Apallo refuses to eat!

[Fawnleaf]

I got Apallo a few weeks ago. He was so adorable- the cutest face you will ever see. But he never ate a thing. At first I wasn't worried because many of my fish have taken a while to warm up to my feedings. I have tried pellets, blood worms, even skinless, salt-less peas. He won't eat a thing except his tail. (I think he must be eating his tail because it looks like it was bitten by a tail biter)

I am scared he will die soon of starvation! What should I do for a picky eater?????


Housing
What size is your tank? 3 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78 f
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? "Tetra Betta floating mini pellets"
How often do you feed your betta fish? twice a day (2 in morning, 3 at night)

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 1 per week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? none (water is filtered and safe- with perfect perameters

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
1. tail became far shorter
2. paler (he was more colorful in his pet store cup!)
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? slow, inactive
When did you start noticing the symptoms? when I first got him
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? no
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no...
How old is your fish (approximately)? I got him 2 weeks ago

[Oldfishlady]

Have you tried any other type of food or if you have live food like mosquito larva or fresh crushed garlic juice laced fish food can sometimes stimulate appetite....

I would add another water change on the unfiltered 3gal...1-50% and 1-100%......and unless this is a R/O unit....the filtered water may not be the best for long term health and if it is R/O water you need to add some minerals back....you can buy additives or use 50/50 tap/RO water with dechlorinator....if this is a filter system like a Brita....that water is not good for fish...it changes one Ion for another thats not healthy......

[Fawnleaf]

Thanks for your reply! :)

The water is from the tap; it only filters out the chemicals as far as I know. I've been raising fish on it for over a year now. Could it be harming my fish, but not killing them instantly? What would I have to get to add the minerals back in, if that is the issue?

No, I haven't tried any other fish food, except for Hikari at the start but people told me to stop buying it because it wasn't healthy. I have tried the pellets, blood worms and peas. Maybe I will go to the store tomorrow for a new kind. Is there any way to entice him to eat? He seems hungry enough but more like he's not interested. Like he doesn't know it's food.

[Oldfishlady]

Depending on what the home water filter system uses to filter the water...usually these are not good for long term fish health due to the filter method...they usually only change one Ion for another...its best to bypass them and use unfiltered tap with a good dechlorinator.....

[ANHEL123]

I love to use AmQUEL+plus Removes Nitrate,Nitrite ,Ammonia,Chlorine & Chloramines.

Also i am feeding my bettas with tiny, tiny...pieces of the cooked shrimp. I learn that from Oldfishlady :)