# New Betta not Eating



## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

Hi everyone! Sorry to both you but I am at a loss. I recently purchased a male betta. His new home is a 5 gallon tank with filter and a temperature of 80 degrees. Prior to his arrival, I cleaned the tank, the gravel and the ornamental stuff with hot water (no soap!). Filled the tank, treated it with the water treatment and let it sit with the filter running for 24 hours before he came home. Since the day he arrived, three days ago, he hasn't eaten one thing. The store where I purchased him was feeding him betta bites which I have tried and he has so far refused. I tried dried bloodworms and even flaked betta food to no avail. He spends most of the day in the back corner of the tank, usually with his top fin just breaking the surface. If he's not there, he's hiding behind the filter. He appears to get a little excited when the food is first placed on the surface but he just looks at it and either swims away from it or will actually follow the foods decent to the gravel and then swim away. I don't know what to do. If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it. Both Petco (where I purchased the fish) and Petsmart couldn't help me. Whatever I need to do or buy, I will. Thanks so much for any help you can give!


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

He is hiding behind the filter......
What kind of filter do you have? 

3 days and no food....... kind of strange..... but some people would say that it happens and that eventually they would eat.......

How about brine shrimp? live...... 

Try Hikari Betta Pellets.... Every betta I ever had loved Hikari Betta Pellets

He's not eating bloodworms..... umm they usually love bloodworms.... but bloodworms can pollute the water if left un-eaten.... 

Did you test the PH/Ammonia Level.....

I wonder what is happening....? If you find out let us know......

I'm sure some one here with more experience with that situation will give some advice...


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

It can be very common for a fish in a new tank to not eat at first. This is most likely the first time he has been in more than a quart of water since he was removed from his grow out tank. A week of not eating will not hurt a healthy Betta. I would buy some live brine shrimp if available or some frozen blood worms. All my Bettas seem to hate dried Bloodworms.


RC


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

I'll definately try the Hikari Betta Pellets and I'll call a few places to see if any carry the live brine shrimp. He's in one of those Mini-Bow aquariums that come with the Whisper Power Filter. Is this an acceptable filter? It's great to know there are people out there who know something about these really great fish! It's much better than the blank stares I was met with when asking questions! I didn't test the PH levels as I was told I didn't need to but if you think it may help, I will definately do so! I'm hoping he is just taking a little more time than most to adjust. I can't thank you enough for your help! :wink:


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

Does the filter have a flow control..... I'm not familiar with the power of that filter and that size tank... but, I do know that a strong current in a tank can have a neg. affect on a betta... When he swims does he have trouble due to strong currents? Is he being pushed around alot? Maybe someone here with more exp. with that filter/tank would know more about that setup and can tell you if it's a good setup for bettas......

I think that every fish keeper should have a PH and Ammonia testing kit.... It's not that expensive plus you can learn more about the water quality that u use(if it's safe for the fish), how the food/fish waste affect the water and etc.... It's helpfull.... A bad PH can hurt your fish...... Ammonia is very deadly to fish... but you have had your 1 fish for 3 days so Ammonia shouldn't be an issue with your betta at this time....

Those guys at petco don't always give the best advice... In NYC they are under paid...so they don't hire the best guys.... They are quick to give you wrong info.. ...Very few of them know what they are selling... I once had a petco guy trying to sell me a fish with ick... I told him and he said that it was fine.... I had to teach him and tell him that he couldn't sell fish like that..... I don't blame them .... I blame the management for their poor hiring/training/and low wages... 

Let us know what happens.....


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

Hey! The filter is adjustable with a fast or slow flow, which slow is what I have it set on. He doesn't appear to be struggling against any current in the tank so I guess the slow choice was the better one. I'm gonna run out today and pick up the ph kit. I actually offended the Petsmart woman yesterday when I came right out and asked her "Please don't be offended but do you know anything about fish because I have a sick fish and need help". I didn't mean to tick her off but I've seen too many people, selling animals with little or no knowledge about them! It's not like getting a job selling a car or a piece of furniture, which basically the item speaks for itself. Anyway, thanks again for your help and I'll keep you posted as to Tutter the Flutter Fish's health and hopefully recovery!


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## thatsfishy (Jan 18, 2005)

How did you acclimate your new fish? Many times not acclimatizing a new addition (or too fast) to your new water (temperature/PH) results in what your experiencing. Some folks refer to it as "PH shock", which can even result in the death of a new fish. That's why it is recommended to acclimatize a new fish over a period of several hours, either by floating the bag in the tank, slowly adding a bit of new water at the time, or by using the drip method (empty the bag in a separate container, sit it close to the tank, let the tank water drip slowly into the container via an airline hose w/valve). In either case, never mix the bag water into the new tank setup, always discard it!

However, all you can do now is basically wait it out. Give him more time to adjust. He should come around. If you did add the store water to the tank, you may want to consider a wc soon, just to be on the safe side. And keep the ph kit handy for the next time. While it is important to know what difference in ph there was between the store and your home, your fish should adjust to your ph, no need to try to adjust it unless it is wayyyyy out of range.


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

Well...I must admit, while in the past when I've had goldfish, the usual rule of thumb was to let the fish stay in the bag while in the tank for a while then introduce a little tank water at a time into the bag before you put the fish in. The woman from the store told me "No need to gradually introduce the fish to the tank. Just put him right in as they are very hearty easy to care for fish". So maybe that could explain why he's been acting as he has. I'm going to check the ph level just to be on the safe side as I've grown attached to this little guy already. Thanks for the posting and I'll let you know the outcome!


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

I just gave him 4 pellets of the HBH Betta food that the store told me to feed him and for the first time, he actually ate one! Then SPIT IT OUT! Could it be that he just doesn't like the food? I immediately removed the other three and put in a few of the flakes but he just swam up to these and stared at them. Maybe I should try the Hikari?


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

usually bettas will spit it out a couple of times because the pellet is too hard and then eventually will choke it down... also some fish dont enjoy to be watched when they are eating.


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## Milo (Feb 16, 2005)

Most bettas dislike pellets, flakes, and cubes.
I feed mine bloodworms and he loves it.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

A bettas diet should consist of many things, not just bloodworms or just pellets... with just one food they will get bloated and have poop problems :?


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

I've tried bloodworms, flakes and pellets to no avail. I'm at a loss...


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

Don’t feel bad, I have a vegetarian betta ;p LOL
He’ll eat one or two bloodworms, won’t touch tubifex at all, or baby brine shrimp (freeze dried). My flakes are itsy-bitsy, so my neons can eat them, and he takes those just fine. Maybe get some flakes, and crush them into _almost_ powder (probably not too little, or it might not get eaten that way either!).
As for the usual pellets... I tried a brand that was blue labeled...TopFin, I think? Anyway...they sank almost immediately, and either my betta couldn’t find them after sinking in the gravel (it’s black), or just couldn’t reach them, since they have ‘up’ mouths. Then I tried Wardley Premium Betta Food, and they float for at _least_ an hour! And as somebody said, they are rather hard...my betta wouldn’t even bother, until they got a little soggy, then when he did eat them, they sort of fell apart into more manageable bits he could take. And he’ll only eat 2 at a time...if I give 3+, the others go to waste.

Have ya got plants? My betta is in a community, but even a lone one might feel more at ease if there’s something to hide behind, besides some unnatural “thing”? When my Betta was alone, he’d usually eat the food closer to the plants...then again, he’s just oddly shy anyway *g*

Good luck with Tutter!


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

How's your betta doing??????

Your'e going to get alot of info... and sometimes that info. is going to be diff. from what others will tell you.... you take what you think is the best info. and try it.... do some research too untill you find what's best/works for you! don't give up!

Have you tried the hikari betta pellets?? If you did Does it float or come straight down to the bottom?


I saw that you posted a question on cleaning......  test the ph...... 

I have done this before with bettas who had trouble eating and it had worked.... You might want to try this...

Get a 2 gallon bowl... it could be plastic/glass..... treat that water with any type of water conditioner formula your using (Nov Aqua or stress coat)  test the ph and make sure that the water is perfect..... oh and don't put gravel in it........  Then after you indroduce your fish into that bowl..... you can try giving him only one hikari pellet and see if he eats it... If he doesn't in about 5 minutes remove it.... try again hours later and see.. try it for 2-3 days.....  

Try this while you clean up the other tank and get it in perfect condition... 

If the PH and the water is treated in the bowl it should be the perfect condition for your fish to start eating.... Just don't leave the un-eaten food longer than 5 minutes... and don't watch him when he eats just in case he's shy... they can take a while to get use to you looking at them...  you will know that he ate his food when it's missing... .. 

What size is you betta? Does he flare up it you place a mirror in front of him? Do u have a picture?
How does he look? Is he swimming with energy? Is he constantly behind the filter or is he sluggish?

If you can't get the hikari pellets/try the live brine shrimp but use the net...let the water drain from the shrimp bowl/bag and give the betta very, very little... the shrimp should be swimming in the bowl and the betta should go after them.... if he doesn't start eating them within 5 minutes than you might just have to force feed him by openning his mouth ...... just kidding..... You remove the shrimp with the net and try again hours later

or you can try the HBH BETTA BITES again... since he was eating those at the pet shop... right?

Keep us posted...


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

A vegan fish? Wow! You know, I tried the flakes but he's just refused any and all. I actually have the HBH betta bites that float for maybe a minute or so but he really would just rather stare at them than eat them! You have a vegan and I have a runway model with weight issues! I have artifical plants in his tank as well as a rock formation-type thing with a tunnel through it for him to hide in if he wants. He seems to enjoy "floating" on the top of it more than anything. Thanks for the well wishes. kidbetta - I haven't been able to find the Hikari so I'm going to order them online. What should a normal Ph level for a betta be? I'm gonna hit the pet store tomorrow to pick up kit. Any suggestions on what type? I'll try out your method (i.e. 2 gallon container with water conditioner then test) and I'll let you know how it turns out. When you get this message, let me know what kit you think would be good. Tutter is 2 inches from tip to tail and he starts off blue-black on his head, then gradually blends into an electric blue. He's really stunning to look at! I actually picked him not because of his coloring but because no matter which fish I was looking at in the store, he was the only one that was just "looking" at me. He still swims in the front of the tank and just stares at me when I come down to eye level. He actually, up until today, was kinda sluggish but I did a partial wc (about 40%) which seems to have pepped him up a bit. But I noticed that for an hour or so, he would dart from underneath the filter to the back corner of the tank and back. Back and forth. I had the filter on low like I have from the beginng but for some reason, it seemed to bother him more today so I actually shut it off for a while. The force feeding line had me laughing! Could you imagine?! I put a mirror in front of him yesterday and he actually flared out his fins and gills, like the others, but he also did something really strange...he kinda rolled over onto his side and floated down a bit, the whole time watching the "other fish" in the mirror, then he would dart back up again and start over! I didn't want to stress him out so I took the mirror away. He keeps swiming back to that spot and hangs out. I wonder if he's looking for his "friend". Let me know about that ph kit! :shock:


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

[quote=" he also did something really strange...he kinda rolled over onto his side and floated down a bit, the whole time watching the "other fish" in the mirror, then he would dart back up again and start over!  :shock:[/quote]

Are you sure it's not a puppy you're talking about?

Any basic ph kit will do fine.... I use wardley mid range ph kit... it last long....and it's cheap.... just keep it away from children.

A safe Ph for a betta is around 6.8 -7.4 ...... 7.0 will be great..     Become familiar with PH and how it plays an important role with fish...  It seems like a lot.... but with time you will know how it works if you don't know yet..... 

Check out this website: http://www.bettatalk.com/water.htm       for some info on betta care, PH and etc...


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

I've been so worried about my pH, because I've always heard 7.0 is best (and 6.8 - 7.2 is good), and mine is about 7.6 - in fact, it may be higher, since that's as far as my tester goes. Maybe I'll have to get a "high" kit, and see what it really is. But everybody keeps telling me not to fret...and so far, my betta seems fine. In fact, this evening he was chasing my Molly around for a change! LOL
If you haven't already gotten a tester by the time you read this... I've heard the 'dropper in a vial' ones are much better than the dip-stick ones - plus, as far as I can tell, they're cheaper over-all anyway, and that's definitely a good thing!

I think they look like old men, with beards, when they flare their gills... anybody else think so, or am I weird?

here's a pic of mine... I've sort of wanted to name him, but I haven't thought of anything decent yet. "Pinky" is too wimpy, plus reminds me too much of the stupid mouse in the Animaniacs cartoon. Maybe something meaning 'blue'!
http://vivid-dawn.50megs.com/Love/Viv-fish13.jpg


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

I wouldnt worry about the ph, especially if the ph is the same at the pet shop, my ph runs 7.2-7.8 and all my fish are fine and eating. I would be more worried about good water changes and getting him some food he'll eat.


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

I've knnown breeders that keep Betta is anything from 6 to 8+ Ph so don't worry about PH. The important thing is to keep it steady.


RC


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## Kathie (Feb 19, 2005)

Guess who decided to eat today! He is still refusing the betta bites (ate one and spit it out and refused to touch the others) so I tried a few of the bloodworms and a few flakes and he ate them all, which is so WONDERFUL! Are the bloodworms supposed to be used as an occasional "treat" or are they ok for regular feedings! He's really a great fish and I'm so happy he came around. I'm going to purchase the ph kit this afternoon. Thanks to everyone for your advice and support!


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

I've heard blood worms are supposed to be a treat/supplement... and depending on your definition of that, depends on how often it's fed. My other betta (who was not a vegan LOL) got a morning and afternoon meal of "bits" and then in the evening got blood worms. So, my version was once a day... I spoiled him *g*
And then he got fin rot and died *humph*!

And the betta I have now, is in a community tank. Gets flakes 3 times a day, every day. Then on Mondays I give baby brine shrimp (freeze dried) before bed... my betta actually took some last night! Wednesdays for the bedtime snack is bloodworms (also freeze dried), and Fridays they get Tubifex cubes - though I might quit that when this bottle runs out, as I've heard there's too much risk of disease from them.


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