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I got my betta more than a week ago, and whatever I try to feed him, he wont eat. I have tried different kinds of flakes, pellets, tubifex worms, and freeze dried bloodworms and wont eat ANY of it. The first couple times I tried to feed him he took the food in his mouth and then spat it back out. He is perfectly healthey, he just wont eat. What do you guys think I should try to feed him? Should I get live or frozen food or something? Help!

Try finding out what the betta was being fed before you got him, they seem to be very picky eaters. Try not to change his habitat, the problem might be from stress. Live foods might spark an interest to eat, it's worth a shot.

Try feeding a pea. Thaw it, deshell it and cut it up small enough pieces to feed to him. My bettas will always eat the peas, no matter what. Make sure he sees you drop it in the water too, bettas aren't too quick to see the food.

-pamela

live foods are a last restore for my bettas, even though they get fed live worms 2 times aweek. u should try worms or frozen blood worms. this is my little trick to get a betta on the right foot, after u got food in him, a few weeks/months he should take any kind of foods that you may give him, i haven't had any luck with flakes, but betta food that works with me are:
bio gold(haiki or something)
betta bits
color bits
worms
frozen blood worms
freezed dried blood worms.

It's hikari Betta Gold, bettachris. Excellent staple foor for bettas.

Try the frozen bloodworms (or brine shrimp, they like that too).

Also, garlic is an appetite stimulant. I'd say try a frozen food ASAP and if that doesn't work, try garlic saturated food. You should be able to buy food with garlic in it at your LFS, just ask.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

I know my betta boys in the 10 gallon suck in food and spit it out all the time, but they always seem to keep a bit in their mouths

Like was said try some frozen blood worms, or if you can go find some sugar ants or something of the sort and toss a couple in the tank live food trying to swim always caves my guys in

And the garlic is supposed to be an apetite stimulant, I think you could probably get garlic powder and mix a bit in with the blood worms, or take fresh garlic and mince it?mush it and mix with the frozen blood worms, just remember a little bit goes a long ways...

And I might be wrong but I'm almost certain Hikari Betta Gold (I know I slaughtered that name) has garlic in it...

Best of luck, when he gets hungry he will definately eat...

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Well I finally found something he will eat. Aqua Culture betta pellets I think. But I still might get some frozen food too

I'm glad that you found something he will eat Kelly

And do go get some frozen blood worms, he'll love you for it, that and if you see any small insects that you can catch and chunk in that haven't been treated with bug spray, he'll love the live bait as well...

heidi


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"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle