# Betta problems



## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

i got my mom a betta bowl (~1.5 gal) and plants substrate etc. for her birthday. I got a beautiful blue male betta but he refuses to eat the food i got for it. (Wardley Betta Premium Food, pellets) The betta has lost some of his color. He was solid blue to start but over the last few days he has developed a red/pink patch just in front of the caudal fin. My mom has been doing weekly 30-40% water changes, and yes she adds the conditioner i got for her. The water conditions in the bowl are the same as the water we use to replace it. There are no other animals in the bowl.

Anyway, two questions
What foods are good for bettas to eat? (staple and any others)
What caused the red/pink patch on the fish?


----------



## Imbrium (Feb 7, 2005)

How long has she had him? Sometimes bettas need to settle in for a few days before they'll eat. 
Pellets are good for them as their main diet, he may not like that brand though. You might try Hikari brand as most bettas seem to like them better. Bloodworms would be good to feed as a treat, but not as his main diet. Mine also eat shrimp, flakes, tubifex, and blackworms. But most people say their bettas won't take flakes at all. 
As for the red patch, I'm not sure. I think in a bowl that small though she should be doing 100% water changes once a week. It's really too small to worry about a cycle.


----------



## BlueMaxx (Jan 10, 2006)

100% water change weekly is good for the size bowl


----------



## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

she has had him for about 2 weeks.
live, freeze dried, or frozen bloodworms?


----------



## kristian18f (Oct 31, 2005)

try asking the petstore what they fed them, I had the same problem with my betta. He wouldn't eat anything but bloodworms (I had flakes) Mix the two foods together and eventually he will start to like the pellets.


----------

