doesnt seem interested in thhem, so he hasnt eaten anything. Is this normal while he's adjusting to his new home perhaps? Any ideas and help would be greatly appreciated. Thanxe!

It is common for bettas to not want to eat for several days when you first get them. They are adjusting to their new environment. Clean water, especially at this point, is vital for your fish, as he will be under stress and his immune system will be down, not to mention he's going to be a little weak from not eating. Try to relax. He may not like the pellets. And make sure you soak the pellets in treated water first...they can get additional problems from eating pellets that have not been soaked first, to make a long story short. Try a variety of foods for him. Buy some frozen bloodworms, and thaw them out in some treated water, then feed sparingly at a time. I recommend using an eye dropper and squirting in bits at a time. It simulates movement which will attract the betta's attention, plus it has more of a "food" smell to it. Mosquito larvae is the majority of a wild betta's food, and the bettas over in Thailand. Some people prefer to feed with their fingers instead of an eye-dropper, but since he's new and not used to you, try the eye dropper so that nothing unfamiliar is touching the surface of the water. You can even shave off like a fourth of the cube and save the rest for another feeding, as he won't eat the full cube...that's too much food. Also, you can try frozen brine shrimp, and freeze dried bloodworms. Feed the brine shrimp in the same manner as feeding the frozen bloodworms. I recommend Hikari brand. It's much better for the fish, they treat their food for disease, make sure it's in good condition, process the vitamins back into it, and then they freeze it for use. If you can't afford it, then a cheaper brand of food may be ok. This may help him to eat. I have a few bettas that do NOT like pellets. They won't eat them at all. Good luck, I hope this helps! You should get more ideas and suggestions soon from other members, so hang in there!

 

[CAC]

Mine wont eat special betta flakes, but he loves bloodworm...have a go with some of that, and take it from there.

cloud has given you some god advice, try some of those techniques, and dont worry, he could probably go for a week or more without food, so a couple of days will be fine.

Mikey