Find out the medical reasons why your Betta fish is suffering from food issues.
Few things are as unsettling as a pet that won’t eat. So, if you’ve been attempting to feed your betta fish but having no luck, you’ve probably wondered why it isn’t eating.
Your betta fish not eating could indicate a number of different factors, is the response. Some of these issues can be avoided or have simple fixes. In other instances, your betta fish may not be eating due to a medical issue.
Whatever the reason, you should be sure to take away your betta fish’s food after 10 minutes. Otherwise, the leftover food can cause their tank to overgrow with bacteria and produce ammonia.
Why Is My Betta Fish Not Eating?
Some of the potential causes of your betta fish’s lack of appetite are listed below:
- Your betta may be a picky eater
- It doesn’t recognize its food.
- The food may be defrosted.
- poor quality of food
- You are feeding your betta too much.
- Your betta could be unwell.
- Their surroundings have changed
- Water temperature needs to be adjusted.
It goes without saying that a variety of things might make your betta fish stop eating. To aid you in solving your betta’s problem, we’ll go into further depth about each of these points.
- Is Unaware of the Food
Betta fish are native to Southeast Asia’s shallow waters, where they often forage on marshes and rice paddies. As a result, your fish might not perceive the betta flakes or pellets you pour into their bowl as food.
Your choices are two. If your betta fish aren’t aware that you’re giving them food, keep giving it to them until they get interested enough to take a bite, or give them something else, such freeze-dried or frozen food.
- Picky Eater
When you bring your betta home, be sure to find out what they were fed by the pet store or previous owner. It’s possible that your betta prefers the old food to the new one you’re giving them.
Alternatively, if you recently gave your betta a new food and they abruptly stop eating, it’s likely that they are being picky and prefer their old food.
- Food Requires Thawing
Kudos to you if you go the additional mile to give your betta fish freeze-dried and frozen food because it is wonderful for them. Your betta might, however, turn up their “fins” to it if this meal is still partially frozen or isn’t soft enough.
As a result, make sure the food you feed your betta is soft and defrosted. Additionally, before placing it in your betta’s tank, allow it to expand in water. Otherwise, it might do so in your stomach, which would lead to constipation.
- Poor Food Quality
Betta Fish is able to identify low quality food, which is frequently sold in pet stores. As a result, betta fish may refuse to eat since the food has too many fillers and doesn’t taste natural to them.
If you give your betta premium fish flakes or pellets, the problem can be that their diet isn’t diverse enough. So, in addition to their regular betta pellets or flakes, try adding live, frozen, or freeze-dried foods to see if that resolves the issue.
- You’re Feeding Them Too Much
A betta’s stomach is about the size of their eye, so don’t be deceived by their long, gorgeous fins. Therefore, if you have a betta fish that isn’t eating, it may be because it just finished eating.
After feeding your bettas, if you see any remaining food on top of their tank, remove it and make a note to give them less food in the future. Feeding your betta one or two pellets twice daily is generally a good idea.
- Illness
Unfortunately, if your betta isn’t eating, they may not be feeling well. In that situation, they’ll typically exhibit additional symptoms as well, like swimming in a strange direction, tiredness, or changing the color of their fins.
Swim bladder disease, dropsy, and constipation are a few of the most typical ailments that affect betta fish. Do some online study to see how you might assist your betta if you suspect they are ill.
- Environmental Change
Excess ammonia or other chemicals in the water is a typical cause for your betta to stop eating; what may seem like a tiny change to you can feel like a major difference to them.
As a result, you should check the tank’s specifications to determine if anything is out of the ordinary. For instance, too much ammonia can damage internal organs and gills, although water conditioners can stop this from happening.
- Water Temperature Issues
Because they derive their energy from the water, bettas are dependent on the temperature of the water to function. Therefore, there is a good likelihood that your betta isn’t eating because it is too hot or cold if the water temperature is significantly higher or lower than 78°F.
Make it a routine to regularly check the water temperature for your betta. Furthermore, if you maintain your residence at a low temperature, think about installing a heater to your tank.
Why Isn’t My New Betta Fish Eating?
If your new betta fish won’t eat, a mixture of the above mentioned variables is probably at play. Betta fish are significantly impacted by environmental changes. As a result, until they adjust, new betta fish frequently refuse food.
In addition, there’s a considerable likelihood that the water temperature in their new dish is different from the one they came from. You must therefore be careful to gradually accustom them to their new water. Until your betta fish settles down and starts to eat, it can also be useful to turn off the lights for a few days.
