# New betta wont eat!



## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

hey, i just bought a beautiful white crowntail from petsmart. this is my second betta and i've had my other for about three months now and he's doing just fine. the problem is my new white one won't eat anything at all and spends a lot of time sitting on the bottom. he seems to look pretty normal and healthy and has started to swim around a little more (he's in a half gallon tank right now unfortunately, im going to buy him a two gallon like my other later this week) but he still refuses to eat. should i just wait a little while for him to get more acclimated to the tank or do yall think this could be more serious?


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

He is prob just getting used to his new home...He will prob be eating in the next day or so...But keep offering him food until he takes it so he nows you will always be feeding him...


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

that's what ive been doing, i feed him when i feed my other fish then take out everything he doesnt eat. i guess im just worried so much since my other fish only took a few hours to get used to his new homes. thanks for replying so quick i've been worried sick xD


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

Well I am sure he will be fine!!!
And no prob


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Hello and welcome to FishForum. Its pretty common for bettas to not eat the first few days in their new home. Just keep offering him food like Crowntail said. Sometimes bettas can be picky and you may have to try another brand of food.


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

He is very pretty by the way


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

i guess i'm just a little impatient haha
how long till it would be a problem for him to not be eating? i've read like 5-7 days at max 
and thank you i wish i could have gotta i picture with his fins looking a little better but he's sitting under his plant again
he's a little camera shy


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

They can go several weeks without eating. I think he'll settle down in a few days.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

jeez i really hope so
he's shown improvement since yesterday in how active he is so im pretty sure yall are right


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

Yeah they can go up to 4 weeks without food! But I am sure he wont go that long knowing it is been given to him! haha


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

haha well i guess i have a looooong time for him to get used to his home. im planning on moving him to a 2gal tank hopefully this week, should i wait till he gets used to his little tank first?
that's prolly a yes but i feel really bad having him in that tiny little .5 gallon tank. and Fish (yes his name is Fish) loves his 2gal soooo much


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think it will be ok to move him. He may like it better.


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

No I wouldnt..When you get it....put him in it!!! haha


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

haha okay i definitely will do that!
thanks so much!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

You're welcome.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

It's like that with my fish. When I got Fishy, he wouldn't eat for about 5 days. But I got Blue yesterday and he eats just fine. But he's a baby so I have to pick out the smallest pellets I can find. But he's good. He loves his tank, he eats and is making a bubblenest. He's too cute.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I never had a problem with mine not eating when I first got them. Only Blue Bonnet, who spit out her bio gold. Then I switched to Wardleys and she gobbled that stuff up. So then, I decided to play a trick on her to see if she could tell the difference and I fed her one of each. She couldn't so now she eats bio gold with no problem. lol


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## The Amazonian Trio (May 24, 2009)

Hmm.... Well I've got two new bettas who appear reluctant to eat the flakes I normally feed my fish, I'm trying to wait and have them get used to the food, but I'm starting to suspect that the pet store I got the girls from fed them live food.


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## The Amazonian Trio (May 24, 2009)

Kaspaa is really pretty by the way, he reminds me of my little Geshia, who is also a white female crowtail.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

thanks a lot 
i hope he gets better soon i dont wanna lose a fish D:
i've been using maracyn for 2 days now and it seems to a a small effect on him
he's not eating anymore but he ate some of the maracyn (which i'm hoping he's supposed to do)
i'm just hoping he can pull through


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

Why are you medicating him? Does he have fin rot or something? Medicating for not eating is a very bad idea. meds cause stress on the fish and if he is just not eating should not be medicated for it, it will cause unneeded stress.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

ohh he has some sort of a bacterial infection and someone in another thread suggested to me using maracyn after i showed them a close up of what he looked like.
http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o41/faithskater72/?action=view&current=head.jpg
it also looks like he has some fin rot too.


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

oh ok. the added stress of meds can make them not want to eat as well.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

eck well i hope he can pull through. he hasnt eaten anything but that medicine in about 2 weeks. so maybe the medicine will help


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

oh, 2 weeks is a long time. do you have any food besides pellets?


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

i have flakes but i wouldnt really use those unless i HAD too. i have two different types of pellets that he doesnt go for either. what would you suggest feeding him? i was thinking of something live to see if he would go for them


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

if you can get quality live food that's worth a shot. If not try freeze dried or frozen daphnia or blood worms. He should want to gobble that up.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

i'm thinking that the live food will stimulate him. cause when the medicine sank down to the bottom he perked up and swam toward it and ate it


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

You have to be careful with live food because it can carry parasites.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

yeah i've heard that and that's the only reason i've never used it. is there any way to tell or is it just a "hope it all goes well" situation?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't think you can tell. If you use it, though, make sure its rinsed really well.


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

how do you rinse live food?
like put it in a jar and rinse it with water?
jeez that sounds like such a basic question sorry


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

dramaqueen said:


> You have to be careful with live food because it can carry parasites.


 
And bacteria!!! It's the main cause of dropsy


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

ahh that sounds so riskyyy. i'll try feeding him some blood worms and see how that works for him. are all the bacteria and parasites dead if they come in packages?


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

Kaspaa just ate! i have some flakes laying around and they have little blood worms (i think) in them so i got one of those and put it in, it eventually sank to the bottom and he gobbled it up!


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

good deal! glad he's eating.is his overall health improving?


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

yeah it seems so, he's swimming a little more so i think he's feeling a bit better 
i'm still supposed to medicate him two more days so maybe after that he'll be all better!
now i have to go to the store and get blood worms
i've spent more trying to keep him alive than i actually paid for him


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

EvanChandler said:


> i've spent more trying to keep him alive than i actually paid for him


That's always the case :lol: Unless you have obscenely expensive marine fish.

If you can get daphnia at your local shop feed him that coming off the med treatments. They should devour it as they would blood worms, but it is easier for them to digest, and after coming off of antibiotics their digestion is a bit off for a few days. Heavy foods like blood worms can make them bloated and constipated until their digestive tract returns to normal ( a couple days)


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## EvanChandler (Jun 9, 2009)

haha yeah he was only $6.49 

oh wow i'm glad you told me that, i had my keys in my hand ready to go but i'll pick that up instead 
thanks a ton!


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## LiyahsGrandma (May 29, 2009)

You might have to changed his food. What type are you feeding him?


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