Is this normal feeding behavior?

[belladragon]

Hello! Newbie with a question. What a rare occurrence indeed [/sarcasm]

I had my betta, Krona, for three days now and I not sure if he's really eating. I gave up on pellets quite quickly as he was not eating it and got freeze-dried brine shrimp instead. (The pieces are HUGE so I break it into crumb)

He seems to want to eat it but tends to spit some of it out. Not all of it but some. Is this normal?

[Rosso1011]

First of all, I think you gave up on the pellets a little early. Bettas sometimes take time to adjust to their new environment before eating. Pellets are an excellent source of nutrients for your betta. It could be that he's not quite ready to eat or doesn't like that particular brand of pellet. Some of the better pellets out there are Omega One Betta Buffet (which I've heard is good for finicky eaters) and New Life Spectrum, which is popular among our members.

As for the freeze-dried brine shrimp...I'm not 100% sure. I tried freeze-dried bloodworms with Rosso and he did the same thing except he only gave it one or two attempts. Now, he won't even look at bloodworms, so I do not offer them anymore. This may not be the case with your betta however.

Another thing to keep in mind is that stuff such as freeze-dried or frozen foods are to be used sparingly, not as a main diet staple. I give my boys a little bit of frozen food once a week.

[belladragon]

Originally Posted by Rosso1011

First of all, I think you gave up on the pellets a little early. Bettas sometimes take time to adjust to their new environment before eating. Pellets are an excellent source of nutrients for your betta. It could be that he's not quite ready to eat or doesn't like that particular brand of pellet. Some of the better pellets out there are Omega One Betta Buffet (which I've heard is good for finicky eaters) and New Life Spectrum, which is popular among our members.

As for the freeze-dried brine shrimp...I'm not 100% sure. I tried freeze-dried bloodworms with Rosso and he did the same thing except he only gave it one or two attempts. Now, he won't even look at bloodworms, so I do not offer them anymore. This may not be the case with your betta however.

Another thing to keep in mind is that stuff such as freeze-dried or frozen foods are to be used sparingly, not as a main diet staple. I give my boys a little bit of frozen food once a week.

Okay. Pure curiosity, the pellet I tried to feed him with is "wardley betta food" and the first ingredients are "fish meal" and "ground wheat". Is that a good thing or a not so good thing??

[Rosso1011]

Having fish meal as a first ingredient is a good thing. You also want to look at protein content. The pellets I use, Omega One Betta Buffet, list the first three ingredients as seafood/fish and has a protein content of 42%. I remember a member telling me that you want to have a high protein content in the food.

[Rosso1011]

From reading product reviews on Wardley, it seems the pellets tend to be rather big, so you may have to break them up for your betta.

[MadameDesu]

It could definitely be the size. I have a different brand and I have to sift through the food to find pieces small enough to feed my fish.

[belladragon]

Hmmm. Well that makes sense now. I picked my betta solely because he was acting so spunky when I saw him. Krona is relatively small compared to most of the other ones at the store.

I wish to show you guys pictures but my camera went missing! *sigh* I'll try using my phone later today.

EDIT: IT WORKED! (The camera that is!)