Today is the day!

[JuiceBox52]

Thank you! I will move him now

Be sure to let him float or have both tanks the same temp so as not to shock him

 

[Quin]

He will be floating for a little bit, though the tanks should be similar temps. Do I need to give him doses of new water too before he is released?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

He will be floating for a little bit, though the tanks should be similar temps. Do I need to give him doses of new water too before he is released?

I suggest it, Just add a little bit of water from the tank he is floating in, to the cup he is in. This gets him used to the parameters of the other tank.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

He has certainly been interested in food, but once he comes up to it he loses interest. I'm not sure if his pellets have been eaten or just hidden by the filter, as that would explain his behavior and the not so good looking water

It could be a number of things. 1( He doesn't like the food, 2( He is just starting to get used to the tank (This is very normal), or 3( There is something wrong with his mouth. (Look for a red or white spot. This last one is very uncommon though.

 

[Quin]

I will be sure to monitor his eating habits! His tank is now big enough that if he doesn't eat the food I can easily locate and remove it, which should help a lot! I've been watching him all night and no spots, but I'll be sure to ask you if they appear!

 

[Essjay]

It is not unknown for bettas to refuse to eat the food you give them when they are new. They are used to the food the shop or breeder gave them and they sometimes don't realise that what you are putting in the tank is food. Keep putting the food in the tank and removing uneaten food. bettas do not starve themselves to death, he will eventually start to eat it.
Having said that, very small bettas cannot manage large pellets, they need to be broken into smaller bits. And I've had bettas that refuse to eat hard pellets, for those I soak the pellets in a bit of water to soften them. With soaked pellets, you need to carefully transfer them to the tank so they float, I used a small pipette to do this. Other bettas have refused to eat soggy pellets when they've not found them straight away.
Any fish will go off food if the water conditions are poor. Now he's in his new tank, water changes will keep the water clean until you have the ammonia test, then go by the ammonia and nitrite levels - do a water change when either are above zero. Hopefully with the Safe Start and plants, they'll stay at zero.

 

[Quin]

Thank you for the advice! I tried giving him two different pellets two different times this morning, but either he ignored them or, as you mentioned, he might not yet know that they are food. I would have given him a little more time, but they were getting sucked in and spat out of the filter repeatedly.

I was wondering if there was something I could do to let him know food is coming? I know I've read comments that some people's bettas associate pipettes or Q tips with food, but I don't have pipettes and I don't want him to eat cotton accidentally. Today will be the fourth day (April 14th) since I got him and I haven't seen him swallow any food despite offering it daily. How can I encourage him to eat?

 

[vanalisa]

Mission successful! I brought home a heater, the safestart, and the test strips. Unfortunately those three things cost a lot, so I wasn't able to get him any more decor this time around. Until I can get him the pieces I have my eye on, should his current plants and decorations be bunched close together like in the wild, or should I spread them out evenly over the tank?

It's been a while..
Is this the betta that was in the 1.7g bowl??

 

[Quin]

It's been a while..
Is this the betta that was in the 1.7g bowl??

Yes it is! He is now swimming happily in his new 10 gallon

 

[vanalisa]

Yes it is! He is now swimming happily in his new 10 gallon

Wow, I just saw the pictures!!!
That's one spoiled Sushi Wushi
I better not let my Bettas use my phone any more, if they see Hank's tank pictures they gonna be mad!

 

[Quin]

That is so cute! Believe me he is not anywhere near as spoiled as I plan to have him yet. My budget needs a little bit of time to replenish as his supplies have been really expensive, but after ammonia testing kits his top priority is lots and lots of plants and decor!