# What to feed this picky betta?



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi everyone,
We have had a new betta for the past 3 weeks or so, named Charles. He is a healthy, gorgeous halfmoon. He seems to be always hungry but half the time he spits out his food, even if I don't feed him for a day.

I have been feeding him Hikari Betta Bio-Gold bits. My last betta loved these and so did I because you only have to give a few a day, they are eaten immediately (especially if given one or two at a time) and they don't sink down to pollute the water.

This betta is a picky eater but he is not sick. He gobbles the food but spits it back out. He's active and still quite young. Can you suggest another food? 

This morning, I am trying some New Life Spectrum small fish formula that I picked up from Aquariums West a couple of days ago. I never intended it to be for the betta, though, and I don't know if it's right for him. The food is in small specks. He ate one of the specks, not the other. 

I don't think this info is needed, but he's in a 6 gallon unfiltered planted Eheim Aquastyle, 30% to 50% water change 3 times a week, using Seachem Betta Basics water conditioner or sometimes AquaPlus, pH 7, no ammonia, temperature 76 F. He's lively and he comes to the front of the tank for food when I approach. I feel bad that he doesn't like lunch!


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Hello Maureen. 

The tank is heated, correct? Sometimes increaseing the temperature a bit will cause the fish to start eating more. Also, fewer, smaller W/C may also help. I still recommend filtering the tank to minimize thermoclines within the water column even if it is minimal). 

Hopefully that helps,

Best regards,

Stuart


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for the response! Yes, the tank is heated with a Fluval series E heater. The heater has a digital display that shows 76 degrees F (at the back, near the bottom of the tank as the heater is on its side now) and the thermometer at the front (floating) shows 76 to 77 degrees. I think the tank is quite evenly heated but I will raise it a couple of degrees. I can filter if necessary, though, but I hope to avoid that as I've always had more problems with bettas and filtration than without. I'll try fewer water changes. 

I forgot to mention that I have been adding a little salt, which I did not do with my last betta. But I was told that there was salt added to the betta water in the store where I got him. 

Thank you, Stuart! I will try your tips. I'm hoping to avoid live food as it's hard to keep live food on hand for just one tiny fish. The fish looks like he wants to eat; he just doesn't seem impressed by the food I'm giving him. If you know of any yummier food that's suitable for a betta, let me know...


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## BubBleBee (May 7, 2010)

My daughters new delta tail betta (Sparky) was doing the same...he would not eat those floating pellets...so I started giving him bloodworms a few at a time...which he took to with no problem at all. Sparky is now also eating the pellets as of last night...I do a combo of both...hope this helps. =)


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, BubbleBee. Are those frozen bloodworms or fresh? How many bloodworms is just the right amount for a betta? (They can be piggish if allowed -- no self control, like me with chocolate.)


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Frozen Bloodworms/Brine Shrimp could also work Maureen . Your other fish will also enjoy them as a treat . I suggest the Hikari Brand (as they seem to be one of the few manufacturers that use any quality control measures during processing).

Best regards,

Stuart


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## AndrewL (Aug 15, 2011)

My betta also is fed Hikari Betta Bio Gold. I am not sure what other fish you have. As a treat, once a week - I feed thawed blood worms to my Betta and shrimp (of course, in different tanks). A few dangling from my plant pincers does the job.


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## BubBleBee (May 7, 2010)

I use frozen BW's and yesterday put like 4 or 5 in and think that may have been too much...cuz the lil guys belly was huuuuuuge. Aim for three...


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Okay, thank you everyone. I will try frozen bloodworms. I haven't bought any for my other fish for awhile and I'm sure they'd like a treat, too. Does anyone know where I can find any? I have been asking for some at a pet store for the past month but was told that there's a supply problem.


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## BubBleBee (May 7, 2010)

I usually pick mine up from either King Ed's or IPU....Petsmart carries them too...just call ahead to ensure they have some before making a trip out specifically for worms...=)


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## grizadams_7mm (Aug 29, 2011)

We give our Betas 2 blood worms and a pellet or 2. Our crown tail is the picky one though, really slow to eat anything even the blood worms. Our other 2 eat everything you put in front of them. They also seem to like mysis shrimp. Good luck Maureen


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## AndrewL (Aug 15, 2011)

I purchased from Aquariums West.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Maureen, I would recommend buying the Hikari ones. I'm not an expert and there might be other brands that are good quality (in fact there likely are), but I remember reading about people having serious problems with other, cheaper brands. The way I see it, if you use them sparingly, the extra buck or 2 per pack gives you peace of mind for a long time so it's worth it.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, everyone!

Franck, thanks for the tip about buying the Hikari ones -- but those are the ones that my new betta is turning his royal nose up at! My other betta just loved them. I really hope that this betta, King Charles, decides he loves the Hikari treats after all. (I've decided to add King to his name not only because of his preference for special treatment, but so that people don't think that "our" Charles, from Canadian Aquatics, is turning his nose up at lunch! lol.)

AndrewL, do you mean that Aquariums West is where you purchased frozen bloodworms? I'll check there on the weekend. That's good to know!


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## AndrewL (Aug 15, 2011)

Maureen,

Correct - I purchased frozen bloodworms at Aquariums West. The fridge is located on the wall by the water test kits.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Maureen, I meant the Hikari frozen bloodworms.

King Charles. What a great name! :bigsmile:


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

lol. Hikari frozen bloodworms it is, for King Charles the Great!


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey Morainy, 

Would it be possible that the pellets are too big or too hard for him? I had a young betta once that was quite small and he had a hard time chewing the pellets. I had to soak them first. Now he eats fine.

Hope his appetite picks up soon.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Atom,

Hmm. Maybe. He doesn't eat them after they've been soaking in the tank, but they are very big by that time. Good question. I'll try cutting them.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Success! A huge thank you to Stuart (CRS_Fan), who brought some frozen bloodworms over last night. 

I gave two to King Charles today and he gobbled them up! I'm sure he'd offer Stuart a knighthood if he could figure out the paperwork.

The bloodworms came in a cube, so I gave some to all my fish. Been quite awhile since I had bloodworms on hand, probably almost a year. They are all in ecstasy. Of course, this means that the endler birthrate will skyrocket! 

Thank you, Stuart!


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## BubBleBee (May 7, 2010)

LOL...great to hear...


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Yes, I really, really hope that King Charles will develop more plebeian tastes, because thawing bloodworms is so icky! But it's nice to see him so happy.



BubBleBee said:


> LOL...great to hear...


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Morainy said:


> ...thawing bloodworms is so icky!


When I raised angels in my previous life, and more recently kribs, I would grate frozen bloodworms or cut them into smaller pieces with a knife. I don't mind thawing them whole, but the grating/cutting is something that I wouldn't do just before or just after dinner.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

You're a great "dad" to your fish, Franck. I remember how well you looked after those little kribs. As a vegetarian, I shudder at the idea of grating frozen bloodworms, but back when I had a couple of tanks of different killies as well as some community tanks, I used to feed them live black worms from Charles. Chasing a worm around a bucket then throwing him into a tank to his certain doom is pretty bloodthirsty. I did wonder about the ethics of feeding a helpless & trapped critter to a tank full of other critters who were being favoured only for their cuteness. But ... they loved them!

I think that thawing a whole or half cube in a container of water, then giving 2 to the King, will work alright because clearly, all the other fish that I have will benefit from King Charles' pampering. But if I only had one betta, I might consider trading him in for more of a peasant type.

Oh, gotta go. The King beckons...



crazy72 said:


> When I raised angels in my previous life, and more recently kribs, I would grate frozen bloodworms or cut them into smaller pieces with a knife. I don't mind thawing them whole, but the grating/cutting is something that I wouldn't do just before or just after dinner.


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

LOL, so funny. King Charles the Betta! My betta hated flake food til I put some community fish with him who ate the flakes, then he got his hackles up and would only eat flakes. lol My Betta is a very light eater though, just one pellet a day. Never takes a second one, ever. I keep thinking he's not getting enough but he's almost 2yrs old now, so must be doing something right. 

He'd eat a full cube of bloodworms tho if i'd let him. lol. What I do is carefully shave a bit off the cube with a dullish knife (it's quite soft), but be super careful that you don't cut yourself. But he only gets BW once a week.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Morainy said:


> Success! A huge thank you to Stuart (CRS_Fan), who brought some frozen bloodworms over last night.
> 
> I gave two to King Charles today and he gobbled them up! I'm sure he'd offer Stuart a knighthood if he could figure out the paperwork.
> 
> ...


Thanks Maureen.

It's always a pleasure to visit and help another fellow hobbyist. I'm glad King Charles is more receptive to these food options. Tell King Charles it's too much work to apply for knighthood. A simple "Thank You" will suffice.

Best Regards,

Stuart


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Tazzy_Toon, that is so funny! Your betta started eating flakes so that the other fish couldn't get them (or something like that; who knows what goes through a betta's mind). It's quite reassuring that your betta has done so well without pigging out. I guess they are all different. My last one would eat as many pellets as he could talk me into.

Stuart... King Charles already has your knighthood underway. The sword is going to be a challenge.... will an Amazon do?


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Morainy said:


> Tazzy_Toon, that is so funny! Your betta started eating flakes so that the other fish couldn't get them (or something like that; who knows what goes through a betta's mind). It's quite reassuring that your betta has done so well without pigging out. I guess they are all different. My last one would eat as many pellets as he could talk me into.
> 
> Stuart... King Charles already has your knighthood underway. The sword is going to be a challenge.... will an Amazon do?


An Amazon..... woman? I'm already taken .

Best regards,

Stuart


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi, All

Just thought I'd let you know that King Charles is no longer picky. He took to the bloodworms that Stuart gave me immediately. Now he will eat bloodworms or the Hikari bio-gold betta pellets. We have figured out a system, and if I lift the lid he comes to that spot for food. He's looking great!


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