Q: feeding

Answered by BuddyHolly on 4/6/2004, 11:14 pm

A: feeding

> hey everyone...i bought my betta six days ago and its not
> eating...am feeding him bettamin...he also seems
> sluggish...can anyone tell me what's wrong with him?

We need more information in order to help you. First, please answer the following questions:

What size tank is he in?
Is it filtered?
Is it heated?
Was his tank fully cycled before you added him to it?
How often do you clean his home?
When you clean, how much water do you change out?
Do you use dechlorinator?
Do you use a gravel vacuum?
Are you testing for levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?
How often are you feeding him?
Do you clean the uneaten food out of his home after each feeding attempt?

Once you've answered these questions, we should be able to help you. In the meantime, please consider the following. If he is in a bowl or vase, he is likely suffering from ammonia poisoning, which causes burning to the skin, eyes, gills and internal organs. If his water is not heated to a consistant 75-79 degrees Fahrenheit, it is too cold for him and will cause him to not eat and become sluggish. Below is my article on proper betta care. Please read it carefully, as it may give you some ideas about what is wrong with him. We'll get back to you as soon as you answer the above questions.

BETTA CARE

Bettas are tropical fish that require living conditions that contribute to their health and well-being, and this includes a fully cycled 3-5 gallon tank that is heated and filtered. The heat should be a constant 76-80 degrees.

''Cycled'' means setting up the tank with dechlorinated water, gravel, plants and 'hidey holes' without the fish, and then adding fish food or pure ammonia (in very specific amounts) to the tank daily until the parameters have stabilized. An uncycled tank does not have the beneficial bacteria needed to keep water quality stable.

Water quality should be: ammonia and nitrites kept at 0ppm and nitrates at less than 25ppm. An uncycled tank will be unbalanced, with a large ammonia spike followed by a large nitrite spike occuring for up to three weeks or longer. Ammonia and nitrites are both deadly to all fish. Keeping a betta in these conditions can burn skin, gills and inner organs doing irreparable damage and ultimately resulting in death. Bettas have a normal captive lifespan of 3-5 years when properly cared for. Bettas kept in vases rarely live one year. The complete cycling can take anywhere from one month to two to complete. When nitrates are present it's safe to add the betta. Testing the water frequently during the cycle and weekly once the tank is established is essential to good betta care. At this point to keep the water parameters intact, weekly 20-25%% water will be necessary, along with gravel vacumming.

Bettas are listed under the classification of Anabantoids.
Anabantoids are fish that have the ability to breathe air due to the labyrinth organ, which is located at the rear of the head. Due to this organ and their ability breathe air, trapping a fish inside a vase with a huge plant that covers the water surface prevents the proper oxygenation of the water or the ability of the fish to rise to the surface to pop their head out of the water to take in air.

Additionally, blocking the surface of the water prohibits the owner from feeding them the proper diet, which does not include plants or plant roots. Bettas are strictly carnivores in the wild. In captivity, they like a variety of foods. but still require a high protein diet. For a betta to grow strong, healthy, show good coloration and live to his potential 3-5 years, a proper diet must be provided. A good betta food is Hikari's Betta Bio-Gold pellets. These can be purchased at most pet stores. Commercial Betta food provides the majority of nutients that your Betta will require for good health. Their diet should be supplemented with live or or frozen foods twice a week. Frozen brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and bloodworms are excellent additions. Mosquito larvae is a big part of their diet in the wild. They can also be offered wilted lettuce or spinach. It is also a good idea to include, once a week, a frozen, cooked, shelled pea smushed up. This will help constipation. Your betta should be fed twice a day. They should recieve 3 to 4 pellets at each feeding depending on size of fish. Some owners fast their bettas once a week to help clean their digestive system. Remember, they need a balanced diet to get all of their required nutrients.