My Betta Wont Eat *Sigh*

[LoveBetta1976]

Hello,
I am a new Betta Crocktail owner.
I just bought my fish Oscer on Thursday from Petsmart.
I have always loved Betta's as As I'm older now, with a lot of medical conditions, I felt buying a Betta would help me from keeping stressed and such. As I am home 24/7 I felt I needed a pet fish.
However, after. I took Oscer my new Betta pet home with me on Thursday, i did not feed him, as they told me he was feed at the store .
So I waited until Friday to feed Oscer. I have a 5 gallon fish tank, with a small sunking ship in it, filter, all the good stuff.
I let the water sit for over 24 hours before buying Oscer.
Friday comes....I give Oscer 4 pellets That petsmart recommended me getting.Oscer did not eat any of the pellets. I checked 4 hours later. The pellets are still in the tank.
I do not wont to over feed Oscer. Or Under feed Oscer. But he will not eat the food that I bought him. I have also, bought the Betta flake food.Because I knew Betta's where picky eaters.
I just don't know, if I should buy something else for him....My first thought that came to my mind, was maybe Oscer is just trying to get use to being inside a fish tank instead of a container.Does anyone know, if that could be a possablility, on why he isn't eating? And yes, the tempature in the fish tank is at the right digrees for him.

[herefishy]

Many times bettas go through an extended period of adapting to their new surroundings. Continue feeding. Just drop one piece of food in at a time. If he hasn't eaten it in 10-15 minutes, remove it. Also feed him at about the same time every day. Eventually he will settle in and his hunger will get the best of him. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

[okiemavis]

It's lovely to hear you have such a nice setup for your betta! So many people keep bettas in a small bowl with no filter or heater. Your little guy should do quite well for himself in a 5 gallon tank.

It sounds like he is probably just shy and getting used to his new surrounding. Do you have any plants for him to hide behind? He would probably appreciate so that he can become more comfortable. Bettas can be very picky eaters, especially when they are nervous. You could try feeding him something meatier like blood worms or brine shrimp to see if it peaks his interest. It's always good to vary the diet of fish so they get a wide range of nutrition.

I wouldn't worry too much about his eating right now. He should perk up and start eating and interacting with you as soon as he gets used to his new, more spacious home. Best of luck!

[LoveBetta1976]

Hello, thank you so much for your replies.
I was able to get him to eat this morning around 6 am. I am kinda thinking, the pet store may have been over feeding Oscer since he didn't eat the first two days.
I was very worried, that he wouldn't eat. I love fish.
and I actually talk to Oscer every day even as soon as I wake up, he waits on me to wake up I believe for me to talk to him lol.
He knows I am his owner.
Anyhow. Yes. I hate it when people just buy the small little bowls and such like that for there bettas I always feel so bad for betta's when they are in the pet store, in the containers. I wish I could take them all home with me. Bettas are so buetiful they deserve better then containers.
It is heart breaking to me seeing them in such small bowls and containers.
I did a lot of research on Betta's before I bought mine on Thursday. I have been viewing topics from here, to give me Ideas of keeping Oscer in a good healthy inviroment.
I made sure, I bought a very active fish, from the store. Oscer was one the few that would swim a lot in the container and Oscer loves swimming kinda crazy like lol.I know he isn't getting stressed, i had bought the stress stuff for him and put it his tank as soon as I got him home.
He's just a silly fish lol.
I do have a plant as well in the tank, he actually does not like the plant. He never hides behind it or anything. He loves the sunkin ship he hides behind the ship. I might buy a little bigger ship as he is so big, he can not fit inside the ships whole, and I have notice, he likes trying to go into the whole. I have also noticed, he gets spooked when he sees his own shadow from the glass. So I might buy some fake plant stickers to put on the outside of the glass to prevent him from getting spooked.
Anyhow I actually, got my fish tank for Christmas, from my parents.It was all I asked for for Christmas, and they bought the 5 gallon starter kit that came with everything need it.I might invest in a bigger tank later on, and breed Oscer if he lives longer then a month.
I love my Oscer.Ill be sad if anything happens to him, as this is my first fish since I was a kid.

[Falina]

What size of tank is the oscar in? He will require a minimum of 75g to keep him alone.

[King of Candlesticks]

I don't think faulina meant 75 gallons^^

He has him in a 5 gallon tank which is very good for a single betta.

[southafrica1001]

falina i also thought she was talking about an oscar but her fish name is oscar and he is a betta

[LoveBetta1976]

Yes, my fish is a betta. I named it Oscar. Thought it was a fitting name lol
and btw Im a guy incase yall thought I was a female lol
and Yes, I cant stand it when people buy small little bowls or 1 gallon tanks for bettas. They are such beatuiful fish, that are always kept in those horrable containers in the stores. Betta's deserve bigger then that, and bigger then bowls.
I could never put a betta in something that small I wouldn't feel right doing so.

[Falina]

I meant 75g, but only because I misread and thought the OP had bought an Oscar to keep with the betta, not named his betta Oscar.

5g is a fine tank size, I'm sorry if I caused confusion.

[King of Candlesticks]

Oh ok I understand. I didn't realize you were confused, sorry. Just out of Curiousity... Could you keep a Betta with an Oscar? Sorry to hijack the thread....

Glad to hear your betta is doing better!

Tony