# New Betta Won't Eat



## pcs17 (Sep 5, 2011)

My girlfriend and I each bought a Betta fish yesterday at the local Petsmart (hers is a teal male named Hector and mine is a royal blue male crown named Achilles). Both seem to be enjoying their new bowls and are swimming around the new plants and such quite actively. 
I am a little bit concerned for mine however. It isn't eating any of the pellets that I put in the bowl. He will see them but disregard them and swim away (sometimes after nudging the pellets for a minute). Should I be concerned at all? My girlfriend's Betta is eating every pellet we throw in to his bowl and right away. 
I did feed both of them last night in their travel containers and they both ate the pellets I threw in. Could mine just be full? Should i try throwing in more food tonight? and should i clean out the pellets that sank to the bottom that he did not eat?

Someone please help, I want to help my new little friend. :-(


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

your betta is probably still adjusting to his new home. some bettas will eat the first time around, and others, it can take a week or even two. 

what brand of pellets are you feeding? how big are they? how much do you give him per feeding? bettas aren't known to stop eating, even if they're "full," which is why it's very easy to overfeed them. 

you can try feeding him again tonight, most people give 3-4 pellets a day. 
usually, 2 in the morning and 2 at night.

if he still doesn't eat after a week or two, he could just be a finicky eater, but he should eat soon. and yes, you should clean out the pellets that sank to the bottom so your tank won't get dirty.


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## pcs17 (Sep 5, 2011)

Ok, thanks. This makes me feel a little bit better. I hope he is still just adjusting. The pellets are called Beta Bites by a brand called HBC. The pellets are extremely small and when they bloat in the water they get to be about the size of a Betta's eye.

P.S. the bottle says give them 6-8 pellets twice daily. I fed him a little under this last night. Maybe 5? and I threw in 5 today. Sounds like this could be a little much though.


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

well, bettas' stomachs are about the size of their eye, so you should probably give him one pellet in the morning and one at night.

i hope he eats soon, all bettas are different. they can be really stubborn, so be patient. 
oh and yes, never listen to the directions on the bottle. they are almost always wrong, and usually cause people to overfeed their betta.


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## pcs17 (Sep 5, 2011)

Thanks :-D

One more question though if you don't mind. Should he be kept in direct sun, partial sun, or no sun at all? I do not have any heat lamps for them (although I just read on here that I probably should) and my dorm room is kept at a mid-70's temperature all day long. 

Where do you think I should keep them?


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

they should be able to get some kind of partial or indirect sunlight, if you don't have a light for them.

do you have a thermometer? if your room is in the mid-70's, usually the water temperature is lower than the room temperature, so your water might be around 72* F. 

bettas require warm water, best around 76-82* F. first, get a thermometer, then a heater if needed. if his water is in the right range, you should probably still get a heater for the colder months. also, lamps can be iffy, because they can cause the water temperature to fluctuate, which isn't good for bettas.


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## pcs17 (Sep 5, 2011)

Ok. thanks so much for your help.


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

no problem.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Also with the pellets if he continues to be picky; they may be a little big.. so either cut them up or pre-soak them in tank water first, or if you really want to give them a treat- soak them in garlic juice. It's a form of catnip for bettas =)
Try to give them a variety if you can. Anything high in protein such as frozen blood worms or brine shrimp. If you go the freeze dried route, keep it to 2-3 worms only 1-2 days a week because they aren't as nutritious and they tend to bloat if over fed. But your guys will like them =) 
Welcome and good luck! Congrats on getting the betta bug!


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