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Betta Eating Issue

809 views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  kelly528 
#1 ·
As of a couple weeks ago my betta begin having trouble eating. He will grab at his food (betta pellet), but seems to be unable to actually take it in his mouth. He acts hungry & stares at his food, but for some reason seems unable to take the food into his mouth. He then will grab the air or water. I'm now seeing uneaten food at the bottom of his tank, but otherwise he acts & looks ok, no starvation, etc. What can be causing the eating problem & how can I resolve this?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Betta hunger problem

Hi,

Let me ask you a few questions if I may.

Is your betta alone in the tank? How big is the tank? How old is your betta? Did you make any changes about the time he stopped eating ... eg> add plants, change water, add a filter, etc?

Let me know and I can help you out.

Cheers
Beth C.
 
#3 ·
Some bettas often suffer from constipation from a mainly dry food diet. Try adding some live food on a regular basis, and see what happens. A lack of appetite is a clear sign of possible constipation, and uneaten food on the floor of the tank can cause nitrogen levels to fluctuate. Clean it out as soon as possible.

Is there a slight swelling around the vent (anus) are of your fish?
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi, thanks for your response. I did buy some live water plants at the pet store & also changed the water at the same time. Short after that is when I started noticing his inability to "bite" at his food. I changed the water again, due to debris left behind from the live plants (which I removed entirely). But his eating issue has continued.

His age is approximately 1-2 years. I'm always certain I use the water treatment also, when changing his water, which is not that often. I've just never experienced a physical eating issue like this, lol.

Also, I will purchase some live food this weekend. Any recommendations for that?
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Also, I will purchase some live food this weekend. Any recommendations for that?
Sure,

Freeze-dried foods which list shrimp meal, vegetable matter and even ground rice are good choices. Always remember to match the size of the food to the fish's size, also. Check the labels and get some with vitamins and minerals added.

Beth C.

I forgot to add that I would remove him to a quarantine tank, and salt bath solution, and then treat his tank water as usual, adding some aquarium salt.
 
#6 ·
If he is interested in food but not eating it seems most likely that he has injured his mouth crunching on a hard pellet. You may want to try something soft like life or frozen food or even soaked pellets for a week or two to give him time to recover from hard food without injuring his jaw further.



Also, I will purchase some live food this weekend. Any recommendations for that?
Bettas will go nuts for live bloodworms, blackworms, or brine shrimp. Alternatively you can feed him frozen food. Hikari makes about 6 different kinds of frozen food that come in convenient 'blister-packs'. You can pop a cube out and crush it with a hammer and it should last you for about 5 feedings.
 
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