# Is my betta stupid?



## EmberDragoness (Sep 19, 2013)

My betta's name is Neptune. He is really beautiful but I think he might not be very smart. When I try to feed him he either ignores the food or he just swims back and forth in the front of the tank. My mom feeds him sometimes and he doesn't seem to eat a lot anyway, but today I tried to feed him after I got home from school. He looked up at the food and then he started swimming back and forth again... >,< Then he swam straight into the side of the tank... :shock:
I don't remember my old betta doing this ever... 
Also I'm sure my mom didn't feed him while I was at school, since she is at work. I'm at school for about 8 hours, wouldn't Neptune be hungry by then? I don't think he was fed in the morning because my mom and I were in a hurry... and my dad doesn't feed him at all.
Anyone know what the heck's going on here? Is this normal for most bettas or is Neptune a little derpy <_< Sorry for the long post,
<^>EmbeR<^>


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## sugarunicorn (Aug 20, 2013)

Some bettas are picky eaters or have trouble with bigger sized pellets. What are you feeding him? 

My guy is pretty tiny and won't eat his NLS pellets unless I crush them for him.


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## EmberDragoness (Sep 19, 2013)

It's not the size because when he does eat he eats 3 or 4. My betta is pretty large so he has no trouble eating when he doesn't ignore the food.


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## AnimalLov3 (Aug 26, 2013)

I am in no way knowledgable in bettas. So you should wait for someone more experienced to come along and NOT take my word for it.

But it sounds to me like he might have slight vision loss??


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## EmberDragoness (Sep 19, 2013)

My mom told me that might be the problem, too. Sometimes he goes up to the top when I put food in but usually he just... keeps attacking the glass...


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## AnimalLov3 (Aug 26, 2013)

He's probably trying to find the food. Try putting the food and then wiggling your finger near it. Lightly.


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## sugarunicorn (Aug 20, 2013)

EmberDragoness said:


> It's not the size because when he does eat he eats 3 or 4. My betta is pretty large so he has no trouble eating when he doesn't ignore the food.


What brand are you feeding? Sometimes switching up the brand can be all it takes. You also might try some frozen bloodworms and see if he's interested in those - very few bettas will turn them down.


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## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

I can't help with the feeding problem, but it sounds like he's glass surfing. If he is glass surfing, a lot of bettas do it and it's nothing to worry about.


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## Briz (Mar 22, 2013)

I had a betta who would glass surf when I came to feed him because he was excited for food. However, he would fail to notice the food. I would hover my finger over the pellet and eventually he would stop swimming against the glass and look at my finger, which meant he would see the food.

Of course, he still rarely managed to hit the food when he tried to bite it, so he was a pain to feed. -.- Lots of wasted food.


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

If it is vision lose, try to feed him always in the same spot and do something like tap the glass one time lightly to get him used to a "dinner bell". This way he will know, eventually, that it means food and will be on the hunt for it. 

I currently have 2 dragon scale bettas with varying degrees of vision lose, who are eventually going to be all the way blind so have started feeding from the same spot all the time. They both still find food fine so far.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I point out and direct some of my betta to their food with my fingers. Sometimes they are not facing the right direction. I motion them in the right direction and they follow me.


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