Betta Not Eating... Help?

[1800higgins]

Hello. My girlfriend has a betta fish in a mini tank (maybe 1-2 gallons) without filter or heat. It has a light that she leaves on for about 10-12 hours a day to keep the tank a nice temperature... And she had a filter on there for a while but it didn't seem to be filtering much as it was an under rock one that came with the mini tank, so we took it out eventually.

Anyway. We noticed that over the last month the fish hasn't really been eating when you feed it. Now it's to the point that he won't even swim up to think about eating.We were cleaning out his tank tonight when we realized how ridiculously skinny he is. He's not really swimming around much anymore.

I know that his death is coming pretty close if something doesn't change, but I've had a lot of fish in the past and I've never seen a fish like this. He doesn't even look sick or anything. His fins still look good, his color good... He's just anorexic looking.

Any idea what could cause a fish to literally starve itself to death?

I should add that she's had him for about a year now and this lack of eating has only come up in the last like 2 months with him not eating at all being in the last like 2 weeks.

 

[Amerce]

Have you tried tempting him with live food, sometimes that will get his taste buds going.

Fish can starve themselves for a number of reasons, stress or just that he is not feeling well. They can manage for a time without food with no problems but if he's not been eating for as long as you say then there could be a problem.

Try using a mirror in front of the tank on some occassions to see if you can get a reaction out of him, it could just be apathy.

But do try some live food, bloodworm, brineshrimp, daphnia, you could even try a worm from the garden but ensure that it has been washed and you don't use any pesticides there, chop it up and try him with a small piece.

Good luck

 

[bubblesburst80]

hope you can do something to get him eating again

xXx

 

[Lynda B]

If she's already had him a year, it could possibly be age related. Are his colors fading at all?