Betta needs help

[canis_lupus]

My other fish keep eating my betta's food.....well just my platy he eats the flakes then goes for the pellets and if i just feed my betta the platy just eats the pellets!
Any suggestions? My betta is really slow on the attack it takes her ages to figure out there's food 4 her and then it's 2 late! or as soon as she starts mushing them up Mango the platy comes along and takes it! Help me before she starves!

 

[wuvmybetta]

try coming up with something between you & her so she knows to be ready when you come over to feed her, wait until the guppy is off doing it's own thing and try to persuade your betta to come to the top and drop a pellet directly in front of her, my oldest betta lived in the community tank for about 6 months and we had the same problem with the guppies....finally he caught on to me sneaking the top open and giving him a hand signal and he would cruise to the top & eat before the guppies even knew what was going on, I think it made him feel special to eat alone

 

[gi4get]

that's so great! a trained betta! mine's on his way to eating out of my hand. i'm planning for a 20 gal. tank and am thinking about mixing my betta and guppies (assuming they get along). i'll keep in mind your tricks for feeding time!

 

[MountGuppy]

wow nice trick

 

[canis_lupus]

yah guess i'll have to work on that cuz poor citrus is gonna get real hungry. another question do alot of betta's just swim back and forth....cuz citrus just follows the back of the tank and rarely come to the front.

 

[wuvmybetta]

, he's a pretty neat & very original betta, he's now retired to his own 10 gallon with a fiesty female for a neighbor and he's quite happy, the clown loaches in the community were driving him crazy ,they refused to accept his "authoritah"

I think when they have as much space as they do in a large tank all they can do is pace/patrol the wall, that's what my male did during his stay in there and I believe it really aged him rapidly, he just looks....old.

I have a few who snatch food before it hits the water ,one of my females looked like flipper tonight when I was handing out the live brine freaked me out,her whole body came out of the water and I thought she was going to flip behind the desk, (other than feeding time she's tightly covered ) there's a few who just can't seem to focus on the food so I gently tap the glass where the foods floating and they finally zoom in, and this gorgeous red male who LOVES to flare at his reflection....I have to tap his lid so he'll snap out of attack mode and come eat , he's a brute, another of my males gets so excited when he sees me with food in my hand...his body starts dancing and wagging, he looks like he's peeing all over himself ,ok enough betta ramble,sorry )

find a still meeting spot and she'll be eating in no time

 

[canis_lupus]

thank you!! i figured out how to get Citrus to eat! i put my finger tip just on the surface near the food and she comes over but the other fish won't. yay now she will live...well she's really picky and doesn't really eat her pellets....i have 2 kinds the ones the pet shop used but she just spits em up and moves on, she tries a few times then gives up......i'll try softening them and crushing them tomorrow

 

[wuvmybetta]

good, I'm glad to hear that

hikari betta bio-gold is terrific, you can get a small package for a couple of bucks and it will last forever , but that could be what your using already

 

[MattL]

I always feed my betta out of my hand, even flaked food. I just pinch it and hold it near the surface. None of the other fish even come near it (though the neons are gettin cheekier and cheekier). But my betta takes it right out my hand.

Then again if i put my finger in the tank, my betta comes and swims round it and brushes his fins past me. Seriously he does!!! Im not sure caus if its just his personality or what....i only seen him flare once or twice. Hes so chilled out compared to alot of them i seen.

Anyway, just try and feed him like that, start off by dangling the food in the tank in front of him.

HTH

Matt

 

[canis_lupus]

yah Citrus does that........but she still won't EAT! i've tried 2 kinds of pellets the hikari and wardley and she won't eat either of them! i tried mushing and soaking them......she hasn't eaten in 5 days! (that's when i got her) what do i do she's really hungry i can tell cuz when i feed the other fish she smells the flakes and looks for her food and then i give it 2 her and she spits it out.......she just leaves it there and i show it 2 her so she comes back and smells it then leaves i don't want her 2 die. i'm gonna go to the pet store and c if they have flakes or anything.....i don't think i should give her blood worms cuz maybe she'll only eat those and i've heard that they r only a treat! i need help

 

[Scarab]

have you tried HBH Betta Bites?

 

[canis_lupus]

no......i'll have 2 find em first tho.........Citrus has lost some weight i remember when i got her she had i pudgy tummy but now it's not

 

[dirty332]

i know what your sayin because ive got 3 mollies and 1 beta he is pretty fast and i usally put some food one one side then the mollies move to that but the beta goes to the other side because thats where ive been feeding it so i can get food but when the mollies gobble the other side up they eat all of my betas food ( pigs) some how its knida trained but then i do it agin but give the mollies flake and the beta pelets not like they wont eat both because when my beta is really hungrey he eats both they act like there always hungry though

hope this helps you any

 

[crimsontsavo]

I used to raise bettas and when mine didnt eat i'd feed them little pieces of meat.Chicken/beef/.It was raw and they loved it.. Try mosquito larva too.They are easy to find (in CLEAN standing water).