# Betta spits out food



## SteeStee1213 (Dec 16, 2013)

So I bought a Betta fish yesterday, he is my second one ever. Overall he seems very happy and very active, only thing is he keeps spitting out his food. He spits it out then re-eats it and does this about 4 times before eating it for good. A few minutes later he will then spit out chewed up food that then floats to the bottom and I have to retrieve it out. He did all of this with only one pellet that I fed him. 

Is this normal behavior for a betta? I feed him new life spectrum betta pellets. 2 in the morning and 1 at night. Is there something else I should be doing or feeding him?

One more thing, he has lost one single scale. It is just hanging on by a little bit. Like I said earlier he seems very healthy and active, but could it be a disease? My first thought was that he bumped into something because he swims around like crazy, but I want to make sure. 

Thanks!


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## Lostiethatlikesherbetta (Apr 2, 2013)

I don't think the scale falling off is a disease, like you said probably bumped into something. I myself am having the same problem with my new betta Carl. Try feeding your fish freeze dried blood worms, as they taste yummier to fish and he might be picky. or cut the pellets in half and they might just be too big for his mouth. good luck!


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Some of my bettas end up with scales missing or damaged for various reasons and it has never caused any problems. Unless the scale is missing because he was deliberately scratching himself up against the substrate or tank decor I would not be concerned. 

It could be that the pellets are different to the ones he was fed previously and some adjustment is needed, it could be that the pellets are too big for him to eat effectively, or it could just be that he is still settling in and doesn't feel comfortable eating yet. I would keep persisting and see how it goes. NLS is a good food and I've had few fish reject it.


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## Chachi (Sep 22, 2013)

One of my bettas spit out his food when I first brought him home too. I wouldn't worry about it. He will still do it occasionally.


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## TheTrojanBetta (Jul 4, 2013)

That sounds like what my bettas all did when I first got them and tried feeding them pellets. One would only eat flakes for the longest time, now they all eat pellets. I think it was because at the time they were too big for the fish to swallow. You could try switching to flakes for a while, or cutting the pellets into smaller pieces (difficult, but it can be done! I used my fingernails.). I feed mine frozen bloodworms once or twice a week as meal for a treat (they should only be used for a treat, they're not as healthy as pellets) in place of their pellets. 
It sounds to me like the pellets are probably too big for your fish to swallow. Don't be afraid to try different things and see what works best!
I think the scale is probably okay, just keep an eye on things and watch for anything that changes. 
Good luck!


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## WhitneyLin (Aug 28, 2013)

+1 to breaking up the pellets. I had that same problem when I changed my boy over from flakes to pellets. I was using Omega One Betta Buffet pellets. I crushed the pellets into smaller pieces between two spoons and then dumped it into the tank. He ate it up no problem after that. 

I also started varying his diet and got some New Life Spectrum Small Fish Formula. Its only .5mm so its pretty tiny. Maybe about half as big as the Omega One. He gobbles these down no problem.


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## SteeStee1213 (Dec 16, 2013)

The fish, his name is Colonial Mustard, did much better with eating this morning. He ate his first pellet normally and the second one the same. Though he did spit up some chewed up chunks. But it is getting better.
Thanks for the advice!


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## TheTrojanBetta (Jul 4, 2013)

Glad to hear he's doing better! 
Cute name, by the way.


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## Siobhan (Nov 11, 2013)

I've seen mine do that spitting out the food thing and I thought at first that it meant they hated the pellets and only ate them begrudgingly, but then I realized that Wally (the only one I had at the time) spit out his pellet so it would float toward the bottom, and then he chased it and caught it and ate it. I think he was just trying to make mealtime more interesting. So I started tossing his pellets into the water with a little force so they'd start to sink and he could chase them and that seemed to do the trick. Ellie still does that with her pellets sometimes, and it seems to be the same reason for her. She grabs it and spits it and then chases it.


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