Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Woody Pet

Why is my betta fish not eating?

While seeing your Betta fish not interested in eating may be concerning for you, most of the time, it is nothing to be upset with. However, there are things that can cause the Bettas to refuse food.

In this article, we will go through many of the reasons why Bettas would not want to eat any sort of food, and examples of a Betta fish not eating.

As an owner, it is important to get to know the Betta fish better, even more so if you are planning to keep a Betta in the future. You will only accomplish this if you are willing to learn more about the Betta fish habits and nature.

One of these crucial things about the Betta fish is when they are refusing to eat the food you are giving to them. Let’s dive in this subject and learn why Bettas don’t eat sometimes, and what to do when you are facing such a situation.

Why is my betta fish not eating – they might not realise

Betta fish are not being fed with flakes and pellets in the wild, nor while they are living with the breeders. That is why you shouldn’t be surprised that they simply don’t know what you are throwing to them in their tank.

This goes specifically for the Bettas that you purchased recently, and they are in a completely new environment.

This outcome is completely normal. This is why you should only be persistent with giving them the same food. Unless they are picky, the Betta fish need only up to a week to start to eat the pellets and flakes.

If your Betta doesn’t eat the food that is inside for ten minutes, it is advisable to pull it out, since it will only be going to pollute the water in the tank.

Why is my betta fish not eating – they are fastidious

Betta Fish can be very picky. They are, indeed, hard pets to please. If you can offer your Betta another type of food, you may try that, and check if it’s eating it. This is one of the most likely reasons causing your Betta not to eat.

When this is the case, the best thing to do about it is to feed your Betta more various foods, and not just one type of it. Another good resolvent would be if you give it a day off from food, and then try and see how it reacts when you feed it the day after.

Anyway, fasting can be good for your Betta. It lets its stomach digest the food better and get ready for the coming days. While one day of fasting can be good, three days of it may be too much.

You need to give them food you are certain they would eat if they refuse to do so after one, or at most, two days of not eating.

Why is my betta fish not eating

New Environment For Your Betta

Like with people, changing of environment for the Betta fish can be stressful, and they may need some more time to adapt.

Part of the process of adaptation may be that they would not eat any kind of food. Simply put, your Betta fish pet needs more time and you should give it to them.

They appreciate a quiet environment: Place them inside a room where they won’t be hearing any noise and there shouldn’t be any light.

Frozen Food

Frozen food, overall, is recommendable for the Betta fish, and this is what they eat while they are being kept by breeders.

On the other hand, some Bettas will not have it. Another thing to take into consideration is that the frozen food may broaden inside the water, and as a result, when the Betta eats it, it can cause constipation and hurt the poor fish because it will not stop growing inside it.

This is why you should wait for the food to defrost itself before giving it to the Betta in the tank. You can do this with a little effort:

Take out some of the water from the tank, and put the food inside. The food will defrost itself inside the water. After that, the Betta will not have any problems eating it.

Why is my betta not eating and lethargic?

If your Betta fish is not eating and it seems lethargic, then, the problem most likely is the temperature of the water in the tank.

The water inside the tank should be warm, because otherwise, it will not eat, due to its decelerated metabolism. Betta fish prefer a temperature of about 79 Fahrenheit or 26 Celsius degrees.

Why a Betta Fish Spits Out Food?

When you see your Betta fish spitting out food, there might exist various reasons why it is doing that. It may be because it has problems with parasites, or your Betta is simply selective and picky when it comes to food, so it doesn’t like what you are giving to him.

On the other hand, it may be still very young to eat pellets and flakes, or it may be suffering from some digestive problems.

Why is My Old Betta Fish Not Eating?

Unfortunately, when Bettas get older, they may be losing their sight with time. As an outcome, it may happen that they simply would not be able to pick up the food you are giving to them.

Conclusion

We went through this subject and we learned many of the reasons and causes why Betta fish would not eat their food.

Hopefully, you will find this article useful, and we helped you to extend your knowledge of the nature of the Betta fish even more than before.

Now, you are a more informed Betta owner, or, if you are still not keeping a Betta fish in your tank at home, you certainly know how to deal with many issues in the future, after you get one of these fish for you to keep.

The reasons why a Betta fish would not eat its food may be of all sorts. Simply, they can be getting older and lose their vision, or they can be picky and selective by nature.

Other factors can be that their temperature is not ideal and should be modified, or that their food might be still frozen.

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