Betta won't eat

[LizzyP]

Jonah is giving me a very hard time about eating, although he looks much happier in a 3 gallon then he does in 1 gallon. He turns his nose up at everything. I've even tried soaking them in garlic and he'll swim up to it really fast but then just swim away. I've tried 2 different kinds of pellets that I have on hand, bloodworms and shrimp. Nothing. He has eaten 2-3 pellets that I know of in the past 2 weeks but tomorrow it will mark 3 weeks having him. I'm getting worried. Is there anything else I can try? He's starting to swim more, and not hide and be clamped all the time but not eating is making me worried. I'm tempted to call Petsmart and see what kind of food they feed them just to feed him something familiar. Ugh.

Lizzy

[Myates]

What types of pellets are you trying? Some brands a lot of bettas won't touch because of the "smell" they get from it.
Are you removing the uneaten food after feeding? If not, he may be picking them off the ground later to munch on when he feels no one is watching him.
Picky eaters can be difficult.. I have one that will only eat pellets. I prefer live and homemade foods, but he's old and set in his ways. Have another that for the longest time would only eat the pellets off the bottom after they had been in there for a while. Wasn't until I changed pellet brands on him did he start eating right away. I have found Omega One Betta Buffet to be popular with picky eaters.

[LizzyP]

I'm feeding Omega One Betta Buffet. I usually don't scoop it up but do thorough vacuuming at least once per week. But since there is gravel I can't tell if he's eating it or not. Sometimes he'll put it in his mouth and just spit it back out without even taking a bite of it.

[PaintedOaksOki]

Have you tried flakes? I know they are harder to deal with, but you could give those a shot. Although if he ate pellets befo he may just be a little stressed from moving tanks? How long has he been in the new tank?

[Myates]

He may be eating them later.. Surprising with the Omega. I am wondering if they fed them on either exclusive flakes or freeze dried. The flakes can be fine as long as you go by the same standards as pellets, freeze dried are just empty calories. But it wouldn't hurt to call and find out.
Other then the garlic trick that you tried the only thing I can think of is just to wait him out. Keep offering him the food, even for a bit removing any uneaten to get him to eat when you want him to as you feed him. Sometimes they take weeks and weeks before they are eating properly/healthy. As long as he doesn't seem to look like he is malnourished and he is active.. I would let him do his thing. He won't let himself starve to death, it's against natural survival mode.

[Bettanewbie60]

I agree with painted oaks...another move to a new tank and you basically have to do the wait to calm down thing again.

[LizzyP]

He finally ate 3 pellets, he made a liar outta me. :P

I found I have to plop them at the top when he's looking then tap them until it sinks. He attacks them on the way down. Guess we'll be doing this until he learns he can feed from the top.

[babystarz]

Maybe he just has really bad eyesight? When I feed Persephone she wants to eat the pellets right away, but if I don't drop them directly in front of her face she can't see them unless I point to them with my giant human finger :P

[PaintedOaksOki]

My betta was like that too, if they weren't infront of him, and they weren't in bubbles, he wouldn't eat them xD

[Perseusmom]

Happy he finally ate the pellets ! Yeah I tap the water where I want Perseus to come to when I drop his pellets in and he always grabs them right up, every now then one will start to sink and he will follow it and attack it..lol