Bettas rejecting food?

[Zakura]

Sorry for making so many topics lately, I'm just trying to make sure I don't accidentally kill my new Bettas. :O

Today I was feeding them each Hikari Bio-Gold, and they both tasted the pellets, but then spit them out. They're not even reacting to the freeze-dried bloodworms too much. I thought they went crazy over bloodworms?

Anyway, the owner of my LFS said he fed his fish flakes, so I'm wondering if my Bettas don't know that the pellets are food? Or maybe, since I only got them yesterday, they're still in shock? Or worse, maybe my water is bad and they're getting sick? o_o I wouldn't know.

I'm going out in a few minutes and I'm hoping to get water testing kits. In the meantime, do you think this behavior is normal? If you think that they don't know it's food, is there a way to train them to eat it?

[Lupin]

Hi Zakura.

Give your bettas time to become accustomed to the foods. Freeze-dried stuffs are easily more rejected compared to frozen ones but don't feed your bettas too heavily on one food.

[leifthebunny]

I feed my bettas flake, pellet and frozen. The big thing is that the food floats for the betta to be able to get it before it sinks. The betta pellets are better designed to float. As for bloodworms, try frozen. ;)

[Zakura]

Okie dokies, I guess I'll keep trying. Thanks for the help. :D As for the frozen food, I'm not sure if my LFS supplies it...I think he does, I'll have to see.

I know it's off topic, but if anyone reads this again, I'm just curious. I just bought a heater that says it'll keep temperatures a constant 78 degrees. According to my thermometer, the temperature is currently around there, should I put in the heater or should I wait 'til it gets colder? And when using water conditioner, the instructions say use a teaspoon of the stuff for every 10 gallons. Would I be using a full half-teaspoon (for a 5 gallon tank) in the water at every water-change, or would I be using a quarter of a half of a teaspoon if I do a 25% water-change? I'm so confused...thanks again for all the help!

[leifthebunny]

The heater will likely just keep the heat up, not maintain the temp. You'll want to add it now and just have it plugged in so you can adjust it if it raises the temp.

As for the water conditioner, a little over is fine. In my case, I have to add extra water conditioner due to tap quality. Most of it depends on your local water company and how much chlorine and chloromides they use. If you use Prime, it adds some slime coating for the fish, so a little extra is good.

[Zakura]

Thank you for the reply, Leif! For the water conditioner, I bought AquaSafe, which says that it will remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals harmful to fish, and that it also enhances the protective slime coating of fish. So from what you said, I guess I'd add half a teaspoon after each water change...it's only a five gallon tank, after all.

As for the heater, anything that could be used in my sized tank wasn't adjustable. Mine is just a put-in and plug-in kind that says the thermostat will keep the water at 78 degrees. I've not got much experience in heaters, but I'm guessing if I put it in and my water is already at 78 degrees, it simply won't heat at all.

Thanks again for all the help, everyone!

[leifthebunny]

You're welcome

[Zakura]

Ooh, that's good to know. This is why I need you people! Thanks again for all the advice!