Betta not eating

[madhippoz]

Hi all, my girlfriend's Betta appears to not be eating, and is not overly active either for the last several days. I haven't been over to see him myself, but she says there's no sign of ich or fungus or anything else. She has him in a small 5gal tank which is fairly new, just a little over a month. I'm not certain that she let the tank cycle properly, so I'm going to head over there tonight with my test kit to test out her Nitrite and Ammonia levels. I'm guessing one or the other will be high, but he has not previously shown any signs of stress. Any ideas would be great, she's quite worried about him.

 

[agpoel]

Does the tank have a heater? What is the temp in the tank? That is one of the main causes of restlessness and not eating in bettas.

Andrea

 

[Allan]

Yeah, I've had lots of experience with Bettas not eating. If it eats within 5-7 days, then it was just spooked and uncomfortable with the new surroundings. Also, try different foods--but they should at least be tasting it or sniffing it--showing interest. If it doesn't, then definitely something's wrong with him or the water. Fix the water if it's "messed up"--if it's clear, then the Betta might have a parasite or fungal infection. One of mine died of fungus after not eating, and another didn't eat anything for 2 weeks! He didn't eat anything I tossed in no matter what it was.
Basically, if you buy a brand new Betta & it doesn't eat "soon", you got a bad Betta. Good luck.

 

[madhippoz]

Yup the tank has a heater and it stays between 76-78 degree's. He's been in the tank for about 3-4 weeks now and has been eating and acting normally up until a few days ago. He seems completely unaware, or uninterested that she is putting food in there. She uses betta pellets and flake food, both of which he has eaten before, but won't touch now. The water is clear and clean and she does her weekly water changes.

 

[agpoel]

She may want to hold of for another few weeks on water changes. It takes about a complete month for the water to cycle. Also, my betta prefers bio gold. Maybe she should try that.

 

[adamj]

try some live brine shrimp

 

[madhippoz]

Yah I'll do a water test tonight, and see if its finishing up a cycle perhaps, but you think she would have noticed him being stressed earlier.

She is feeding him Bio-Gold. I've got some frozen brine shrimp and tubifex worms which I'm going to take over as well and see if he'll take a bite.

 

[madhippoz]

Hmmm doesn't look good. I checked the water, no ammonia or nitrites, ph is stable, temp is stable, water looks fine. Tried giving him some frozen brine shrimp, and used an eye dropper to put it right in front of him. Nothing. He has no appetite. I noticed that the tips of his fins are leaching of colour, becoming transparent. Could this be Fin Rot? She also hasn't been putting Aquarium salt in so I've added the appropiate amount for a 5gal. I checked the disease profiles here and if it is Fin Rot, there doesn't seem as though there is much that can be done for him.

 

[PreciousGems]

The transparent parts might also be fin regeneration. They may just be growing. Some bettas are PICKY eaters, and even develope this trait later in life. However, continue to keep an eye on him.

 

[madhippoz]

You were right on the fin's just growing, they filled out with colour a few days later. He still refuses to eat, and according to my gf looks to be disoriented and weak and emancipated. We've put some meds in, added some Aquarium salt, tried different types of food, given him water changes. Nothing is helping and he's just getting weaker. His color flucuates a lot too from a very deep deep red, to very pale. It's been over a week now and he hasn't so much as nibbled on any food. Yet there is still no visible sign of any fungus or bacterial infection. If he's still alive when we get home I think I'm probably just going to put him down. He's not getting any better, and he seems to be suffering.

 

[tramca]

How's the betta doing? I hope he pulls through.

Good luck.

 

[madhippoz]

Haven't been over there this morning, but her roommate called and apparently he's not swimming, although still breathing. I'm on my over there now to put him out of his misery. It's frustrating, its my gf's first fish, and there is absolutely no signs of why he is sick and not eating. Nothing wrong with the tank either, it for all intents looks to be cycled. But its not too bad, she's a little bummed out, but not discouraged. She wants to ensure there is nothing wrong in her tank, and then she's going to try again. Sometimes fish just don't make it, for no discernable reason it seems.

 

[PreciousGems]

Pet store bettas (this is where you bought it, right?) are usually either over a year old, or the breeders retired breeding pairs. I am guessing it was old since it did not show any signs of disease.

 

[madhippoz]

Yah bought him at the lfs's here. He was so small though, like 2" long. But that might explain part of it. He seemed to be doing ok for a while, eating and what not, and then, boom, just no more eating, period. I put him down late last night. Barely able to swim, pale as a ghost.

 

[bscaggs06]

I hate to see a fish go. My betta is a hardly little guy. He has been through a lot and I just recently moved him from a fish bowl to a little 1.5 gallon tank. HE seems pretty happy with it but we will see in a week or so how he hold up. Better luck next time with the fish!

 

[madhippoz]

Yah same here. Sent the gf upstairs while I did the deed. Its her first fish so she was a little upset. But she can't really blame herself, sometimes for whatever reason they get sick. He just wouldn't eat anymore, and when the water is fine, and there are no visible signs whatsoever to indicate what might be wrong with him, and he doesn't respond to most of the usual treatments, what's a guy to do? Oh well, I gave her tank a good thorough cleaning, just in case there might have been something in there that was making him sick, so I'm just letting the tank sit for a few days and then we'll get her another Betta.