Regular Member MaudlinBlithe Posted July 9, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 9, 2005 When I first started getting a couple of betta's, I read that they are picky eaters and that it can take them 5 days to switch to a new food. Well, the first betta I ever had, it was in a REALLY large bowl with a bowl filter, never switched his food. I tried feeding him several things... He started to get ick about a week and a half of me having him and not eating.... even though I made sure his water was good all the time. Well, the meds didn't work on him of course because he was sooo weak from not eating. The day before he died, he finnalyy decided to swallow a few bites of Wardley's betta pellets....but it was too late. Then I got two more betta's (I got rid of the big bowl and bought two five gallon tanks with a filter and pump each)... They did the same thing: didn't want to switch over to a new food. About one week after not eating, I went to the store to get uncooked/unsalted shrimp for my goldfish as a snack. I thought "what the hay" and broke small peices off for my bettas to eat. They ate it right away! I was sooooo happy! Unfortunatly though, the shrimp (made for human consumption) doesn't seem to be a well-rounded diet for them. i always make sure their water is GOOD, but because of a lack of proper nutrition, their tails still look just as ragged as when I first bought them from the lps...... I have tried salt solutions and it didn't help much... I also tried...what's it called? mela fix. But it didn't help much probably because they aren't eating good. I FINALLY got one betta to eat frozen brine shrimp (thawed). The other one won't even try it even if I try to trick him by not feeding him for a few days... I should also mention that both bettas aren't growing like they should be either. I bought both of these guys last fall and they are the same size now as when I bought them. (I once saw a full grown betta and he was just bigger, rounder, longer, etc.) What do you think I should do? I don't want to starve them to death by trying to swicth them over to a better diet. Ironc, I know... These are the food that I have tried in the past. I can't recall their exact names though... it's been too long: Wardleys betta pellets... another betta food that was red flakes and little peices of itty bitty shrimp (they'd eat the few peices opf shrimp but not the red flakes... grrrr and of course there wasn't enough peices of shrimp in there to feed a betta completely) freeze dried blood worms. One betta will eat these and the other one won't. The one who won't eat them is the same betta that won't eat the brine shrimp.... Lastly, both of these betta's act pretty normal. they swim around alot and seem healthy other than ragged fins and not growing. Thanks in advance for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted July 9, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 9, 2005 Have you tried Hikari betta food? My bettas have always loved this stuff, and its very good for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MaudlinBlithe Posted July 9, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 9, 2005 I've never seen it for sale..... would I have to order it offline? I hate having to do that because the cost of the shipping. Do any major pet shop chains sell it that you know of? If so, how much money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member TamtheLittleBlackMoor Posted July 9, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 9, 2005 Well, I've had the most luck with live foods. Even those picky eaters can't resist following a wiggly worm. Try to find live blood worms, tubifex worms and/or brine shrimp, most go crazy over them. Once on those though they might not eat dried/frozen foods anymore, the good side though an ounce of either costs only .99 cents and lasts in the fridge for a good month or two, or you can even culture them and pay no more for food. Good luck with those picky ones, hope they eat soon for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 I see Hikari and vvvv and I think mmm. Two sizes, a small one for 3-4 dollars and a big one for 6-7 dollars. You get more for your buck for the big one, but you might want to try the small one first, just to make sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yabbie Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I think the breeders feed them on live foods and if they don't switch over to dried foods and pellet food at a certain age, the Bettas can become very fussy. Live food may be the way to go. You might have to grow your own worms or brine shrimp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member touchofsky Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 I have had good success with HBH betta bites. All of my bettas will eat those. I also feed them a homemade gel food twice per week and they love that Some of mine will eat frozen bloodworms, but not all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Graham Posted July 11, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 11, 2005 I had one like that - bought him everything under the sun, still wouldn't eat. i went back to the fish store and the guy just started laughing - I was so upset, he thinks it's funny my fish is startving to death (it had been two weeks) - he said - Oh, it's just that you got the "Picky" one - there's always one - who will only eat live worms! MY leastT =favoriTE thing ON EarTH - worMs!!! YuCk@! But, I did it. He ate them. It was copacetic. If you can't get him to respond to thawed frozen ones, try live. Bit, I have a frog who won't eats unless it moves and I cannot get live worms where I am so I feed frozen, nicely thawed, and then stir the water with a big spoon so the (Ugh!) woRMs! move around. It works and it's cheap. Good luck with it! Hope he eats soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Maceo Posted July 14, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 14, 2005 My betta loves bloodworms he slurps them down like candy! And he eats Hikari betta food and his color is marvelous if I do say so myself and I do! :monkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Devs Posted July 14, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 14, 2005 I've had great luck also with the Hikari Betta bites also,although in truth,I can't remember the last time I used them. All of my Betta's adore frozen bloodworms,myosis shrimp,tubiflex,etc. I've had the least luck with flakes etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted July 15, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 15, 2005 anything worth updating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MaudlinBlithe Posted July 16, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2005 Well, I've had the most luck with live foods. Even those picky eaters can't resist following a wiggly worm. Try to find live blood worms, tubifex worms and/or brine shrimp, most go crazy over them. Once on those though they might not eat dried/frozen foods anymore, the good side though an ounce of either costs only .99 cents and lasts in the fridge for a good month or two, or you can even culture them and pay no more for food. Good luck with those picky ones, hope they eat soon for ya. 359051[/snapback] they last for a few months? how many ounces would I want to buy? I'd have to drive approx. an hour away each time to get them, so I'd want to stock up. OH! I just bought two more bettas. one eats the red flakes, the other doesn't. so now I have two bettas on frozen brine shrimp, one on red betta flakes, and one who won't eat either!!! (I think the one who won't eat is the prettiest of all!) so, how many ounces do you think I would need for 4 betta's.... one is in a 4 gallon tank, one is in a five gallon, one is in another five gallon, and one is in a 2 gallon bowl (I change the water three times a week). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMporTANt: How often do I need to feed the LIVE AND/OR FROZEN foods? Thanks you guys for your help soooo much, I really appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MaudlinBlithe Posted July 16, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2005 drats! forgot a question! Do the live/frozen foods help the betta's (esp. the red ones) with their color? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member TamtheLittleBlackMoor Posted July 16, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2005 Well what I have going on is a plastic conatiner (kitty litter box that's been cleaned out with bleach) with about 4 oz.'s of the tubifex worms. They like floor space so wide containers with high edges are best for these worms, they do climb out so be careful. What you do is set up the box, put some moss (I just took a clump of like java moss) in so they can hide/eat along with tearings of brown paper bags and about 1/2 inch of water. Then you go to the store and pick up about 2 oz.'s to start with. When you come home rinse them out with dechlorinated water (there will be dead ones, usualy a white colour so just tip those out) and toss them into the box. No need for a lid unless you really don't like to see/smell them, and pop them into the fridge. They'll start reproducing within a few months and you'll have an active culture, and if it ever starts to die out just take some from the old culture and do the process again in a different box. You'll need to feed the worms on like cooked oatmeal, fish flakes or algae waffers about (with a good helping) four times a month. To feed them to the bettas just swish a Q-Tip around in the box, place them in a small cup and rinse those off, then drop 4-6 in one at a time to the bettas using the Q-Tip. I like to make them work a little and drag the worms around the surface so they can chase it and "think" they're hunting it. As for nutritional value, I feel the live foods boost appetite, give them a drive to actively hunt as they would in the "wild" and over all stimulates them to perk up. For colouring, I'm sure the worms play a part somewhere in bringing out the rich colours in bettas. I think I covered about everything. Good luck! EDIT: Spelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MaudlinBlithe Posted July 19, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 19, 2005 hehehe. sorry about this but one last question::: How often do I need to clean the wormies cages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member magickzzl Posted July 19, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 19, 2005 I always keep about 5 brands of betta pellets around.. just in case. In my experience, any flaked foods are rejected, and wardleys isnt the favorite. my guys always seem to enjoy Hikari though, or HBH betta bites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member TamtheLittleBlackMoor Posted July 19, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 19, 2005 Clean the whole thing out twice a month and you'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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