Betta fish are generally big eaters and are prone to overeating. So you may wonder why your betta fish is not eating their food all of a sudden.
There may be several factors to consider why your betta fish won’t eat. Let’s look at the common reasons why your bettas stop eating.
Why is your betta fish not eating food?
Your betta fish is a picky eater
If you have been feeding your fish a particular type of food and suddenly switch it up, they can easily become picky since they are not accustomed to their new food.
The easiest solution is to give them the food they like and just get rid of those they don’t. However, you might run into problems if their food choice runs out of stock from your local pet store.
You can also consider introducing different food into your betta’s diet. If you get your betta fish to eat a variety of food options, it would be easier for your fish to adjust.
Fasting is also an option. If your fish is not eating, you can have them fast for a couple of days and feed them the food they initially didn’t want, and they will likely start eating again.
Your betta fish doesn’t like frozen food or freeze-dried food
Some bettas don’t like to eat frozen foods or freeze-dried foods, like tubifex worms.
Including these food supplements to ensure a balanced diet are beneficial to keep a healthy betta, but you may need to thaw them out properly before they begin eating. You can also do the fasting technique until they begin eating again.
Take note that frozen or freeze-dried food absorbs water and expands. When your bettas eat food quickly, it might lead to problems on your betta’s stomach, such as constipation or swim bladder disease.
You can soak freeze-dried food in tank water for about 15 minutes. Wait for it to expand or absorb water before feeding it to your fish.
Overfeeding
Since bettas are eager eaters, it’s easy for them to become overfed. Betta’s stomachs are about the size of their eyeballs, so overfeeding can easily become a problem.
Have you ever seen a betta fish laying on its stomach? It’s a condition called swim bladder disease or flipover.
The best solution is to decrease the amount of betta food and keep track of their feeding patterns. You can give them 1-2 pieces of betta pellets or flakes for a day. If you miss their morning feeding, don’t try to overcompensate it by giving them more.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure your fish is not eating more food than its stomach size.
You’re giving cheap food or poor quality good
Ensuring that your pet fish has a balanced diet is essential. However, giving them cheap food or poor quality food might be the reason why your fish is not eating.
Most commercially available fish pellets or flakes do not contain the essential nutrients your Betta’s need for their diet. Bettas are naturally carnivorous fish, so eating pellets made from plant-based components may not be beneficial for their health.
You can mix up and play around with different foods, such as frozen, freeze-dried, or live food, to ensure that your betta eats a balanced diet with the essential nutrients they need.
Your new betta fish doesn’t recognize its food
Imagine this. You just came home from the fish store with your new betta fish. It’s perfectly normal for you to get excited, so you try to feed it, only to realize your new fish keeps ignoring the food.
There’s a high chance your new betta fish isn’t eating because they don’t recognize the food. Bettas in pet stores can be accustomed to eating live foods, and you should consider offering these first to help your fish adjust to their new environment.
Your betta hasn’t adjusted to their new environment
This is very common for new bettas, and you shouldn’t worry too much.
You should give them enough time to adjust until they adapt to the tank as their new natural environment. Keeping the light low around your Betta’s tank can help them calibrate into their surroundings.
Too much light around the betta’s tank can cause excessive flaring. Your Betta might mistake their reflection as another fish, leading to elevated stress levels.
You can place different decor where they can hide if they feel that their surroundings are too bright. Plants or floaters make excellent decors because they aid in maintaining the quality of the water. Plus, plants can recreate Betta’s natural habitat, making them more confident in their environment.
Sudden changes in their environment
A sudden change in your betta’s environment can bring stress, which in turn can cause their lack of appetite. Bettas are extremely sensitive about their surroundings and can affect their eating habits.
These changes can come in the form of new decorations, new plants, the presence of other fish, or even a simple shift in water parameters. You can run some tests to check the water parameters and fix any issues immediately.
A change in aquarium water leads to changes in water pH and ammonia spike. Ammonia poisoning is caused by ammonia spikes and is very fatal to aquatic animals.
Water pH level is another parameter that you should monitor. Bettas prefer slightly acidic water (pH 5-7) but can tolerate alkaline water (pH 7+). However, sudden pH swings can affect their appetite and their overall condition.
Make sure to regularly monitor the water parameters of their tank to check if they are suitable for your pet.
Your aquarium has poor water quality
If you have a small betta tank, chances are the water becomes easily dirty. A problem in the water can signal your Betta to hide more than usual.
Dirty water can cause ammonia spikes which can lead to ammonia poisoning. Another type of poisoning caused by poor water quality is nitrate poisoning, which is also harmful to your bettas at high levels.
You should regularly change the aquarium water or clean the aquarium filter. Tank cycling is also helpful in maintaining optimum conditions for beneficial bacteria to thrive in the water. These beneficial bacteria consume the ammonia and nitrite from the waste and convert them into nitrates.
As a fish owner, you should watch out for the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels in the aquarium water. Keeping liquid test kits on hand is definitely helpful, so you can regularly check the water quality. Using a water conditioner or aquarium salt also helps to detoxify ammonia.
The water temperature is not optimal
Cold water can cause your fish to undergo temperature shock. Since fish are cold-blooded animals, their metabolism relies on the temperature of their natural environment.
The water temperature for bettas to thrive is around 75-84 degrees Fahrenheit, better if you can maintain the temperature as close to 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bettas are native to Southeast Asia, so they naturally prefer a warm environment.
Your betta fish may be suffering from a disease
If you see that your betta fish won’t eat, you might need to check for other symptoms of disease. Here are common symptoms to take note of:
- skin discoloration
- fin rot or ich
- body fungus
- weird behavior
A loss of appetite accompanied by these symptoms may signify that your fish is ill, and you need to act quickly. Having an aquarium salt can help regulate your Betta’s gill function and stimulate their slime coat for disease prevention.
It’s Mating Season
Bettas exhibit strange behaviors and “dance” during their mating season. It might just be the simple reason why your fish is not eating.
If you own a pair of Bettas and observe a bubble nest forming at the surface, then it’s a sign that they are ready to breed.
Quick Facts About Betta Fish
There are 73 species of Betta fish
Betta fish is also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, which is a popular choice as pet fish. Pet stores always have them because of their popularity. But did you know that there are 73 species of fish under the Betta genus?
The most common species you always see in your local pet store is the Betta splendens. Their vibrant colors and fancy tails make them popular aquarium fish.
Betta fish are tropical fish from Southeast Asia
Betta fish are native from Southeast Asia, particularly from the Mekong River Basin surrounded by Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The wild varieties of Bettas are usually found in rice paddies or flood plains.
Betta fish are very territorial
You probably know this already as it’s the most popular fact about the betta fish. Betta fish were originally bred for aggression, which is how they became known as fighting fish.
Betta fish also became the subject of fish fighting and gambling in Thailand during the 1800s.
Male betta fish tend to attack each other when put in the same fish tank, often leading to the death of one or both fish. Female betta fish can be housed in small groups but can turn aggressive if confined in a small tank.
Betta fish form bubble nests when breeding
Male betta fish form bubble nests near the water’s surface to attract female betta fish into laying eggs. Males also tend to be less aggressive towards females during this bubble nest phase.
External fertilization occurs when betta fish breed. The female bettas lay their eggs, while male bettas release milt and the male bettas gather the fertilized eggs in the bubble nest and protect the eggs until they hatch.
Betta fish in captivity are omnivores
In captivity, bettas can eat a varied diet such as plant-based food, fish pellets, and live food or frozen food like brine shrimp. Meanwhile, wild bettas are carnivorous fish that mostly eat insects, like mosquito larvae or other insect larvae.
Bettas can be picky eaters but can be prone to eat too much food if they like it.
Knowing these eating habits, pet owners can easily become concerned when they see signs their betta fish stop eating food.
Betta Fish Basics
Diet and Nutrition
A Betta’s diet should consist of protein and meaty food since they are generally carnivorous. You can give your bettas frozen or live meals such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, or daphnia. Betta pellets or flakes are also excellent sources of nutrients, but make sure to check if they are specifically formulated for them.
How often should you feed your Betta?
You can let your betta fish eat either a whole portion once a day or half a portion of meals twice a day. Remember, their stomachs are about the size of their eyeballs, so make sure not to overfeed them.
Feeding your Bettas twice a day is ideal because it helps them be active and more engaged.
How long can a Betta fish survive without food?
Bettas can survive up to 14 days without feeding, but you need to consider their environment and general health.
Cleaning Your Aquarium
Keep in mind that to keep a healthy betta means ensuring their habitat is in ideal condition. Bettas eat, poop, and urinate in the same water they live in, so it’s naturally important to keep their tank clean.
Cleaning your aquarium also helps get rid of parasites that can infect your pet fish.
How often should you clean your Betta’s tank?
There’s actually no specific time or date for this, but the primary key here is to observe. Make routine checks on how much waste you can observe in a span of one to two weeks.
If your Betta lives in an unfiltered tank, which is not advisable, you’re bound to change their water about twice a week. If you use a filtration system, then you can change the tank water about every two weeks.
What to do with your Betta when cleaning the tank?
If you’re doing more minor water changes, you can leave your Betta in the tank. However, a complete cleaning and water change can stress them out.
You can move your Betta to a quiet and safe place before thoroughly cleaning their tank. To safely remove them from the tank, you can use a clear cup and scoop them up gently.
Make sure not to catch your fish using bare hands as it can easily damage their scales.
Maintaining Water Quality
The quality of the water inside your Betta’s aquarium significantly affects their health, so it is essential to regulate its conditions. You should regularly monitor the pH and the levels of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite in the water.
Having plants inside the tank also helps regulate the nitrogen levels in the water. These floaters act as nutrient sponges and consume nitrogen from ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. Plants also replicate your Betta’s natural habitat and serve as safe spaces where they can hide.
What kind of water should you use in a fish tank?
Using tap water can be dangerous to Bettas since it contains chlorine and other heavy metals. The safest type of water to use is RODI (reverse osmosis deionized water) water, which is filtered to remove most chemicals and heavy metals present in the water.
Summary
There may be a handful of different reasons why your betta fish won’t eat. Observe your pet and their environment for any of the possible reasons mentioned above, and address them immediately.
You shouldn’t need to worry much if your Betta displays strange behavior when in mating season. However, you also need to keep in mind the state of their environment, such as the water conditions and temperature.
Make sure to give them a healthy and balanced diet that provides the essential nutrients they need. If your Bettas feel like their needs aren’t being met, they can easily feel depressed and hide more often.
Bettas can quickly bounce back from their loss of appetite, but watch out for other possible symptoms of diseases that may occur.
Remember, the key to keeping a healthy Betta is to observe and ensure that they live in a stress-free environment.