Finally ! I Win The Battle Of Wills !

[Glod]

So, as I mentioned before I was trying to get my betta to eat hikari pellets instead of freeze dried bloodworm all the time... (with occasional treats of live). He point blank refused to eat the pellets, having taken one once and promptly spitting it back out. Even if I let him go hungry for a couple of days, he'd ignore the pellets and stare me down

Today, for no reason other than to be obtuse I decided to try him on a pellet again (haven't tried for a couple of weeks) and to my surprise (not) he spat it back out and swam off in a huff. So being stubborn I offered another... which he pounced on and ate with relish ! Huzzah ! 6 pellets later he was wolfing them down quite happily

Now I just hope this isn't a one off, I'd much rather have him eating the pellets as a mainstay and keep the bloodworm for treats.

For now tho... I'm winning the mind war.

 

[stang1]

He's lulling you into a false sense of security...

 

[raeburter]

I think when u treat him blood worms again, he would starve himself and threaten u to feed it bloodworm again....Its like the pellets are can food to him and worms are like steak......

 

[jollysue]

Just keep giving him a good pellet. It's good if they will eat a variety of Betta food. I offer different things different days. After awhile they come around and take it all with relish. At least that's my experience so far. All mine eat pea and pellet and flake and worm. I think they see the others eat the offerings too. Bettas are smart. They're gonna rule the world some day!

And Oh! congratulations. You may yet outwit the Betta!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

good stuff, although a varied diet is beneficial if you can only get him to take one or the other then go with the pellet, they are designed as an all round food, bloodworm while it has it's benefits isn't good to use as the only food source.

 

[Glod]

Yep, I agree Miss Wiggle, I do want him to eat a more varied diet. Don't get me wrong he seems fine and healthy with a bloodworm and brineshrimp diet but I think eating pellets too will only benefit him.

The next challenge is to get him to try a pea...

 

[jollysue]

Just to clarify. When I say flake I mean a Tetramin Betta flake. I also have several variety of pellets and some bits--Tetra I think. My favorite is the Atison's though because of the ease of use. Only a few well raised Betta start out eating a variety. Synirr's Bettas and Bryan's at BetterBetta are all adept at eating smorgasboard.

When I first started using Atison's Pro they all turned their noses up. Wuv recommended it. But now they gobble it up.

My new red VT boys were very skeptical. I pay them no mind. As soon as they see one try, they try.

Using the high fat high protien meaty foods can cause them trouble down the line, unless you are conditioning them for fighting or breeding or some other high energy activity.

 

[liz2]

Mine are funny with pea. So when I am cleaning them out they get pea in their little temporary bowl. Doesnt matter then if they leave a bit. I also feed them Tetramin betta flake when they are due for a clean out as it is not popular and gets left on the floor a lot

 

[jollysue]

Yeah, liz, favorite foods in the new clean tank and less favorite before a tank clean.

I went to look: BettaMin Tropical Medly and the other is TetraMin Tropical flake. I don't have the tropical flake anymore--just use the little container for bottom wafers for the dwarf synos.

This morning Miss Erica was being picky and kept spitting out her food. They have seen quite a lot of worm lately. But the VT girl was a piggy grabbing everything before the pellets could drop to the Synirr sisters. They will all be sorry when the sisters grow up. I am so tempted to name them after the witches in Macbeth: The Weird Sisters. There are 3 sisters and Hecate, their protectoress and the leader. Only trouble is the Weird sisters don't have indidvidual names, just 1st witch, etc.

 

[Aisha]

hi.... When you feed your fish pea.. isit boiled and peeled.. I give my fish cucumber.. havent really tried anything else there main diet is flake food and freeze dried bloodworm few times a wk..

 

[Jaded12]

why bring a topic back up thats so old?

 

[Aisha]

i didnt realise it was so old, i was reading another post and this topic was at the bottom and didnt check the date