# betta still not eating anything but bloodworms



## lwstinkinsweet

i am going out of town for the night and my poor baby still is not eating anything other than bloodworms. someone had suggested not feeding him for a few days and then trying something else. i didnt feed him for a couple of days and he still refused anything other than bloodworms. he gobbles them up, so i am not worried that he is sick, i just dont want to inadvertantly starve him to death trying to get him to eat something else. i think he is mad at me for not feeding him enough. he is still swimming around and very healthy looking but not blowing bubble nests. of course he didnt blow his first one until three or four days after i got him in his tank and i just did a 100% water change the other day so he is probably not ready to do one. i am going to have to change his tank again when i get home tomorrow night because he spit a pellet to the bottom this morning. i havent had time to change it again and everyone is asleep right now and i am too noisy when i change it so i cant do it now and we leave in an hour. so tomorrow will be the soonest i can. hopefully he will be okay. i had to give him some bloodworms this morning because i dont want him to starve and i dont want him to be mad. maybe i will try the not feeding for a few days again when i get back. is there anything else i can do other than not feed him before i try again?


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## Henry

Hmmmmmmmmmmm..............how long have you been feeding your betta bloodworms before this treatment? If it was weeks even months he might of grown a custom to the food. :fish: Betta's are hard to please.... :fish:


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## Beerleader

I've been dealing with the same problem since I got mine, he nibbles a tiny bit at the yellow mosquito larvae, but mainly only wants bloodworms. Not sure what to do either really. I know he's happy and healthy at least for now, just not sure what this will cause in the long run. Hope he will start taking other foods soon.


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## mel&ned

the lady at the pet shop i spoke to, breeds bettas and all she feeds hers are bloodworms.
cheers
mel


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## Ajreoandoeka

Mine always ate pellets or flake food, from the first day I got him....and up until the end he ate them quite happily...I'd say your best bet is to go with what others have said, and not give him anything for quite a few days, because as people have said they can live without eating for quite awhile, and then after awhile start offering other types of food....avoid giving him bloodworms if you don't want him to have them...


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## lwstinkinsweet

i have only had him for a week but that was the first thing i gave him. i dont care if he has them i just read that he needs a variety diet and he wont eat anything else so i was concerned


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## solar-ton

dudes bettas a predators and most are picky he prolly wont eat much of anything elese course mine will wat anything


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## lwstinkinsweet

that is what i thought. do you think he will be okay on only bloodworms??
i have bloodworms and dont mind feeding them to him, but i was told he needed to eat other stuff too


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## solar-ton

he should be mine are alyaws fat and happy on them


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## maxpayne_lhp

> that is what i thought. do you think he will be okay on only bloodworms??
> i have bloodworms and dont mind feeding them to him, but i was told he needed to eat other stuff too


IMO, for now only... switching food is always good. As soon as you find another suitable food, stick to the 2 food schedule.


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## ChaldoChris416

all i feed min r BS and Bloodworms do ur okay feeding him wat ur feeding him :king:


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## mel&ned

yeah mine will only eat bloodworms now
i gave him a pellet and he spat it out in disgust (now i know that they spit it out a few times while eating it) and it was not touched at all lol
spoilt brat!


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## unthinkable90

lol..sounds llike bettas are picky eaters!  :mrgreen:


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## mel&ned

definantly, mine looked like it had a very $hirty expression too when i dared to feed him a pellet! lol


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## unthinkable90

lol thats funny..i just had fry today and im not sure if they r eating or not cuz they r soo small..i fed them brine shrimp and flakes!


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## sisofafishlover

Hmm, mine female Bettas eat flakes, and my male Betta, eats pellets, and bloodworms and brineshrimp are their treats. They only get those when they do tricks 4 me. Sooo, I would have to agree on not feeding him for awhile, cuz I have heard from my sis and several other fish breeders that a variety died is better for them in the long run...

But hey, who doesn't want to eat nothing but junk food! Ha ha, thats why are mums are always telling us to stop eating potatoe chips and twinkies, right! At least my mum is!


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## mel&ned

lol i am a mum and that sounds right to me!


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## ChaldoChris416

but bettas r carnivores its like feeding an oscar a cucumber :king:


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## Chazwick

It's a proven fact you know. If you feed a Betta (one of the pickiest eaters of all fish!) a bloodworm... there's about 97% chance that they'll never even look at flakes again!


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## sisofafishlover

Lol, ya, they are going to be mad at you for even suggesting they eat somthing else! Ya gotta handle em like kids (haha, I am one!) no desert till ya finish your vegetables! NO, No! I can hear the protests now!!! : )


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## mel&ned

oh well, mine is a spoilt brat so can have the darn bloodworms - now if i can only stop my 4.5 year old from 'helping' me and dropping half the container onto the carpet!


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## unthinkable90

i got a betta today! i feed him ummmmm..uhhh oh yea umm...betta pellets !lol







 is it normal lookin?


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## mel&ned

great setup and beautiful fish!


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## mlefev

Mine is a pig. He doesn't like flakes, but...I had been feeding him bloodworms for the first week I had him because they were out of pellets. I threw a pellet in there the first day I had him, and heard *splah* *crunch* and the pellet was gone. Hehe, not much of an adjustment to be made there.


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## maxpayne_lhp

lol I'm not that lucky. Neither of my fish eat pellets... but one good thing is that both received hand-feeding from me right the first time ^_^


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## unthinkable90

my betta may not like pellets im not sure becuz i fed him a couple and watched him for 20 minutes and didnt eat one!


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## mlefev

Well, whether they like them or not, if you only offer those to your betta, eventually they'll get hungry enough to eat them. 

They're kind of like young children...they'll toss thier food around and act horrible, but if you take it away and don't offer them anything until the next feeding time, suddenly they learn that they should eat properly or they'll be hungry. Surprisingly fish are pretty much the same...they learn to like what you give them because they're hungry.


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## sisofafishlover

Agreed, they will learn in time. Just keep trying. Imagine the kid whose parents never bothered to teach to eat what they were served. They would end up spoiled and hard to deal with! Just give the Betta time, and he will realize he can't have desert all the time! Good luck!


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## lwstinkinsweet

I have to stop feeding him for a few days against my will. I got a ghost shrimp to see if they would be okay and if it would help keep the tank cleaner. well there was a fight. the shrimp attacked and the betta had a hole in his tail then he ate the shrimp. so he was all bloated and stuff. i was worried because he wasnt swimming much. so i stopped feeding him. i didnt feed him today and he pooped and his bloating went down and he is swimming more. i am sure he was just uncomfortable. but he still has a little bit of a bulge. so i wont feed him again tomorrow. then i will see if he will eat something else


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## mlefev

you can easily give him 4-5 days without feeding. This would be the prime time to try other foods. if he doesn't eat, you take it away, etc. If he refuses to eat after a week, however, I would suggest you give him a little bit of bloodworms to make sure he doesn't starve. But after that, go right back to the pellets or whatever else you want to try. Surprisingly, I found that mine likes tiny piece of carrot, you could try something odd like that. They could be eating worse, afterall.


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## lwstinkinsweet

yeah i am just going to wait until i am sure his little shrimp bulge is gone because i heard they will eat themselves to death. i have only gone one day without feeding him so he should be fine. the shrimp was half his size. it was like three quarters the size of his body itself. so he is sorta full.


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## mlefev

I'll bet he is. That's like the all-you-can-eat menu...lol


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## lwstinkinsweet

yep he is a pig. that would be like a human eating about three or four whole chickens. no wonder he is a bit sluggish. he is full. haha. lol.


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## mlefev

HAHAHA. No kidding. Mine actually will bite my fingers...talk about a meal, if he could get them off my hand...lol. He actually stretches his mouth long enough to bite the whole tip of my index finger, if that tells you how ambitious they can be.


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## lwstinkinsweet

oh my goodness. mine will only bite my finger once in a while. and he only sort of head butts it. but i dunno.


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## Bettaboys

*Help with feeding*

It's a relief to know that bettas are picky eaters. We recently bought my 8-yr-old daughter two beautiful bettas. One eats anything and everything, that's Blueberry. The other one, Mr. Puffers, snubs his pellets. We've tried different brands 'cause I heard they prefer some over others, but no luck. He loves his brine shrimp though. We're just worried about him getting the proper nutrition he needs. The pet store told me it could take a few days for him to adjust, but it's been a couple weeks and he's still refusing the pellets.

I've never tried the flakes. Do any of you have better luck with them? If so, what brands do you buy?

Our boys are very active and they both seem healthy. They puff up and swim and dance to music (hee hee) and blow their bubbles. But I don't feel comfortable just feeding Mr. Puffers brine shrimp and nothing else.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.


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## Imbrium

My bettas will eat flakes, but only Hikari or OSI, no other brands that I've tried so far. I think most people's bettas won't eat flakes at all. You could always give it a try though.


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## mlefev

Mine will eat freeze-dried bloodworms, pellets, and of all things...bits of carrot. He turns his nose up at flakes every time I try.


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## Chazwick

I feed all my fish flakes, and in a day or two, i'm going to see if my Betta would appreciate some bloodworms! 
I just use some tropical flakes... they last AGES... and were only like £4!  I think they're better because the left over flakes (that haven't been eaten by my snail) the filter collects, so NO MESS! 
I started feeding them ONCE with goldfish flakes (they came free with my tank..and were the only source of fish food i had) and they ate them fine.. the tropical ones don't seem much different actually


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## Johnny Doinkle

We bought a nice dark blue/red betta last week and he refused to eat the pellets recommended by the aquarium. After 4 days of not eating we tried him on bloodworms and he transformed into an eating machine before our very eyes! He used to just sit listlessy on the bottom of his tank but now he's zipping back and forth cruising for more wormy treats. We'll keep him on bloodworms for another week before trying to alternate between pellets and freeze dried larvae. 
There is SO MUCH contradictory advice on the internet about feeding bettas that I'm a bit confused and worried. For every site that pushes live bait, there's someone else saying live bait should only be given sparingly as a treat because it gives them gut rot!
Well our boy won't eat anything else atm, so what can you do....?

Also, he has a really long flowing tail and a really long flowing dorsal fin that keeps tipping him up! It looks as though he's just not strong enough to support his fins. Do you think he just needs to beef up a little? Will he be ok after he's been eating regularly or is this something I should be worried about?

Cheers.


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## Chazwick

Hey there, Johnny Doinkle,
I, too have a male Betta, so congratulations on the purchase, they are well worth it and beautiful fishy pets.
I'll start by saying, as with the swimming, i wouldn't worry too much about that... unless the fish is swimming on it's side or oddly (which could mean Swim Bladder Disease, which you must catch early, otherwise it's incurable!), then you have nothing to worry about. Do you have a filter (which you should really, unless you do drastic water changes)? or an air pump? Strong currents in your tank water will lead your Betta to be 'sweapt' away, because as much as i hate to say it, and we all know it - Bettas are lousy swimmers! Hehe.
Back to the food, feeding your Betta a variety of different live foods should be ok - just feeding them Bloodworms ALL THE TIME, won't be! Bettas are known to prefer bloodworms and basically never go back. What i've learnt is that (and don't worry it isn't cruel) after a little while of feeding them bloodworms, don't feed your betta for a day or two, then slip in some flakes (which can be good for them) and i'm sure your Betta will gobble them up.. wait another day.. if your Betta still isn't eating the flakes, stick with live foods! Don't worry about starving the Betta, not feeding them for a day or two, won't do any harm. It's good to skip days of feeding now and again, because it helps there digestive system, and stops them getting 'tummy aches' 
Hope this helps.


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## Chazwick

WOW! I'M LUCKY! I brought some nice soggy bloodworms today, my betta loved them... (and tetras) later on i got worried the little boi wouldn't eat flakes, i put a few in and she's still eating them! 
I think the trick is (in most cases) don't introduce them to bloodworms, until they've been eating flakes for a fornight or more... that's what i did.


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## Johnny Doinkle

Can bettas feed off the bottom of a tank?

We're trying to get our Betta to eat anything other than bloodworms. He sniffs the pellets as they sink and circles them when they land on the bottom, but because he has an upturned mouth I was wondering if he can't feed off the bottom?


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## Imbrium

He can feed off the bottom, though he would prefer to eat off the top.


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## Chazwick

My Betta loves feeding from the bottom... 
The top looks more confortable though, but the bettas aalways nosing about trying to find something nice to nibble on.


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## lwstinkinsweet

my betta hadnt eaten in a few days as i went out of town and was also trying to switch his food. my dad looked in on him and thought he didnt look good so he fed him like a million pellets. way too much. but the good news is my dad said he gave him a dirty look then ate some up like crazy. he didnt eat all of them thank god. my dad doesnt do fish, he was just trying to help me so i guess it is okay that he gave so many to him. but i am so glad that he at least ate some of the pellets. i had to do a full water change then because there was a ton of food at the bottom. thank goodness my dad grabbed the pellets not the bloodworms that were next to the pellets. or else i would be back where i started. 

but he wonteat the pellets for me still. not one. i dont think i can keep up this starving thing. he goes five days before eating any pellets then he eats like five. i think only bloodworms would be healthier than this game he is playing.


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## mlefev

Lol maybe you should just leave the room and let your dad feed him...


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## Imbrium

Don't give him 5. Give him about 3. Only bloodworms is not healthy at all. He'll come around eventually.


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## lwstinkinsweet

i dont usually give him more than two or three for the main purpose of me not having to clean so much off the bottom because he REFUSES to eat any. the ONLY time he has eaten any was when my dad fed them to him. and my dad gave him way more than five. he still will not eat them for me. it has been four days since he has eaten anything. i cannot keep starving him he is gettin less and less active and his fins are folded up. he is getting DEPRESSED. i dont think this is better than him being active and eating bloodworms.


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## prince'smom

im glad to hear this cuz both mine will only eat bs and blood worms too no flakes or pellets i scoop them out after a while and give them what they will eat so i glad to hear that they will be aok


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## L.c.

I feed my betta just blood worms
before I put him in the communtiy tank thats all he would eat...but when he saw other fish he tried to eat their food before they could get it...but he still likes his blood worms best


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## greenween

:fish: This is kinda off topic as far as the question goes, but I was told to get a turkey baster, to suck poo and uneaten food off the bottom between changes. I was thinking this might help when you are trying to be quiet


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## BettaMomma

Hi! I had a little teeny betta girly that I found at WalMart.
Brought her home, and tried feeding her from the supermarket I call my fishfood cabinet. She would not touch a THING except frozen bloodworms. This, and cooked smooshed peas. So that's all she ate for about 6 months. She never grew, she remained a stunted little tiny thing the rest of her life. She was also kind of slow and sickly, and a few months ago she died. I'm convinced that smaller, growing, young bettas do need a balanced diet. Adult bettas might be fine with just bloodworms, however. She did eventually learn to eat pellets - after I plunked her into my female tank and she had no choice but to belly up with the rest of the girls and go for some pellets. I got a couple of new girls, added them to the tank, and viola - she miraculously started eating pellets. It was too little too late. But she did eventually start eating them. Maybe if you show your betta how the other fish eat pellets? like smoosh their tanks right next to each other, drop pellets into the other fish's tank and let him see? Dogs are like that, maybe bettas are too. lol

Anyhows.... for all of my bettas (I don't breed, I only keep them as pets, and I've had over 60 come thru my door, some have died but 42 of them are still going strong) they get a routine of pellets, frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, brine shripm pellets, cooked smooshed frozen peas and occasionally a pinch of freeze dried daphnia for my girls - just cuz they LOVE to chase it around the tank. I've never once had any issues with constipation in any of my fish, nor have I ever really had any problems that I ever attributed back to tummy troubles.


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