Extremely Picky Betta

[JBrady]

So I got my new betta, Rupp, last Friday. He didn't eat the first 2 nights and I thought maybe because he was still a little nervous. Well apparently he's jusy really picky. He refuses to eat 3 brands of pellets, betta flakes, tropical flakes, dried shrimp krill bloodworms and daphnia. I bought him frozen bloodworms and he loves them.

I'm not sure but I think I've seen that bettas shouldn't just be eating bloodworms only. Is this true? And if it is, doesn't anybody have any suggestions on what I should try feeding him? He eats it and spits it out a second after.

[JBrady]

Also, I'm verrrryyyy allergic to frozen bloodworms so it's not very fun trying to feed them to him. Never had a betta like this

[AquaticGirl101]

Yes, it is true. I only feed my betta blood worms once a week as a treat :) Maybe try
Hikari Bio-Gold pellets? My betta loves Aqueon's all natural pellets.

[JBrady]

Ill try it and someone told me Omega brand too. I really wish I could feed him and my other fish live brine shrimp but the only petstore that had them went out of business :(

[Myates]

lol what a pain when that happens! I have some picky eaters too - I have about 6 different types of food I feed different ones, 3 different pellets (Omega One Betta Buffet, NLS Grow, Atison's Betta), flakes I have from the IBC store that isn't sold in stores yet, homemade shrimp/garlic/spinach mash and frozen bloodworms. And live food when it's available.
Some will eat anything, others only one or two things..
And I've dealt with ones that will get a taste for homemade or live and will refuse pellets they used to love the next day - so then I have to force them back into pellets.

Continue to offer pellets and eventually he should accept them. Some pellets aren't as appealing as others to some fish - New Life Spectrum and Omega One tend to be popular with picky eaters.. if you have either of those, then continue until he gives in and eats them.

Can possibly use tweezers, let a pellet get a little bloodworm juice on it and then try to feed them? It may be a taste or a texture issue with him.. but he should have pellets in his diet as they tend to have more of a balanced nutrition - frozen bloodworms can be fine to feed once a day or every other day, but sometimes they aren't as healthy due to the freezing process, some brands or even just a certain batch.

Look into growing your own brine shrimp - can buy the eggs, hatch in a 2liter bottle with just an air stone and AQ salt - but never had grown any to adult, so can check into it if you want?

[AyalaCookiejar]

I'm so glad you posted this! I've been feeding my betta bloodworms because my dog ate the entire bottle of his pellets, and when I went to walmart, they had no pellets left (I have pellets now, but he seems to prefer the bloodworms).

I had no idea I shouldn't be feeding him bloodworms very often :(

[Myates]

Freeze dried ones aren't a healthy diet.. good in protein, lackluster in everything else. Freeze dried are better once or twice a week.. frozen a bit more often as they retain more nutrition.

You did what you had to do to keep him eating until you got him more food.. no harm, it's what anyone would do if in that situation.

[amyteee]

Try pre-soaking your pellets in fresh garlic juice just before feeding time. It's an appetite stimulant, worked wonders with my boy :) He is also finicky. If that doesn't work I'm not sure what to suggest!