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New fish but still won't eat.

916 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  bettababy 
#1 ·
My new male betta (Peachy) still won't eat. It is going on the second day I have had him. I am feeding him the pellets. He will eat one then spit it out. What else can bettas eat? Can I buy it at walmart? He seems healthy other than that. He swims and is active. Every once and a while he will stay at the bottem. But I figure every one has to sleep sometimes. Any suggestions??? New at the betta thing! Should I leave the three pellets in the water incase he changes his mind? Thank you in advance.
 
#2 ·
rebelangel76 said:
My new male betta (Peachy) still won't eat. It is going on the second day I have had him. I am feeding him the pellets. He will eat one then spit it out. What else can bettas eat? Can I buy it at walmart? He seems healthy other than that. He swims and is active. Every once and a while he will stay at the bottem. But I figure every one has to sleep sometimes. Any suggestions??? New at the betta thing! Should I leave the three pellets in the water incase he changes his mind? Thank you in advance.
Hi, and welcome! To go 1 day without food isn't uncommon... sometimes even 2 or 3. I would suggest contacting the store and finding out what they were feeding him, first off. Bettas can be fussy eaters, and if they've been raised on something specific, most will put up a fuss about eating anything else.
Unfortunatley, Walmart or stores like it won't have much to offer in ways of food for a betta other than the pellets. This would best be found at a pet store that deal with fish. Adult brine shrimp (live or frozen), live black worms, mosquito larvae (blood worms), daphnia (plankton type food)... all good food sources for a betta. If you try frozen foods, make sure to thaw them completely in a cup of tank water for at least 15 - 20 minutes before feeding it to your fish. If the food is too cold, once the fish eats it, it can cause the body and its organs to go into shock from the drastic temp change. This can be deadly.

What size tank is he in? Is there a filter? What is the water temp?
All of those things can contribute to a fish not eating. Also, are there decorations in the tank with him? Bettas need places to hide, and without it tend to stress badly. Stress can also cause the problems with eating.
 
#4 ·
I would not call this common, and I must again ask, what is the temp of the water? What size tank and what kind of filter are you using? These things are all extremely important to know when trying to keep any fish alive and healthy. Temperature and water quality are 2 big reasons for a fish not eating... stress from other things can cause this too. There are a number of things that could be happening, but without the information asked for, there isn't anything anyone will be able to do to help you.
 
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