He's been guzzling algae!

[MVines]

I've been so worried about my Betta fish recently because he had stopped eating, and I know refusing foods is a bad sign.
It's kind of a long story, but because he eats all the roots on my Amazon Frogbit, I had been rotating them in and out of another grow tank, which recently suffered an outbreak of green filament algae. Before swapping plants over I did google and check the algae wouldn't harm him. It was supposed to be okay, so I put some of the plants with algae on the roots in his tank. But then he stopped eating.
I was very confused by it because he looked fine otherwise, and was swimming around and holding himself up. No signs of fin rot or health issues at all.
And just tonight I figured it out - he doesn't want his food, because he's been filling up on Green Algae!! Crazy fish. I assume he's going to be alright then, but it would be good to hear someone confirm that a diet of green algae for a few days isn't going to harm him. ? Let me know if you have any thoughts about it. Why would he choose to eat the algae?

 

[rescuebettasrock]

In theory? He shouldn't want to. Bettas are supposed to be carnivores. However, it could be a vitamin deficiency; if they eat daphnia and peas to poop, he may just need or want the fiber. It seems that he enjoys nibbling on plants, and while it's an unusual behavior, he just may need something nutritionally that he can get from them. I wouldn't worry about it too much, as long as you're also giving him pellets to eat WITH the algae, lol.

 

[MVines]

Lol, yes I am. He's kind of a fussy eater. He never liked bloodworms or flake. Just pellets and frozen food. At least he's still looking healthy, so I'll just persist with trying to offer him Betta food when he will take it!

 

[Retired Viking]

It may be like a cat eating grass, something is missing in his diet. I hope he will be alright.

 

[MVines]

Oh dear. I hope so too. What do you think could be missing? I mean his primary food is just Betta pellets, with sides of frozen foods like brine shrimp. Shouldn't they be nutritionally complete?

 

[Retired Viking]

I would think so but it has been a long time since I had a Betta.