betta not eating

[Rayne]

i got my betta last week. I have not noticed him eating very much since i got him. I add food wait 15-20 mins and clean out what wasn't eaten. It seems like nothing has been eaten. I watched him the past few days after i added food and i didn't see him eat. I tried betta flakes betta pellets and nothing. I even added pellets yesterday and left them in to see if he would eat them over night but they are still there this morning. i only left them because i knew his water change was scheduled for today so the water parameter wouldn't be messed up.

any suggestion are welcome i don't want to lose my new baby.

p.s. he looks healthy otherwise and has built several bubble nests.

 

[eudielynn]

If he's building bubble nests he's probably doing okay. Some just take longer than others to adjust to a new home. I have one that ate like a pig the same day I brought him home. The other took almost a week before he'd eat. He also may be eating when you aren't aware. One of mine will only eat food that he can "stalk". The other waits until it falls to the bottom of the tank and then picks it out of the gravel. I hate it, but it's the only way he will eat.

 

[sgstvoy]

Mine likes to pluck food out of the air (or water, rather.)

 

[BettaMomma]

Buy a bag of frozen peas.
Toss a couple of them into a bowl with 1/2 inch of water, and microwave them for about a minute.
Cool them, then squeeze them w/a spoon so the insides of the pea come out. Toss away the shell, then chop up the middle part of the pea and drop it in. I have never met a betta that didn't love peas.

Then, once he gets back to eating, he might take some pellets. If not, try some frozen blood worms. They are completely disgusting, but fish love them.

 

[Kiarra]

The frozen bloodworms aren't actually that bad. Some people think they're more gross than others.

 

[Rayne]

i don't have frozen peas but are canned ones ok? It will be tomorrw or the next day before i can get to the store to buy frozen peas.

he still didn't eat today but after i cleaned his tank, within the hour, i walked by his tank and another good sized bubblenest replace the one i destroyed when i did a water change.

So maybe he just not hungry, however i will try the peas later if someone lets me know if canned ones are ok.

 

[BettaMomma]

Hmm...
I am not sure.
I would think that the sodium level in those would make them NOT okay for him, but others might disagree.

and I think bloodworms are the most disgusting thing on the planet. lol
I have to scrub down like i'm going into surgery after I feed them to Liza - and that's even if I don't touch them.
heh

 

[Rayne]

yeah blood worms gross me out too. If i end up having to feed them to my little guy,( by the way his name is SMURF like the cartoon form years ago. His coloring is around the same color as a smurf.) I'll end up getting my BF to feed him . I can't even walk by the frozen blood worm in my LFS without feeling all creepy crawly so that will be his job with our little baby.

 

[Kiarra]

I've heard of people using canned peas. Prep them like suggested, except wash them REALLY well first with dechlored water. Then they should be okay, but use them only as a temporary substitute until you can get some frozen peas.