Betta Not Eating Normally?

[pablothebetta]

I've had my current betta since February now, and he's always eaten great, with no problems with him being picky, etc. However, these last few days, he seems to be having trouble with finding his food. He has Hikari Betta Bio-Gold Pellets which float. He goes for the water around the pellet/s (sort of biting it, as if his food was there) and even when I tap on the tank with my finger (which usually works), it still takes some time for him to find the food. He used to see the pellets straight away as they landed in the water, and eat them at once (I lift the lid of his tank up to feed him, so as soon as the lid went up, he would swim straight to the surface and wait. He doesn't even do this very much now). Once found, though, he eats it up with no problems.
He's swimming around actively as usual, and there are no other signs or problems with him.

Any idea what has caused this behaviour change?

 

[soybean]

Try not feeding him at all for a few days and he may be more eager to feed.

You're not still feeding him 12 a day are you?

 

[pablothebetta]

Ok, shall try that. No, I'm not anymore I'm down to 6 a day - 3 in the morning and 3 a little later. When I think about it, I guess it was a 'little' much for him

 

[the_lock_man]

I wondered if he was a bit constipated. Another option would be to feed him half a deshelled pea (I normally squish them under the back of a fork, just to make it easier to eat), that seems to help with digestive tract problems.

 

[pablothebetta]

I'll try that one too, then Should I just get one out and de-frost it for a while, then give him it?

 

[soybean]

Stick it in mug with a bit of boiling water, take the outer shell off and squash the soft pea.

I still think 6 is too many. Try two in the morning and evening. They really don't need to eat a lot.

 

[pablothebetta]

All right, two it is. I must say, it doesn't seem a lot considering the pellets are so tiny. Should I make the shelled pea a regular thing, or just a one off. Also, is there anything else you'd reccomend to enhance his diet a little more?

 

[the_lock_man]

Stick it in mug with a bit of boiling water, take the outer shell off and squash the soft pea.

I still think 6 is too many. Try two in the morning and evening. They really don't need to eat a lot.

I read elsewhere on this forum that a fish's stomach is roughly the size of its eye. And that they don't have a mechanism to tell them when they're full up, like we do.

When I feed peas, it's because that's what we're having for dinner, so I just take a few out of the microwave dish (they aren't cooked in salted water, before anyone pulls me up on that!)

 

[soybean]

Peas are good for constipated fish but dont need to be in the regular diet. Fed properly, they shouldn't become constipated at all.

It may not seem like a lot of food to you but their stomach is about the same size as their eye, and they're not hugely active fish.

Dried bloodworm always goes down well, just a couple at a time. Frozen was even better but unless you have another tank to feed it's a bit pointless defrosting cubes of it for a few worms.

 

[pablothebetta]

...just tried the pea. It just sunk to the bottom of the tank straight away and he missed the pieces of it. I tried popping some on the tip of my finger so he could perhaps take a nibble at it (he often tries to take a nibble at me if i have my fingers in the tank, so I thought it might work), but that didn't work either. So basically he didn't get any of his bit of shelled pea How are you supposed to give them it?

I knew their stomachs were small, but I wasn't aware they were only (roughly) as small as their eye. Will maybe try some dried bloodworms sometime

 

[the_lock_man]

...just tried the pea. It just sunk to the bottom of the tank straight away and he missed the pieces of it. I tried popping some on the tip of my finger so he could perhaps take a nibble at it (he often tries to take a nibble at me if i have my fingers in the tank, so I thought it might work), but that didn't work either. So basically he didn't get any of his bit of shelled pea How are you supposed to give them it?

Just pop it in the tank. Does he have a leaf that he likes to sit on, or something like that? You could try putting it there. Because I mash mine quite small (so the Cardinal Tetras in my other tank don't struggle) there's always some really small bits that get taken by the current and float around. My betta has no problem taking small or large.

I guess if he's not feeling too hungry, he won't go straight for it. Just leave it there for a while, see how it goes.

 

[soybean]

Trial and error not every betta will eat them anyway, and it's not obviously food to him if all he gets is pellets. Don't leave those bits of pea in there.

I think you should just stop feeding him altogether for a couple of days. It will do him no harm. And a generous waterchange, for good measure.

 

[pablothebetta]

...just tried the pea. It just sunk to the bottom of the tank straight away and he missed the pieces of it. I tried popping some on the tip of my finger so he could perhaps take a nibble at it (he often tries to take a nibble at me if i have my fingers in the tank, so I thought it might work), but that didn't work either. So basically he didn't get any of his bit of shelled pea How are you supposed to give them it?

Just pop it in the tank. Does he have a leaf that he likes to sit on, or something like that? You could try putting it there. Because I mash mine quite small (so the Cardinal Tetras in my other tank don't struggle) there's always some really small bits that get taken by the current and float around. My betta has no problem taking small or large.

I guess if he's not feeling too hungry, he won't go straight for it. Just leave it there for a while, see how it goes.

Well in his BiOrb (soon to be a new tank cause I'm sick of it) he does have a grass ring ornament I could maybe rest it on, and hope he finds it, so I may try that When I popped it it, it just immediately sank right to the bottom onto the substrate so I doubt he saw it, even if it was right next to him :')

 

[the_lock_man]

As Soybean said, if he doesn't find it soon, get the pea back out, and just leave him unfed for a good 2-3 days, maybe more.

 

[pablothebetta]

I've managed to rest some of it on one of the more horizontal lower leaves on the grass ornament - I do hope he finds it!