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Post by purplegirl30 on Mar 23, 2004 23:28:36 GMT -5
When we first got our Betta we were told at the pet store to feed him these freeze dried blood worms and he seemed like he was starving all the time so we went to a diffrent pet store and they told us that the freeze dried was bad for a betta and to feed it betta bites. For 3 days I have been putting 3 pellets like the pet store suggested twice a day and my fish has not eaten any of them.
Now for my question is are freeze dried blood worms bad for a Betta or is there another food I should get to make sure not to starve my fish to death?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Diana
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Post by abm on Mar 23, 2004 23:36:07 GMT -5
Hi Diana, If you just got the betta a few days ago, it's perfectly normal that he's not eating normally yet. It can take up to a week or a bit more before new fish get settled in to the point where they will eat. FD bloodworms can be used as a treat, not a regular diet - they are too rich and can cause constipation, which can kill bettas. Betta Bites are fine, and 3 twice daily doesn't sound like too much. Be very sure you are removing uneaten food after a few minutes so that it doesn't make the water dirty. When I got one of my bettas (I have 8) he ate one meal happily then didn't eat for 8 days. I was very worried but I just kept offering him the same food I gave the others at the same time, removed it when he refused to eat, gave him the same attention etc. (finger on tank, flaring neighbor, etc. ) and on the evening of the 8th day he ate. No big deal, he just ate, and has been fine ever since. Since you're new here, it would help if you could tell us all a little more about your tank setup; there's a topic under general information about this (can't recall the title, sorry  ) but things like tank size, cycled/uncycled, temperature/heater, etc. are very helpful in determining the cause of many fish problems. When you have time, fill us in! And welcome to Healthy Betta! What is your new guys' name? |
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Post by purplegirl30 on Mar 24, 2004 0:36:06 GMT -5
Thank you so much for such a quick response!
We've had our Betta for a little over 2 weeks. My 3 yr old named him, Nemo... I know very unoriginal, but hey he's only 3.
After hearing from people that Betta's were the new Goldfish when it came to being easy to take care of, silly me made an impulsive purchase at Walmart. Then I got home and read about Betta care, not quite as easy as I thought.
Anyway, we have a 1 gallon tank, with an undergravel filter. It came as a kit, a betta kit actually. I didn't use the gravel it came with, it seemed pokey and rough, so I bought this gravel that said it was designed for Betta's. I didn't use the plants it came with, they seem to just be plastic. I haven't bought a new plant, I wasn't sure what kind to buy.
Anyway, thanks again for the help. I'll look for that topic you were talking about to post an introduction.
Diana
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Post by abm on Mar 24, 2004 8:34:01 GMT -5
I know the kit you're talking about. Be aware that bettas, with their long fins, often do not do well with filters b/c of the strong currents. I used those tanks until I upgraded to 2 gallons but I did not use the filters. If you are running the filter, try doing a full water change and then see how he does without the filter running. He may be freaked out and once it's more peaceful in there, he'll start eating. Gotta go do my actual job now  Good luck! |
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Post by ACKislander on Mar 24, 2004 12:53:51 GMT -5
ABM is right about Betta's not eating when they first move into a new tank set up. It's pretty normal.
When it comes to the type of food you want to feed, there are dozens of options. The reason the store likely told you not to feed freeze dried is because they tend to be very low in moisture and can cause digestive problems. Although they are better for betta then pellet food, so I'm not sure why they recommended the switch. (ABM, what do you mean by "too rich." Are you referring to flavor?) Sometimes it takes bettas awhile to adjust to dry food because breeders feed them wet food (bloodworms, brine shrimp daphnia, etc) and it can be hard to convince them to change to something so different from their natural diet.
Most bettas love bloodworms, brine shrimp, and frozen tubifex worms. For picky eaters you can try daphnia (local LFS) or mysis shrimp (usually bought online). There is hardly a betta alive that wont munch these up. They are very nutritious and can be offered daily.
If you're going to stick with the pellets, it's helpful to soak them for 10 minutes before feeding, which will allow them to swell to their true size. Especially for Betta bites which can swell up to 2 or 3x.
After a week or two, he should be eating normally.
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Post by palepinkvase on Mar 24, 2004 17:24:40 GMT -5
Hi Diana. Welcome to the forum and congrats on Nemo.
How are things going? Bettas can be very picky and when getting used to a new environment, they will take their time before eating. If you can find a pellet that he likes then you can be sure that he is getting all the basic nutrition he needs. Don't be fooled by the feeding directions on the package. Bettas will be pigs if they can. I usually feed at the most 6 pellets a day. I also give my guys a day of fasting. Also, once you have him eating his favorite pellets then you can try other items as treats. Remember to remove any uneaten food from the his container as it will foul the water. Any silk aquarium plant should work fine. If you can run panty hose over it without damaging the hose, then it should pose no problem to Nemo.
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) but things like tank size, cycled/uncycled, temperature/heater, etc. are very helpful in determining the cause of many fish problems. When you have time, fill us in!
Good luck!