Why Is My Betta Fish Not Eating? If you have found growing fondly of Betta fish, then let this be a piece of advice for you: Betta fish are high-maintenance fish with specific needs. Betta fish are cute, little fish in vibrant colors with an elegant, flowing tail. They may be small and graceful to watch, but they can be hard-headed, stubborn and selfish because they are very territorial. They liked to be alone and they would fight to be alone. No wonder they’re also called as the fighting fish, because of their aggressive nature. If you’re a first-time Betta keeper, you should know their characteristics and nature first so you may be understanding their needs and daily routines.
Read Also: How Long Can A Betta Fish Go Without Eating?
Betta fish are considered carnivores because they feed on live insects such as bloodworms, brine shrimps, and mosquito larvae. Just in case you are wondering why your Betta fish is not eating, that’s because you may be feeding them wrongly. Their need for protein is their chance for survival and if Betta fish can’t have it, they would starve to death. Betta fish are picky and meticulous eaters and they also have low metabolism which means they can be fed only fewer times than the regular goldfish.
Betta’s Special Diet
The Betta fish’s stomach is the size of their eyeball and if there’s any food that they don’t like, they would easily reject. It’s true that Betta fish can survive without eating in 14 days, but not trying to feed them properly around those days is torturing already. As mentioned above, they would need to eat foods rich in high protein, so you would like to make an effort to find out the best product for them. Also, do not confuse the Betta fish diet from the regular goldfish because their dietary routine is quite different from each other.
As pet owners, we can always think of what makes our pets happy. Sadly enough, fish are not like our pet dogs and cats who can communicate with us if they’re feeling hungry or stressed out. Anyway, here are a few lists of good Betta fish pellets that you can choose from.
Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets
Omega One is one of the most recommended fish food brands in the market as they are intended to research what’s best for your Betta fish. Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets has a natural pigment of salmon that’s filled with Omega 3 and 6 for color enhancement. This pellet is also not water-soluble so you can’t have any cloudy water problem. This product also contains abundant seafood protein for a better and longer life span.
Omega One Freeze-Dried Blood Worms
Another nutritious treat is the Omega One Freeze-Dried Blood Worms, which was excellent in providing high protein. It contains natural and authentic bloodworms, that are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a safe alternative for pellets and they also share the same nutritional value as the live ones. Please note that you should only get an ample amount of bloodworms. Putting them back in the refrigerator might be a bad idea because they might acquire bacteria. Other nutrients included in this product are crude fats and fiber.
Omega One Betta Flakes Food
Just the same with the Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets, this product also contains natural wild salmon that are rich with critical Omega 3 and 6 for color boosting nutrition. You can feed the Betta fish with Omega One Betta Flakes Food at least once a day, as they can consume the food in 2 minutes. Guaranteed nutrients in the product are crude protein, fats, fiber, vitamins B and minerals.
Take Them To The Vet
If you have supplemented them with enough food and nutrients that they needed, then it’s better to take them to the nearest vet for an expert opinion because there might be an underlying health condition. Most problems start to occur to a fish if they have a health issue regarding their digestive system.
Their digestive system functions to gather nutrients from food and eliminate waste from their body. If your fish’s digestive system is not functioning properly, then this might be the reason why they’re avoiding eating. Difficulty to swim down to their tank can also point to a health issue, as well, and most vets would recommend foods with high fiber in it because fiber is responsible for clearing out their digestive tract. After a week of consistent feeding, they should feel good again.
Another unsurprising problem, especially with first-time Betta keepers, is overfeeding. What they have overlooked is that they have fed the fish many times already, which is more critical than undereating. There’s only one solution: you have to cut back on the foods you are feeding on them twice a day.
Water Quality And Temperature
Lastly, you need to consider if their environment is healthy for them, too. When cleaning a Betta’s tank, you have to take out 1/3 of the water and replace them with fresh and clean water regularly. This will make them adjust to the water temperature and pH of the freshwater. This routine should be done every four days.
Also, you have to monitor if the water has chlorine in it. If there is, then drop a dechlorinator to the freshwater before putting them back to their tank. Never use soap in cleaning off the decoration because it will build up ammonia and negative bacteria that could harm the fish.
Conclusion
Betta fish, like any other fish, are opportunists when it comes to food, so it’s better to control it as much as you can and tell your friends not to feed them. Betta fish are critical when it comes to the food and nutrition that they’re getting and figuring that out for your Betta fish isn’t that difficult on your own. There are always some remedies provided once you ask professional help from vets and there’s the use of the internet to help you sort out with your Betta fish problems.
