New Betta, Possible Problems Eating

[katanderson]

Hello! My name is Katrina, and a handful of days ago, I purchased my first betta fish (a double-tailed male). All seemed well, he adapted to his tank well and remained active. However, when it comes to feeding him, he seems to have problems eating the pellets. He'll catch them, and swim around with them for a moment or two, but then he'll release them. The second day I had him, he was able to eat the pellets after a try or two. However tonight, he wasn't able to eat at all. I also had some betta food flakes, so I gave that a try, no luck. Instead of eating the food, he rams into it...kind of strange.

Anyway, I ended up cleaning his tank out tonight, in hopes that maybe he would feel fresh in the morning and more like eating! Any tips are greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if he's still adapting to his new environment, can't digest the food, or is simply not hungry...like I said, I'm a first time betta owner.

[punkchica321]

It's frustrating isn't it? :-/ It's common for new bettas to have a small appetite, after having my Chevy for almost a week he FINALLY ate today. Just give him some time to settle in, and keep trying to feed him. :) Don't over feed though, just give him the amount of betta pellets that are the size of his eye.

[dramaqueen]

Hello and welcome to the forum. He's probably still getting used to his new home and will probably eat eventually. You can try crushing the pellets up to make them easier to eat.

[katanderson]

Thanks so much for your tips! Last night, I made sure that I left the tank in a dark environment. This afternoon, I attempted to feed my betta again, at first, I had the same problem. However, the second pellet was eaten by my betta! Hopefully this is a sign that he's adapting well.

[bettabug]

Well, I bought a Betta recently, and at first she would take forever to eat the stinkin' food! She sometimes held it hanging out of her mouth and shook it as if she was trying to kill it. It took forever for her to learn that she did not have to kill it fist because it was allready dead! lol!!

[roadrunner]

I always ask what they feed bettas when I buy them. They are stressed enough with new environment so at least I give them something they are familiar for first few days. If he does not eat, just give him a while to adjust.