Betta can't eat?

[ScuitoAmi150]

Okay so my betta Scuito has been having a hard time eating for a while now. At first he just couldn't eat the whole pellets so I started giving him flakes. But yesterday I noticed how gross it was making his water (lot more algae than when he was getting pellets) so I started splitting the pellets in half. Today I noticed he was having a hard time eating the bigger pellets.

It just looks like they don't fit in his mouth and if they do he can't swallow them, the stay right in sight (you can watch him try to swallow them & they never move).
I'm worried about him because he looks significantly smaller than he was over the beginning of the summer (this started probably 2 or 3 months ago). He looks skinny for a fish. He used to be the big one out of my VT boys & now he's the smallest.

Any thoughts?

[Colibri]

Maybe he has some parasites. It sometimes happens if you give live food. Those bugs would be eating all the nutrients that your betta needs, leaving him starving.

[ScuitoAmi150]

Originally Posted by Colibri

Maybe he has some parasites. It sometimes happens if you give live food. Those bugs would be eating all the nutrients that your betta needs, leaving him starving.

I never feed live foods though. The closest thing I give him is frozen worms...would those make it hard for him to eat?

[effy]

do you soak the pellets? That might make it easier for him to eat. I soak my pellets before I feed them to my Bettas, if you don't they are more at risk at getting bloated

[ScuitoAmi150]

Originally Posted by effy

do you soak the pellets? That might make it easier for him to eat. I soak my pellets before I feed them to my Bettas, if you don't they are more at risk at getting bloated

I'll try that tonight.

[sunnymui]

Originally Posted by effy

do you soak the pellets? That might make it easier for him to eat. I soak my pellets before I feed them to my Bettas, if you don't they are more at risk at getting bloated

Soaking definitely helps. I soak mine in some water with bits of garlic, and then 'fish out' the pellet to feed the betta. It seems to encourage mine to eat the pellets, and apparently is good for them internally (I think).

[karlhague]

Originally Posted by sunnymui

Soaking definitely helps. I soak mine in some water with bits of garlic, and then 'fish out' the pellet to feed the betta. It seems to encourage mine to eat the pellets, and apparently is good for them internally (I think).

Yes Garlic is well known to Build up the immune system Which then makes them less likely to get internal parasites.

Also with the original persons Frozen bloodworms.

These need Defrosting before feeding, but are awesome foods for Betta's