Betta Fish Keeps Sinking
Betta Fish Keeps Sinking
Why Won’t My Betta Fish Eat?
I’ve had a betta for about a year, and when I first got him he would always start freaking out when I got near the tank. I used to alternate between feeding him pellets and flakes, and every week I would skip one feeding to keep him from getting bloated.
Well, now whenever I feed him, he looks around to eat but doesn’t look up, and he can’t eat. It’s gotten to the point where I can only feed him flakes as I can flick a lot into the water, and then when they start to sink he can get a few bites. He used to love pellets but can’t find them anymore.
Is there a reason as to why he wouldn’t look up to get the food or is he just being stupid? I always have the light on when he’s eating but maybe he would look up if I left the light off? Is there a way to re-train him?
Thanks for your help!
Oh, he’s a lone male betta in a filtered, heated, and lighted 5 gallon tank.
Try floating the pellets in a little cup of tankwater, they’ll expand a bit and might be easier to see. Doing that will also help from expanding in his stomach which might cause bloating.
If he doesn’t go for those try picking up some frozen or better yet live blackworms or bloodworms. That should help start up his appetite again, and it’s good to vary their diet.
My betta sometimes acts stupid as well. I’ll put the pellets in and usually he can smell them (or something, he just knows where they are without looking) but will sometimes just completely miss everything.
Lovely habitat, too 
My guy is in about 7 gallons with a filter (baffled, the flow was too strong) and heater. He’s got a forest of live plants too!
