My new betta won't eat :(

thebunnyexpert · 03-12-2010, 12:45 PM

I bought him and another male betta on wednesday. (Don't worry, theyre seperated.) Before I covered the clear divider, they flared up. Quite beautiful, but I didn't want them stressed out or distracted, so I covered the divider.

Now, my white/pink betta eats fine. But the blue/pink one won't eat. He wouldn't eat the first night. Then yesterday he still wouldn't eat the pellet. So I finally gave him a freeze dried bloodworm and he ate it. Today, I tried the pelletes again and still no luck. So, I gave him a feeze dried bloodworm and he ate it. So far, it's the only thing he'll eat.

What should it do???

<3~Pleco~<3 · 03-12-2010, 02:58 PM

barely any fish will willingly take pellets. especially bettas - which are extremely picky fish. freeze dried, frozen, and live foods are usually readily taken, and your betta will generally be happy with those. there are also foods on the market made specifically for bettas. just avoid the pellets.
Good luck

ApplePie · 03-12-2010, 04:30 PM

Picky/stress

thebunnyexpert · 03-12-2010, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by <3~Pleco~<3

barely any fish will willingly take pellets. especially bettas - which are extremely picky fish. freeze dried, frozen, and live foods are usually readily taken, and your betta will generally be happy with those. there are also foods on the market made specifically for bettas. just avoid the pellets.
Good luck

So far, he'll only eat the freeze dried bloodworms. Can I make this his regular diet?

hXcChic22 · 03-12-2010, 08:12 PM

Chances are, once he gets more comfortable he will be a little more accepting of a varied diet. Try offering him spirulina flake once in a while, he will most likely eat it at some point.
We had a problem with one of our bettas because he never ate food unless it was sinking, and he didn't like anything but that. Now, he takes bloodworms, brine shrimp, and flake (off the top)

thebunnyexpert · 03-12-2010, 08:16 PM

I tried the sinking food. He wouldn't take it either. But when I drop any type of food in the tank, he flares up at it! Is that strange? It's almost like he's the most pissed off betta in the world. I read that bettas don't eat for a few days after being moved, but I hope he eats soon.

hXcChic22 · 03-12-2010, 08:25 PM

I think bettas might flare when they get excited. Probably like a hunter/prey reaction.
Just like our cat gets all poofy when she hears her food bag rattling.

<3~Pleco~<3 · 03-12-2010, 08:31 PM

he will get hungry enough to eat.

Zakk · 03-13-2010, 12:48 AM

here is what u do with a picky fish: STARVE THE BUM! a few days of not feeding him will have him eating ANYTHING u put in there.

Tori....i like ur suggestion that maybe they get excited and flare but no. unless that fish really blind he has some aggression issues. am willin to lay my car on the line that if u put another male in that tank, this dude will rip him to bits from the get go.

i also like the comparission to the cat but a cat is a cat. a fish is a fish. rules dont cross over to species with such a vast difference.

thebunnyexpert · 03-13-2010, 03:54 PM

Yeah, the betta that constantly flares (still unnamed by the way) seemes pissed off. Of course, I picked him because his colors were just beautiful and so even. I'm thinking the owner of his parents had to breed them to get a certain tail and my fish was one of the mixed products because he's kind of moontail-y and at the end of the tail, it's crown-y. A bit off subject but whatever. He flares while he eats and for a while after he eats.

**bmlbytes** · 03-14-2010, 11:39 AM

Bettas are the pickiest eaters I have ever seen. If you feed them their favorite food one day, they will stop eating their staple diet for a few days. Don't worry, the fish will not willingly starve itself to death. Just don't feed him for a few days and then drop some pellets in there. He will eat them. If he doesn't, try again the next day.