Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hey, update on James
He's doing great, eating a bit (hence this post), swimming lots, occasional flaring, and just looking way better. He loves his new 5.5gal, just like his buddy Marmalade does.

The issue is the food. I was monitoring him in the 1.8gal and he wasn't eating pellets, so I switched to Tetramin flakes (all I had) and he seemed to like them. I also gave him some frozen brine shrimp. After moving him to the 5.5gal and using some BB to boost the cycle, I stopped the Tetramin since I'm not a fan of their food quality. I wanted something specifically for bettas so I could ensure he's getting all the nutrients he needs. I moved him to National Geographic's betta flakes, which have been discontinued at my local Petsmart, but they gave me a good deal on the last container. They seem like good quality flakes with salmon, halibut, and kelp as the top ingredients. It smells way fishier than the Tetramin, which seems like a good sign.

James isn't having it, though. He'll eat maybe 2 small pieces of the flake and leave the rest for me to clean up. I've been giving in and feeding him frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms, which he likes, but it's hard to portion out and not cost-effective.

Do you think it's just these specific flakes he doesn't like? I've tried pellets again in the 5.5gal, and he still can't figure out how to eat them. Is there an alternative I can try? I know Tetra has worm-shaped pellets for bettas, but they have mixed reviews and, again, I'm not a fan of their food.

James is being stubborn, so I'd say try a different approach. Stop giving him those tasty frozen treats and flakes, and just offer him a pellet. If he refuses, take the pellet out of the tank and don't give him any food for 24 hours. The next day, try again with a pellet, and if he still says no, remove it and wait another day. Keep doing this until he finally decides to eat the pellet.

It seems like there's an underlying issue with pellets, almost as if it's neurological in nature. I'm concerned that if I only feed him pellets and he refuses, he might go without eating for an extended period, perhaps even a week or more, which is a bit unsettling.

It looks like something neurological almost

goldminer wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 10:33 am James is being stubborn, so I'd say try a different approach. Stop giving him those tasty frozen treats and flakes, and just offer him a pellet. If he refuses, take the pellet out of the tank and don't give him any food for 24 hours. The next day, try again with a pellet, and if he still says no, remove it and wait another day. Keep doing this until he finally decides to eat the pellet.

I think I might be overthinking this whole pellet thing - James seems fine with other foods, but when it comes to pellets, he kinda wiggles around it and then just misses it most of the time. Even if the pellet grazes his mouth, it just won't go in. Maybe his mouth is just too small for pellets? I'm not sure if it's a size thing or what.

I've tried a few different types of pellets - Hikari Betta Bio Gold, Northfin betta pellets, and some generic Essentials ones. None of them seem to work for him. I did try crushing them, but it just made a mess in the tank and he didn't really eat much of it. I'm worried that if I just keep offering him pellets and he doesn't eat them, he'll go hungry for too long. I guess I'm just trying to figure out when I should step in and give him some other food.

goldminer wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 10:33 am James is being stubborn, so I'd say try a different approach. Stop giving him those tasty frozen treats and flakes, and just offer him a pellet. If he refuses, take the pellet out of the tank and don't give him any food for 24 hours. The next day, try again with a pellet, and if he still says no, remove it and wait another day. Keep doing this until he finally decides to eat the pellet.

And that's what it might take to get him eating pellets.

Northfin betta pellets seem like a good option, so I'd stick with those. You could try using a pepper grinder to grind a few pellets, might make it easier for James to eat.

goldminer wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 10:33 am James is being stubborn, so I'd say try a different approach. Stop giving him those tasty frozen treats and flakes, and just offer him a pellet. If he refuses, take the pellet out of the tank and don't give him any food for 24 hours. The next day, try again with a pellet, and if he still says no, remove it and wait another day. Keep doing this until he finally decides to eat the pellet.

I'll stick with Northfin then, they're readily available and seem to be a good choice for James.

I've come across micro pellets from Hikari that might be worth a shot. Zoo Med and Pices also have their own versions, you could give those a try. Another option is goldfish treats - I know they're messy, but they break up into tiny pieces that are soft and stick to the tank. You'd need some snails to clean up the mess, but Neptune's bettas apparently love them.

Soaking the pellets seems to have worked out great. I'm relieved it was such a simple solution. Guess I've got a lot of leftover flakes now, might have to find another use for them.