Betta Fish Forum banner

Betta Fish won't eat

3K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  Jupiter 
#1 ·
My red betta fishy, Jimmy won't eat. He puts it in his mouth, but then he spits it back out. I got Jimmy from Petco a little less than a week ago. When I got him, he was eating just fine. Then I went out and bought some flake food for Jimmy and fed it to him the next day. A few seconds later, he spit it back out! Can anybody help me figure out what's wrong?!:cry:

Oh! And sometimes he comes to the surface of the water to get oxygen. Does that have anything to do with it?
 
#2 ·
Fish need oxygen and they'll go to the surface and "gulp" air and than swim back down. What were you feeding him before the flakes? I don't like flakes because you can't keep a close eye on how much you're giving them and it clouded up my tank. What's the temperature of the tank? They will stop eating if they're too cold. Have you added anything to the tank or done anything differently that could've stressed him out?
 
#3 ·
I was feeding him Hikari pellets before. I don't really like flakes, either. The water temp is just about the same as it has been, but maybe it's too cold. Is 70 degrees F too cold? I think Jimmy might be stressed because he was a little pale when I first put him in his tank... Another thing about the oxygen. He gulps oxygen about 3 times in a row and it was making me start to worry because he does it frequently.

BTW, in your pic of your betta, I noticed the plant. I have the same one!
 
#4 ·
out of curiositty, whats in the flakes and/or whats the brand name?

How much are you feeding him a day? you might be over feeding, cuasing him not to eat.

I would suggest easing into a mixture of flakes and pellets, so iff you fed 6 pellets a doy, feed him 5 pellets and 1 flake 1 day, the next 4 pellets and 2 flakes, and after that 3-3.

Just a though,
Angel.

P.s. betta fish crazy grats on 1,000 posts :)
 
#5 ·
I'm not sure what the brand of the flakes is. I'll check later but right now I'm busy with new year's stuff... There are little brine shrimp mixed in with the flakes. That's a good idea, but right now, I'm feeding him 1 pellet a day. Is that too little? How much do you feed your betta(s)?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! WELCOME, 2010!!!
 
#7 ·
Okay, thanks. So now I know the temperature it's supposed to be at, and how many pellets I should feed him. I still don't know why he's spitting them out. It might be because the water's too cold. I'll check the thermometer...
 
#8 ·
Sometimes my betta does that to his pellet food. I read that is it to soften and loosen it up. He'll do that about 3 times then eat it. Ha. But that is my Schwimmy. So maybe yours is trying to soften it too. It's just s suggestion. But I'm a newbie. I just remember reading an article about that while looking for an answer for it.
 
#11 ·
Don't forget to remove any uneaten food from the tank. If you leave it in, it could be why your water is cloudy.

Hikari pellets are a good brand. Just curious, why did you switch over to flakes?
 
#14 ·
I looked for a heater, but my friends said that I shouldn't get one because my bowl's too small and they don't want me to "cook the fish." Instead of a heater, I'm using a lamp over his bowl to help warm the water. Is that a bad idea? Other than that, I'd say that Jimmy's quite a happy fishy! =D
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
i just bought my Betta two days ago and named him Azule because hes sparkling blue and my family ate at Azule the night before.i,m worried that he will die if i don't get a tank because right after i got him my meddlesome sister broke our 5gal tank so i have to put him in a jar i live in california so its normally 76 here but i dont have any gravel caves or plants..........or even a HEATER! CAN U HELP WITH TIPS

IM GETTING A TANK THIS weekend but im not sure if he will make it
 
#17 ·
i just bought my Betta two days ago and named him Azule because hes sparkling blue and my family ate at Azule the night before.i,m worried that he will die if i don't get a tank because right after i got him my meddlesome sister broke our 5gal tank so i have to put him in a jar i live in california so its normally 76 here but i dont have any gravel caves or plants..........or even a HEATER! CAN U HELP WITH TIPS
Well how big is this jar....is it enough to even put anything in it? If not get a bigger tank/bowl. Kritter Keepers are wonderful or if you have a big clearish tub with a lid.....put him in there. You could use a small pot as a cave....
 
#23 ·
Keshinvk, next time you could make your own topic so we can help you better. Bettas are carnivores, you shouldn't be feeding them fruits or vegetables.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top