# Betta won't eat!



## Jltrimmer (Jun 19, 2010)

I have a betta that I bought last August from PetSmart. He has been very active and has never had any health problems, and I keep him in a 1.5 gallon tank with a peaceful water filter system... nothing that really disturbs the water. Lately, he's had a hard time eating; he'll go for the food, but won't be able to get it at all, he just misses it, then gets frustrated and refuses to have anything more to do with it. I have tried breaking up his pellets (which were small to begin with), using dried blood-worms (I have also crushed some of these), and have just tried live blackworms, but he won't have anything to do with them. I even attempted to hand-feed him a live worm. Could someone give me some advice? Am I just supposed to sit there and watch him die of starvation, or is there a solution?


----------



## heatran15 (Apr 12, 2010)

Hey I got my Betta from the same place if you notice him in my picture. Anyways umm maybe he has something stuck in his throat or stomach or i don't know. Maybe you are just over feeding him you should feed him 3-4 pellets twice a day. Same with the blood worms I guess.:fish:


----------



## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

First what are your water paramaters, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. How often do you clean the tank? Bettas don't eat much, how often are you feeding? Does he look sick in any other way or is he just refusing to eat?


----------



## Jltrimmer (Jun 19, 2010)

Peeps said:


> First what are your water paramaters, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. How often do you clean the tank? Bettas don't eat much, how often are you feeding? Does he look sick in any other way or is he just refusing to eat?



The tank is 1.5 gallon, if that's what you mean by parameters, and I am not sure what the levels of ammonia and nitrite/nitrate are. I use aquarium salt to balance electrolytes. I am only feeding him once a day now, although it used to be twice a day with only 2-3 small-sized pellets each feeding. I think I may have located a tumor on his mouth, but it's very hard to tell in such a small animal. At the moment, he doesn't even try to eat, he just ignores it. I have noticed no excrement in the tank, which worries me. I'm thinking that either he is eating nothing at all, or he has a parasite, and I've been told that bettas are extremely sensitive to medicines for such conditions and often are killed in the treatment.


----------



## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

First what you should do is get your water tested. The fish store will do it for you for free. Or you could buy your own. Get the liquid kind, dip sticks suck. That is the first thing you should do when you have a problem with your fish is test your water. 

A really good and gentle parasite treatment is jungle parasite clear, it works great and does not interfer with your beneficial bacteria. If he does have a parasite I would use jungle parasite clear. You should also put some aquarium salt in the tank. That will help.


----------



## Plakat_bettas (Jul 5, 2010)

DO NOT USE Melafix betta fix or Prima fix.... these can melt the betta's labryith?? _spelling_ organ.... How often do you change the water..... I change the water in my smaller tanks once a week or more (depending on the fish) and larger tanks (5 gallons or more) are changed once ever 2 weeks... I tank ALL the water out clean the gravel and plants and replace with fresh water..... Is the tank heated??? Bettas are tropical and need heat.


----------

