# Fish hasn't eaten in days, seems to miss food when trying



## Annabeth (Apr 3, 2016)

Hi. I got my betta, Percy, last year and he has always been very food motivated, almost like a dog. I would walk by his tank and he would swim up and usually he would eat what I gave him, ~4 pellets. He is still really active and swims to me when I open his lid to give him food, but for some reason he seems to have been "missing" his food. Like he will see it and lunge for it but he won't be able to get it after a dozen tries, then he gives up. I haven't seen him eat anything in days, maybe almost a week. 

I have moved him to a separate container that doesn't have a filter because maybe he was misjudging the effect the filter would have on the food but he still could not get anything. 

I'm not sure if he's sick or not but I'm really worried. Can fish lose their eyesight? I'm not entirely sure if this is the problem because he can still see the food and me when I walk by the tank. But is he no longer interested in the food I'm giving him, maybe? Or sick? 

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5 gallons
Does it have a filter? Yes
Does it have a heater? No
What temperature is your tank? ~70
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? None
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? None

Food:
What food brand do you use? Top Fin Color Enhacing Betta Bits
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? I don't think so 
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? He used to eat ~3-4 pellets once in the morning and once at night, but now I only try and feed him once a day and he doesn't eat anything. 

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Once a week
What percentage of water did you change? I think around 25%
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? I use a water pump to get the substrate at the bottom 
What additives do you use? Top Fin Betta Water Conditioner. I had Prime but I left it at a house I was previously at. 

Water Parameters: *I don't have anything at this house to test the water parameters and hopefully I can find a store that is open tomorrow. I had a API testing kit but I left it at my other house =/ I realize that parameters are important but I posted this hoping that maybe someone would have other ideas before I could get it tested, since it might be 2 days due to Christmas holiday. *
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. 

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? A few days ago, maybe a week. 
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? I do not think so. 
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He gives up trying to eat food which he has never done that I have seen. He is still active and swims around his entire tank during the day. 
Is your Betta still eating? No. He is trying but misses the food every time he lunges for it and eventually gives up. 
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? I don't have anything to treat him with yet
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? No
How long have you owned your Betta? Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? One year, and seemed fine. 

I attached some photos. He looks maybe a little bit duller but I don't think this has been a sudden change and it may be due to the lighting. One photo "PercySpring" is from last spring and the others are from today.


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## Hyunjicho (Nov 8, 2016)

He's probably getting old. My girl is starting to go blind and won't eat unless I wiggle my finger over it for a couple minutes. Getting duller is a sign of oldness as well. Maybe you can try to find the right light balance. One of my bettas that died a while back wouldn't see the food unless I turned up the light while another one wouldn't eat if the light was too bright. My girl that's going blind chomps at plants that break the surface so I try to not break it so that she can find food easier. Maybe you can buy live foods for him and better pellets. I use Omega One and a lot of people recommend New Life Spectrum as well (sorry if this isn't helpful because I'm half asleep at the moment)


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

A good way to feed a fish that "misses" its food is to try a pipette. Draw a bit of water into the pipette and add the pellets and don't release until a Betta's face is on the pipette. Another way is to soak pellets in a bit of garlic juice so they can smell the food. And a third is to stick the pellet to the end of your damp finger and place directly in front of Percy. Let him pick the food from your finger.

Welcome to the Forum! :wave:


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