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first time betta owner with ???s

797 views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  fishman12 
#1 ·
I just bought a male betta 2 days ago. I have him in a 1 gallon tank currently no heater (water temp is staying around 75) but I'd like to pick up a small heater to get the tank to at least 80 as he does act somewhat sluggish. He spends most of his time sitting in a small plant that I put in the tank but my problem is he isn't eating. I tried pellets and also i've tried flakes. He sometimes ignores the food and other times goes up to it and then swims away from it. I wait a while and then end up taking the food out so it doesn't sit there and rot and pollute the tank. Any thoughts as to why he might not be eating?
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum! Here are my first thoughts. Did you acclimate him to his new water properly? Does the tank stay 75 degrees in the night too? Are you doing water changes every day or every other day? For a 1 gallon, you need to change the water a lot or ammonia will harm your fish. Are you using water conditioner? If the answer is yes to all of those things, it could just be that he's adapting. Often bettas won't eat for several days after you bring them to a new place.
 
#3 ·
today the betta ate a pellet! so maybe he is just slowly adapting! thanks for responding to my post! :)
 
#5 ·
help in transition

when I bring my girls or boys home I give them a little of the food I use in their store cup, if the cup is fouled I change its water with one of my heavy filtrated tank's water.

This lets them see what I feed them and lets me know what their preferences are before we do the whole environment change. Most the girls I get are tiny and I feed them Fancy Guppy or fry flake at first. For the boys I offer them worms, fancy guppy and a full pellet. I've had boys turn their noses up at dried bloodworms!

I consider the feeding more important than getting them from the cup a half hour earlier and its a foolproof way for them to know what they'll eat.
 
#7 ·
my boyfriend bought a 25 watt heater, we haven't put it in the tank yet but would that be ok for a 1 gallon or is that too much?
 
#8 ·
thats a good idea! we've had our betta now for 4 days I gave him a pellet and hes actually taking them now rather than ignoring the food, ive noticed hes also getting more active everyday!
 
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