I have a pet fish but my fish won’t eat anymore. How do I make it eat again?
I have had this problem before and here are a few things to think about…
1. Is your fish too cold? Bettas are tropical fish that like temperatures above 75 degrees. Sometimes, especially in winter, they get cold and lethargic. Keep them in a warmer area in the house for better results.
2. Is your fish getting enough sunlight? I’ve notice that if I place my fish in sunlight for an hour a day and make sure they have adequate lighting otherwise they eat better. Bettas are day light feeders. (They have to see what they eat) so not giving your pet enough light could be telling his/her little mind that it’s always dusk or night and will make it not want to eat.
3. Is your pet bored with food? Try a small amount of bloodworms each day. They are good for you fish, float continuously so you don’t have to monitor feeding, and don’t foul your water like tubiflex worms or other betta foods can.
4. Have you changed it’s water lately? If so you may have shocked him by not adjusting him to the water properly. Next time let the clean water sit overnight so that the chlorine comes out and so that it equalizes with room temp. Also put about 1/4 of the water back in with him from the original water. (They seem to do better this way.) If you have shocked him he/she may not eat for a few days. Try to only change your betta’s water once a month. If it gets nasty really fast you need to change food, feed less, or get a filtered tank.
5. Is there a plant in the bowl with him/her? Many people have the misconception that betta’s eat the “stuff” off the roots of plants and thus put plants in with fish. (I.E. those fish vases you see that seem to be so popular) In actuality betta’s don’t eat anything from the plant. Betta’s are insectivores and need lot’s of protien to keep them healthy. (Which can be found in fish foods made for bettas) Also plants rob the water of precious oxygen. If the fish can’t get to the top of the water they may “drown” so to speak because bettas breath air to supliment them in oxygen deficient water.
Source(s):
My own experience raising bettas.
Here’s a good site for light food suggestions…
http://www.bettatalk.com/food.htm…
I use this site quite often personally. It’s one of my personal favorites because the person who runs it is a breeder and very knowledgable. It has all kinds of tips on subjects ranging from feeding, to breeding, to pictures of different breeds….
http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/h…