Hi all!
First off, thanks to everyone who has helped me with Charlie so far. He made it through his first two weeks in his new home, and he enjoyed his quiet time last week when I went on vacation. However, I am now having some problems with his diet. He refuses to eat anything but bloodworms, and ate two since I returned yesterday. I have tried to give him flake food, and he literally just looks at it and then swims away like a diva. I remove whatever he ignores, although sometimes smaller pieces fall between gravel. Cleaning the untouched food freaks him out a bit, so I don't want to scare him by putting my hands in there, or by using a turkey baster to suck the food out. So my question is, is it okay to just feed him on bloodworms for a while? I heard they are very heavy in protein, so I am planning on giving him a single worm every other day. Since I started feeding him his color has become beautiful, but I am afraid these worms are too much of a good thing for him, and they could be detrimental to his health. I have heard mixed reviews from people, some saying bloodworms are the main diet, and then some people say they only give them as treats. I guess I am just asking for people's opinions. I know bloodworms are a big part of a bettas natural diet, but I didn't know if there were an other foods besides flakes and bloodworms I could try. In addition, what is a good ration for bettas eating the worms?
Okay, usually the freeze-dried BW should only be feed as a treat 1-2 a week, the frozen and live could be fed as a meal. So, have you tried frozen or live before?
Also Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets are really good for bettas.
One more thing, soaking pellets in garlic can act as a food enhancer for picky eaters, and a plus is that it is good for your bettas immune system.
Fast him for a while, several days to a week until he starts to eat the pellets. If he knows you'll feed him the "candy" (that's basically what the freeze-dried bloodworms amount to because the freeze-drying process removes all the nutrients). Offer him 1 or 2 pellets every 2 or 3 days, until he eats them. Eventually, he'll get hungry enough to eat them. Don't worry, Betta fish can go many weeks without eating.
My boy was exactly the same when I first got him, wouldn't eat anything except bloodworms. I tried everything from fasting to soaking the pellets in garlic, but nothing worked, until i fed him pieces of daphnia, which supposedly stimulates the appetite. After a few days of daphnia, he started eating his omega one and NLS pellets enthusiastically and hasn't had a problem since. So, if all else fails, try this, and good luck!
Thank you for all the help! I bought him the pellets, which as expected he turned his nose up at. I am hoping he warms up to them, as he appears to continually swim near them. My only concern is I have had him for about 3 weeks now and the only thing he has eaten was those 3 dried worms. I am hoping he eats soon or he'll starve! I'll keep updating.
Mine did this for over a week after I got him. I panicked. He finally started eating frozen brine shrimp, and that's when I realized he only ate his food when he could chase it. Yours may prefer to "hunt" his food like mine does. If the pellets just sit there, he ignores them. I use a turkey baster, suck the presoaked pellets up, and shoot them into his water one at a time. They shoot down and then pop back up so he gets to chase his food. Now he LOVES feeding time.
Scuba was like that until I moved him into his 10gal. I bought this little fish a buffet of food to chose from between micro pellets, flakes with freeze-dried bloodworms, frozen bloodworms and a large pellet I used to have to crush for him. He was so picky. The only thing he'll eat religiously are the (smal fish formula) NLS pellets, so if you haven't tried those, I highly recommend them!
I have a picky new betta too. I got him a week ago, and so far he has refused Omega One betta buffet, tetrabetta pellets, bettamin flakes, and Hikari bio-gold betta pellets. THe only one he'd even put in his mouth was the Hikari, but he spit it out. All he has eaten is a couple pieces of freeze dried bloodworm two days ago, and the day before that. I've ordered some NLS betta pellets and freeze dried daphnia and brine shrimp. I talked to the Petco employee today. She said she had a betta once who would only eat bloodworms, so she just fed him that but only every third day. She also recommended not forcing them to fast for many days if they won't eat what you want them to eat because one of hers died when she did that. Just thought I'd mention and see what others think. If "fussy fishy" won't eat any of the other foods when I get them, I don't know what else to give him unless I try some frozen food.
Wildstorm - funny (but fortunate) that he's eating now when you leave the room. I tried that too and came back to soaked pellets at the bottom of the bowl.
If I want to try soaking pellets in garlic, do I just crush a garlic clove and set the pellet in the juices for a few minutes? Or can I use garlic powder in some water and soak the pellet in that?
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