My New Betta Boy Won't Eat..

[Betta_Mom]

hey guys!

i just got a handsome new veil tail boy this last saturday, and its now wednesday night and he hasn't eaten a single bite the whole time. he's very active and healthy looking, and has even put on some color since i brought him home. my other boy, (eric) and him (vince) puff at each other and seem completely normal. eric is a little pig and will even jump at my hand while i'm dropping in his food but vince doesn't seem to even notice the food.

i have even tried to put him in the little cup i brought him home in, i thought maybe he might just be used to eating in there. even if the pellets are floating on top, or sunk to the bottom, he won't eat.

i'm getting worried he might starve himself. i'm thinking about buying some other type of tasty food to coax him to eat. (i'm feeding Hikari betta food now.)

is there a food you guys can suggest i try for him? what should i do for my boy?

 

[stang1]

What are your water readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH?
Sometimes Bettas need a few days to settle in, one of mine didn't eat for a few days when I first got him. You could try feeding him bloodworm although this should only be fed once or twice a week as it is high in protein. You could also try something like daphnia, artemia, mysis etc. Mine love Tetra Betta so it might be worth giving that a go as well.

oh, welcome to the forum!

 

[ReMz]

He was definitely not fed Hikari pellets in the store. It is normal for bettas to not eat their food for a couple of days. However, consider trying some different foods (cheaper pellets, frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp, etc). Bettas can be picky, but when starving, they normally tend to adapt to what they are being fed.

Very odd, but just keep an eye on temp, chem. levels, signs of disease, etc.

 

[Betta_Mom]

thanks for the quick replies guys! unfortunately i don't have a home testing kit, but when i go in the get new food at my lfs, i'll bring in a water sample to get tested.

here's a pic of my picky boy. isn't he pretty? can anyone tell me what his coloration is called? sorry about the crappy quality pic, its from a cell phone.

 

[ReMz]

almost cambodian..... i dont know the technical name for that coloration (other than marble... but clearly not a "marble").... perhaps somebody can enlighten me

 

[Netty]

Don't know about the colouring but he is gorgeous whatever he is I love those colours