Betta Stopped Eating

[oneponygirl]

About 4 or 5 days ago (as you can see from the title) my betta stopped eating. He is otherwise acting very normal and has no visable signs of illness or disease. He comes to the top when I drop his food in (one at a time 'cause they sink fast) and he eats it but spits it back out. It's the same pellet food as he's always had. He's also rejected in the same manner a different kind of pellet food, frozen brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms. I saw someone on here recommend softening the pellets before dropping them in and I just tried that and he just watches them sink to the bottom.

I just did a 2/3 water change because all that rotting food made his tank gross. I took out one third of the water, kept the betta in it while I cleaned the 2-gallon tanks gravel and accessories and then put clean prepared water (AquaSafe and a bit of salt), the "old" water and the betta back in.

I don't know what else to do.

 

[BettaMomma]

Do you see any signs of anything odd about him?
Fungus, spots, clamped fins, anything?

 

[oneponygirl]

Nope. No visible signs of disease or illness. He's acting normally.

 

[daudy_dojo]

im sorry maybe your betta can meet my betta and maybe my betta will convince your betta that he isnt fat and he will start eating jk

i really am sorry though maybe he doesnt like the food... what you feeding him?!?! cause i know after a while freckles wont eat some foods... or he wont eat cause he is mad at me for taking away angelo or for leaving for the weekend... or waking him up ... did you wake him up at some point in time 4 days ago?!?!

 

[BettaMomma]

How about temperature changes?
Anything drastic there?

 

[oneponygirl]

No drastic temperature changes or any other changes that I'm aware of. I was away for a bit this weekend but all today he was so busy flaring at me and the basket next to his tank (which has always been there) that he didn't even seem to notice that I dropped a pellet in his tank.

Even after all this time he still seems to be active and looks normal. Soaking his pellets doesn't work either. They sink right down and he just ignores them.

 

[oneponygirl]

OK guys, it's been about a week and he still won't eat. I thought he was starting to this morning because he gobbled up the first pellet I dropped in but after he chomped a few times he spit it back out. I tried brine shrimp again tonight and he just swims through them like they're not there. At this point I go in stealing myself to find a dead fish (poor guy).

Sometimes when I check on him he is just hanging out, no fins moving at all but when he sees me he comes to life and flares and swims around. ARrg! Does any body have a clue? I'm afraid I'm gonna lose him.

 

[BettaMomma]

IT seems REALLY odd that he's doing everything normally.
Maybe he just quit liking the foods you're offering him?

CAn you try some frozen bloodworms or something?

 

[Tolak]

I don't have any bettas, but when I see angels behaving like that I treat for intestinal parasites. I don't know how high a temp bettas can safely take, I crank it to at least 90F for angels, treat with 35mg/gallon metronidazole with 50% water changes daily. On the 4th day I start feeding frozen brine shrimp with some metro sprinkled on it. I treat for 2 weeks. It's pretty much a standard treatment for angels who do the no eat thing, you may want to give it a try.

Tolak

 

[OrkyBetta]

Definitely sounds like internal parasites. Also, your food shouldn't be sinking. Try betta bio gold from hikari, there really isn't a betta who resists that. But f he won't eat, he might not eat the stuf he needs to eat to treat the parasites. Good luck.

 

[oneponygirl]

Thanks guys, I'll see about treating for internal parasites. I have tried the Hikari Bio Gold (one of the two pellet foods I have tried) but since he swallows them, "chews" and then spits them out they sink as well. (Bettamomma, I've already tried bloodworms, see pp )

Thanks again!

 

[BettaMomma]

Oopsy - sorry - musta missed that. )

As for temp - 86 is usually good to go up to for a betta, just fyi.

 

[oneponygirl]

I know this tank does stay on the cool side, I'll have to look at Walmart for a heater (I saw someone post that they have heaters for very small tanks). I've never needed to heat this one before so I don't have one.

I treated with the metronidazole (I just happened to have some) about half hour ago, so I hope that will help him to improve.

I just got a new ten gallon tank to replace my five gallon tank. The five gallon is a bit big for the space where I currently have this betta in a two gallon tank but maybe I will switch them and then just keep the two gallon on hand for a hospital tank. If he's in a five gallon I can get some whiteclouds for this betta, maybe he just wants some friends. I had a betta at work once who was very personable and active but he got very depressed when I brought him home and he didn't have visitors all day. Whiteclouds were exactly what he needed.

 

[3fsh]

Definitely sounds like internal parasites. I recommend using Parasite Clear by Tank Buddies. It works very quickly... my fish were eating again in only a few days.

 

[oneponygirl]

3fsh, should I finish the metronidazole (three treatments over five days according to package directions) before trying the Parasite Clear? Should I do a 100% water change first so they don't mix?

My budget may prevent me from getting another type of med till Friday anyway but I was planning on hitting the LPS tonight so I'll check the price.

I called a LFS today that is nearby that I haven't been to, the guy who answered was friendly (not like the fish guy at the LPS I go to) and knowledgable. This store is just a marine store, no other pets, so I have high hopes. I didn't ask him about my betta though, I want to go check it out first.