New Betta Behavior

[jaywings19]

Okay... so I was in Petco the other day to pick up some betta food and I "coincidentally" stroll by the betta cups... (you know where this story is going )...

So I peek through the first few cups and it was pretty depressing to see most of them just lying on their sides in murky water.

Then I get to one cup and see the most beautiful betta that I've ever come across in Petco (or Petland for that matter). He's a multicolored combtail (again a rarity in Petco) with speckles in his finnage.

Mind you, I was not in Petco to buy a fish... but I simply HAD to get this betta for the fact that I may never come across one like this again. I will post a picture of him soon and you will see why I had to get him. I've since named him Mojo (after the mischievous monkey on the Powerpuff Girls cartoon) and also because his colors/finnage have a "vibe" to them. I've since learned this betta is meant to be in his own tank because he rams himself head-first into the tank walls to "get at" his reflection.

Now for the bad news and help. . .
The first night, Mojo simply planted himself at the bottom of the tank and stayed put for the most part. He only left the bottom to get air and to occasionally stroll around his new home. Fortunately, he's now adjusted to his new home and swims around the tank and through his little mini-castle decoration. The problem now being that I can't seem to get him to eat! I've tried Hikari Bio Gold baby pellets, TetraMin flakes, dried bloodworms, Bio Blend betta pellets... but no takers!

My water quality is fine (0.25ppm ammonia, 0.0ppm nitrite, 7.0 ph). Any thoughts how I can get Mojo to eat?

 

[Alien Anna]

Forgive me for being blunt, but an ammonia level other than zero is not "fine", it's poisoning your fish!

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the tank is cycled. Do daily water changes of 10% until both ammonia nad nitrite are zero. I assume you aren't letting that uneaten food pile up in his tank?

Don't worry so much about food for the moment - he's probably feeling very unwell from the abyssmal treatment he's received. Even the healthy bettas I buy can take a few days to settle in at first, and often won't eat for a few days. Fasting for a fish is fine - they're cold blooded animals so don't need the calories that a mammal of the same size would need.

Besides, the less he eats, the lower his ammonia levels. Hey, maybe he's smarter than he looks?

 

[jaywings19]

Thanks for the information. Though, I don't see how you can keep the ammonia level at zero unless the tank is fully cycled. This is a brand new 2 gallon tank, so I would have to do 3 water changes a day to keep ammonia at zero.

No, I'm not letting the uneaten food collect at the bottom. Before every feeding, I make sure to use my baster to remove uneaten food.

Hopefully, he'll come around in a few days. This is only the second full day that I've had him.

 

[Alien Anna]

Thanks for the information. Though, I don't see how you can keep the ammonia level at zero unless the tank is fully cycled. This is a brand new 2 gallon tank, so I would have to do 3 water changes a day to keep ammonia at zero.

You can't keep the ammonia levels at zero in an un-cycled tank - that's the whole point!

You could (if you had known about it in advance) cycled the tank first using Fishless Cycling methods and then got your fish - that way, your fish wouldn't have to tolerate high ammonia or nitrite levels. But given that that isn't the situation, you may well have to do 3 water changes a day or whatever it takes to keep your fish alive until your tank cycles.

I was picking you up on your statement that a level of 0.25 ppm of ammonia was "fine" (implying that it could not possibly be the cause of your fish's malaise and poor appetite). My point was that it certainly could make your fish unwell. Bettas are pretty tough, thankfully, but I don't think you should be complacent about the damage any amount of ammonia or nitrite is going to do to your fish.

So, keep doing those water changes and keeping your betta on minimal rations until the tank cycles. Good luck.

 

[jaywings19]

Thanks again the for information and opinions. Again, this wasn't a "planned" event or I would've gone for an established tank first. I am very diligent in monitoring my fish's behavior and water. Didn't mean to sound complacent with my previous statements about ammonia/nitrite. As you can tell, I'm still relatively new to the aquarium hobby, but have tried to do my homework before jumping in blindly. Thanks again.

 

[MattL]

Hey dont worry about it.

Just keep the regular water changes up til the ammonia drops off, and the other parameters are fine.

In the meantime, u might have a fussy betta.

If you just wanted him to eat, then im sure no betta could resist live bloodworms, some people say theres has got the taste for certain foods and wont eat anything else, but mine eats anything!

Matt

Apparantly bloodworms all the time is bad for them, caus there pretty fatty. But they are good in moderation.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Jay~
Has your other tank fully cycled yet? If so, you could always take a little gravel and water from your 3 gallon and move it to the new bettas tank

on feeding~
does he even notice the food? Sometimes you have to wait for the perfect oppurtunity to feed them, try and make the food "appear" alive for example dipping the tip of your finger (barely,just the tip you don't wanna freak the little guy out) and bobbing the food so it's more appealing, maybe that will work.

 

[jaywings19]

Jay~
Has your other tank fully cycled yet? If so, you could always take a little gravel and water from your 3 gallon and move it to the new bettas tank

on feeding~
does he even notice the food? Sometimes you have to wait for the perfect oppurtunity to feed them, try and make the food "appear" alive for example dipping the tip of your finger (barely,just the tip you don't wanna freak the little guy out) and bobbing the food so it's more appealing, maybe that will work.

Yes, the other tank has fully cycled as of this past weekend. I'll try using some cycled gravel and water to help the process along.

Yes, he notices the food... even stares at it from directly below... but then just swims away. I'm assuming that he's eaten some food I left him last night because I don't see that much waste on the bottom this morning. Naturally, I've cleaned up the leftovers and will try feeding him again later today.

 

[sandyd]

I have rescued 4 bettas so far, and all of them refused food for the first day or 2. It may be that he is getting used to its new tank, as well as different surroundings. I would try some bloodworms and see if that helps. You may also be feeding a different food that it was used to getting at the store, and they get a little finicky when their foods are changed. I would say that if you are able to grab some gravel from the cycled tank, it will help you on your way to cycling. I know you had a long time with the other one. Hope all goes well, and let us know. Sandy