Stupid betta?

Question

Okay, I've had 10 bettas in my life, but none ever seemed as inept as my new red betta, "Fire." He can't seem to pick off a stationary pellet on the surface of the (to emphasize -- NON-MOVING) water! He keeps aiming a millimeter too far of the pellet and it ends up between his eyes! I'm worried that he will starve to death because he can't seem to eat food that is, well, right before his eyes! Help! Any tricks to help the aim-challenged betta eat??? Thanks!

Answer 1

I recently adopted an old (and I mean old.. he's at least 2 years old) betta from a friend who's moving away. He had the same trouble finding his food when he first came to me also. You described the exact same situation with the aiming and the missing at the lunge.

I just had to stick around until I made sure he got the food into his mouth and he bobbed his head to chew. I fed one pellet at a time (granted, I only feed my bettas 2 to 3 pellets twice daily), and I wiggled the tip of my finger in the water ever so slightly to get his attention.

It may have just been stress from the move, because he's eating just fine now. Bettas can be finnicky eaters, especially if you're trying to get them on a new diet from what they're used to (some of my new boys insist on spitting out their food for the first few days). If more than a week goes by and he hasn't gotten a single pellet, then I would start to worry.

Answer 2

a million.examine Nitrite,Nitrate,Ammonia and pH tiers.you purchase the try kits from a puppy shop.If the nitrite nitrate or ammonia tiers are above 0,do a eighty% water replace. 2.replace 25% of the tank water a week,and be confident to function conditioner to the hot water. 3.Dont enable the temperature fall below 24 tiers celcius. (approximately 70 farenheight) 4.they might desire to be in a 10 gallon (or extra) tank with a heater,filter out and air pump,not a tiny jar. 5.confirm you upload water conditioner to the water and take a examine out Nitrite,Nitrate,Ammonia and pH tiers a minimum of a week or 2.(examine extra many times the smaller the tank is)

Answer 3

Try smaller pellets, he may just be missing the food because he can't get it in his mouth. Try getting some bloodworms, the undried kind, bettas go nuts for those. hand feed them to him and if he still can't eat, maybe he's too stressed to eat.

Answer 4

I don't know if it'll help with stress, but I know my fish (both fresh and brakish) go nuts over live foods like brine shrimp, worms etc... I think they can smell them or something anyway try and give live foods ago, they always work for fussy eaters! (One of meh friends has this fish, that'll only accept live foods, it's the same species as one of mine but it just dosen't accept flake or pellet so maybe you just have a fussy fish!)

Answer 5

Just feed him the normal amount and if he is hungry enough he will eventually find the pellet. My goldfish kinda does the same thing.

Answer 6

hmmm... strange. My only advice would be to sprinkle enough food in that he can't possibly miss, then after he's eaten a few just make sure to remove the excess. Kinda wasteful, but the only way I can think of.

Answer 7

Maybe he's upset that you named him such a pathetic name "Fire". I had a Turtle and I named it Bobmundo. (Pronounced: Bob-moon-dough)
Awesome, huh?
I've also had a dog named Sandy, a dog named Peanut, a mouse named Stuart, a cat named Snickers, a dog named Muffy and a dog named Otis. =D

Rock On!
Heather

Answer 8

I have a betta as well and he will not eat if you are near his tank or watching him........I dont know what the deal is they are just weird!

Answer 9

Did your poor fish suffer any kind of trauma - especially when he was being netted ,transported, and introduced to his new environment?
Check out this link to see more.

Answer 10

Try dried or live blood worms, maybe it well be long enough to see.