Nowadays, most people have domesticated betta fish as pets due to their bright colors, simple maintenance, and varied morphology.
However, there are numerous issues that betta fish faces, such as their refusal to eat. In most cases, a betta fish not eating may be due to different reasons like dietary, appetite, or other underlying problems.
The 8 Reasons Why Your Betta Fish Is Not Eating
In case you have a betta fish that’s not eating, then consider checking out the following reasons and their solutions:
1. Differences In Temperature
Temperature changes can affect the psychological responses of your betta fish, even in terms of eating. Since betta fish are habituated to tropical climates, keeping their water temperature at around 74-82 degrees Fahrenheit is best.
However, whenever you change the water in the tank, you will always get a different pH level. If your betta fish gets affected, consider keeping the water warm since cold water can slow the digestion procedure.
With that said, the only solution is to include a heater in the tank. This will allow you to keep the temperature at its optimum level. After that, the digestive system of your betta fish will go back to its normal state.
2. Diseases
Another common reason for a betta fish not eating is due to an illness. Most illnesses may be brought about by stress or from the surroundings. Usually, the primary symptom may be a lack of appetite.
During recent studies, it was discovered that stress and the immune system of a fish could reflect mutual effects. For example, the lack of hiding areas like plants can make your betta fish nervous, which in return can only stimulate stress.
The addition of these hiding places will make your fish feel more comfortable and less stressed.
At times, stress may not be the issue. It can also be that your betta fish has caught a disease from the surroundings. The condition might be due to fungal, parasitic, or bacteria causes. This usually happens if the tank’s water is not clean or there are fluctuations in temperature.
It is always a good idea to keep an eye on your fish from time to time. For example, if you spot abnormal swimming styles or white spots on the fins, it could be a sign of an illness.
Once you spot a sign of an infection, then consider dropping by a medical facility for a checkup.
On the other hand, if the illness is not too severe, you can prepare a homemade treatment instead. Still, the most important factor is to keep your betta fish in a clean and secure environment.
3. Change Of Environment
In most cases, betta fish tend to act slowly while trying to adapt to new environments. Mostly, your betta fish will refuse to eat once you move it into your home or office.
For instance, let’s assume that you have shipped your betta fish instead of buying from a local store. Typically, the fish will be stressed and frightened. If that is the case, then be patient with your fish. Simply allow it to relax and adapt to the new environment.
You can also keep the fish in the dark room for a few periods, and eventually, his dietary habits will go back to normal.
4. Overfeeding Issues
If you usually give your betta fish too much food, it can be difficult for them to finish everything.
At times, you may not realize this since betta fish have a stomach that is the same size as their eyeball. Therefore, making them consume more than they can eat will lead to overfeeding.
All you require is to observe your fish and find out if overfeeding is the problem. If it is, then ensure you reduce the amount of food. For instance, you can begin with one or two pellets twice a day. You can then add the number of pellets depending on how your fish consumes.
Conclusively, overfeeding your fish is very risky since it can cause health issues like constipation and swim bladder illness.
5. The Food Is Not Of High Quality
Food quality is essential to animals. Therefore, if your betta fish is not eating, consider checking the quality of food you are feeding it. Most of the poor-quality foods are cheap options that are bought online or in pet shops.
Similar to humans, the body of a fish may be refusing foods that are of a low quality. Thus, the best thing to do is to figure out which type of diet your fish needs.
You can begin by feeding him some of the following choices:
- Low/no grain betta pellets
- Freeze-dried daphnia
- Mysis shrimp
- Brine shrimp
- Mosquito larvae
- Fruit flies with no wings
- Bloodworms
- Low/no grain betta flakes
You can even mix the above foods with an appetizer so you can stimulate appetite.
6. Swap Feeding
Swap feeding is a common reason for a betta fish not eating. It occurs when you suddenly change the type of food that you usually give it. Point number 3 of this article stated that a fish needs time to adapt to the new environment.
Similarly, switching meals can create eating problems since he may not like it. Simply allow your betta fish to get used to feeding a variety of foods.
In this case, you have two solutions. Firstly, you can choose to feed your fish the type of food that it is used to eating. However, this choice has a challenging demerit since it will be difficult for you to introduce another meal if the one he likes is unavailable.
Alternatively, you can consider feeding your betta fish a variety of new foods until he adapts to the transition.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to spend a lot of cash, consider fasting your betta fish for a few days, then introduce them to a new meal.
7. Your Betta May Not Recognize Its Food
Though it doesn’t happen often, it may be possible that your betta is unaware of the food you are giving him.
For example, if you are used to feeding him fish flakes then suddenly opt for betta fish pellets, it would be difficult for your fish to recognize this as food.
Another instance is that most betta fish breeders provide their fish with frozen foods, so introducing new foods like pellets could be an issue. Therefore, it is best if you allow your betta to adapt to its new feeding habits. Simply continue feeding them with the new type of food until they get used to it.
However, this may take up to 2-7 days. Additionally, do not leave your betta to go for more than three days without eating, so ensure you provide the food he is familiar with.
8. Problems With Frozen Foods
Frozen food is one of the healthiest meals for betta fish. However, your betta may dislike frozen food in case it is not defrosted properly or soft enough for them.
Another problem is that feeding freeze-dried foods to your fish can be very risky since they lead to swim bladder disease and constipation. This usually happens when your betta feeds too quickly then expansion occurs within the fish. The most obvious solution here is to first thaw freeze-dried foods before giving them to your betta.
You can do this by taking some water from the fish’s tank, then add the food inside to defrost. After, you can feed your fish with a soft meal.
Summary
As spotted from the above article, it is clear that your betta may be refusing to eat due to diverse reasons. So, it is never a bad idea to monitor your pet friend and find out his problems as early as now before irreversible issues occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Know Your Betta Fish Is Dying?
If you are wondering if your betta fish is dying, then the following symptoms will show themselves:
1. Difficulty In Breathing
Breathing with difficulty is commonly brought about by internal or environmental factors. Unlike internal reasons, environmental factors are very simple to correct. All you have to do is raise the amount of oxygen in the tank if they are low.
However, internal reasons are very difficult to modify since the problem is within the fish. To be precise, your betta fish may be struggling to breathe due to an issue with their gills.
If the gills are inflamed and moving quickly, it only means that your fish will die soon.
2. Lethargy
Lethargy is a condition that causes your betta fish to change its normal behaviors. For instance, your fish may be hiding at the bottom of the tank, which is usually unusual for you.
In most cases, the betta fish will not move, and if mobility occurs, it will just be in a sluggish way.
At times, your betta fish will not even get up to feed or even pursue females. Unfortunately, this becomes a problem since he may die out of hunger.
Some symptoms of lethargy include clamped fins and rapid movement of gills. Once you notice all these signs, then your fish might be approaching his death bed.
3. Loss Of Weight
In most circumstances, weight loss is not a cause of concern as numerous reasons like stress can bring it about.
However, if the cause is within the fish, it could be a serious problem. In other words, the interior of your betta fish could be overrun by parasites, which results in weight loss, weakness, and death.
Usually, weight loss and lethargy go hand in hand where your fish will stop eating then start shrinking and later dying.
4. Loss Of Color
Similar to weight loss, a color loss in betta fish can also be a result of stress. However, if the entire body of your betta fish has lost its color, it could be a sign of a fatal disease.
In addition, if your betta fish turns black suddenly rather than gradually, it could also be a symptom of an illness. Fortunately, you can quickly correct this by visiting a professional pet doctor.
How Long Can A Betta Go Without Eating?
Let us assume you are leaving for a vacation and you are wondering if your betta fish will survive alone. Well, the good news is that you can leave your betta fish unfed for up to 10 days.
However, a betta fish that goes for 10 days without feeding could cause slow starvation or even simple death. The recommended period should be between 2 to 4 days.
If you can’t meet these days, it is best to leave your fish with a professional pet sitter.
How Do You Revive A Dying Betta Fish?
Your betta fish may be dying due to numerous reasons, including ammonium concentration, harsh temperatures, overfeeding, toxins, and more. Luckily, you can easily revive your fish without hurting him. Simply follow these steps:
1. Cleanse Your Fish
The first thing you can do is keep your fish in clean and cool water to breathe the fresh oxygen in the water.
Secondly, if you spot any dirt on the gills, simply stroke them gently to ensure the fish takes in enough oxygen. This will help the fish to breathe easily through the unblocked gills.
Alternatively, take time to figure out if there are any glued gills, then try to free them with your fingers while mildly stroking the underbelly of your fish.
2. Water Oxygenation
Most fish tanks contain an air stone or an air bubbler that freshens the water and changes the temperature levels in the water. For this part, you can place your betta fish beside the air bubbler and allow the oxygenated water to revive your fish.
3. Prepare Treatments
There are four types of treatments that you can apply to revive your betta fish. These include:
- Salty water treatment – Using salt as a fish healing procedure can be very dangerous if you perform it wrongly. During preparation, it is recommended to add 1 tablespoon of salt in a gallon of water. After, place your fish in the salty water for about 2-3 minutes, but in case your fish looks uncomfortable, remove him instantly and keep him in clean water. You can use two types of fish salt. The first one is known as Epsom salt that can remove excess waste from the body of a fish. The other alternative is Aquarium salt, which can heal those fish with diseases brought about by parasites.
- Revival with garlic water – Garlic is a very vital ingredient even for humans as it acts as a detoxifier. You can add one tablespoon of garlic water into a gallon of water to help your fish heal from various diseases.
- Treatment with chlorophyll – You can get chlorophyll treatments from a local pet store. The treatment is very simple to use since it contains guidelines on how to apply. You can either add the treatment in your fish’s tank or their food.
- Treatment with stress coat water conditioner – The last thing you should do after reviving your fish is to use a stress coat water conditioner to repair any tissue damages or make your fish feel more comfortable. If you provide your betta fish with this stress-free treatment, it will allow rapid and easy recovery.
Why Is My Betta Fish Laying On The Bottom Of The Tank?
A betta fish lying at the bottom of the tank can be an explanation for multiple reasons. Some of them include the following:
1. Your Betta Fish Is Sleeping
The most common reason your betta fish is lying at the bottom of the tank is that he is dozing off. This is because betta fish usually find a nice and dark area to rest. Therefore, if you want to figure out if your fish is sleeping, try switching on the lights to alert them to wake up.
2. Changes In Temperature
If the water temperature in the fish tank is too cold or too hot, you may find your betta fish hiding at the bottom.
If the temperature is lower or higher than 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, it will stress out your fish and make him feel uncomfortable. To be meticulous, the lower the temperature, the lower the metabolism of a fish, which can easily cause lethargy.
On the other hand, high temperature allows the release of oxygen at a rapid rate, making your betta fish lay at the bottom while breathing with difficulty.
3. Infections
Another very common reason is if your betta fish has caught a particular sickness.
As stated above, you can easily know if your fish is sick by checking out symptoms like loss of appetite, discoloration, lethargy, and more. If the fish is sick, you can try out the above treatment methods or visit a professional pet doctor.
You can also try out different measures like keeping the water clean, feeding your fish appropriately, or providing him with oxygenated water.
4. Swim Bladder Disorder
Swim bladder disorder is a condition that affects the buoyancy of a fish due to physical or environmental reasons. Usually, the stomach of your betta fish will swell, causing him to spend most of his time laying down at the bottom of the tank.
Swim bladder disorder is usually caused by overfeeding or constipation. Therefore, it is best if you opt for high-fiber foods like daphnia and bloodworms.
5. Aging Problems
As your betta fish continues to age, its body will feel weaker and weaker with each passing day. Therefore, the fish will start experiencing mobility issues inferring that he will suffer from lethargy.
Additionally, betta fish can live up to 4 to 5 years before their bodies begin losing swimming strength.
How Often Should A Betta Fish Be Fed?
How you feed your betta fish matters since it can help prevent infections, betta fish not eating, or even death. The recommended feeding time is twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
An important step is to give your betta fish a meal break so that their bodies can eradicate any toxins. For instance, try feeding the fish once a day then fast them for an entire day.
If you are still not sure how to feed your betta fish, we have put together some of the requirements for your fish’s diet. These include:
1. Frozen Food
Mostly, frozen foods are risky for bettas’ health; thus, you should first defrost them before giving them to your fish. The best option to opt for is frozen bloodworms since they provide your fish with energy and stimulate growth. However, bloodworms are frequently used as a treat rather than regular food.
2. Betta Fish Pellets
Betta fish pellets can sometimes cause swelling and digestive problems. Therefore, it is recommended that you first dip the pellets in the tank water to prevent them from expanding in your fish’s stomach.
3. Fish Flakes
Fish flakes are healthy foods for your betta since they are packed with vital omega 3 and 6 nutrients.
They also include beta-carotene, which provides them with their bright colors. Therefore, fish flakes are the best choice for you since they can also fit in your budget.
You can begin by feeding your bettas with a handful of the fish flakes, then keep track of their feeding habits. If they eat them, you can gradually increase the amount you offer them. But if they dislike the meal, then try feeding them other types of foods.
Conclusion
A betta fish not eating is one problem that faces many pet keepers. Fortunately, the above article will help you understand your fish needs and how you can solve them. In case your betta persists in not feeding, then consider visiting a pet facility for more guidance.
