CHoffman

Well,
My boy Kenya will only eat pellets. I've tried giving him frozen brine shrimp, freeze dried blood worms, thawed peeled cut of pieces of frozen pea the boy will only eat his pellets..What in the world?? I'd love to give him a variety of foods but I guess he lived under the bridge eating his pork and beans from a can too long. Any advice to lure him into fine dining??

Shawnie

awwwwwwww LOL@ under the bridge..the way I got my boys on the diet I wanted them on was fasting a few days ...now I cant get them to eat a pellet if I wanted them too!

CHoffman

I'll try that. I guess if he gets hungry enough he'll eat. Thanks

capekate

I understand just what you are saying. My three betta boys will not touch any blood worms or brine shrimp and I just hate to see them float to the bottom of the tank with them looking at them like 'what in the world is that?" kinda look on their faces. Then they look at me and say gimme the pellets!

Shawnie, that is a great idea, I think Im going to have to try that. Considering that the other tanks get bloodworms and brine shrimp daily I always feel bad coming into the Betta room to only give them pellets. But theyre just not interested.
But I will have to try that idea.

pinkfloydpuffer

My boy Floyd didn't know what to do with bloodworms the first time I gave him some, since he was a very very big boy by that time. But after a while he figured out that they were for eating. I think the fasting idea is a great one.

Iron waffle

you're lucky he eats only pellets, my bettas would either eat nothing or everything and then bloat

Austin {Aquarist}

I haven't yet had this problem with my betta but I have a suggestion. I would get an eyedropper or anything to hold a bloodworm and put it about half in the water and drag it back and forth. Maybe it would get him excited to eat it This would probly go along with Shawnie's fasting idea well

pinkfloydpuffer

Good idea Austin... I use a pair of tweezers (a new pair of course ) to feed my fish with, so I don't have to touch the icky food lol

Lucy

Becareful of handling bloodworms. There have been cases where people have allergic reactions to them.
The tweezers are a good idea. Make sure they are dull and blunt or your betta could hurt himself.
They sell tweezers for feeding reptiles, I wonder if they'd be suitable.

CHoffman

Great Ideas!!!..I will try all of these...It really is sad to give all the other fish good foods and then I put some brine shrimp in for him and like Kate said just lets them sink to the bottom. Maybe it's his way of making me change the water..lol..I guess once a week isn't enough for him.

Austin {Aquarist}

oh yeah my bad everybody i should have mentioned the allergic reactions sometimes. Thanks Lucy

CHoffman

I saw some tweezers in the Fosters and Smith Catalog for fish I got. I have non powdered non latex gloves I could use too. I'm going to try it now..lol...Although he's already been fed tonight, I'm going to try it anyway..I've never known him not to be hungry..

Edit: It worked...He is chowing down the bloodworms!!!!...Thanks everyone. I held the first one until he ate it and then the next two I just put in there and he gobbled them up..He's a fast learner. I'll do the same with the brine shrimp.

Lucy

Way to go Kenya!! You made mommy happy! lol

pamd

If you are feeding excellent-quality pellets, such as Hikari Betta Bio-Gold plus Atison's Betta Pro, I think Kenya is probably getting good nutrition. Both are considered excellent and well-balanced foods. The two together will provide some dietary variety, and generally they won't cause constipation unless overfed. But that can happen easily.

The problem I see here is that Kenya might not accept peas or daphnia in case he gets constipated. As a staple diet, the pellets are fine. But it would be very good if you can get Kenya to decide he likes a variety of foods, most especially peas and/or daphnia before that happens.

There's a danger here that I've learned the hard way. Get a fish to fixate on bloodworms or brine shrimp or whatever, and he may not eat the pellets, or for that matter, anything else again. Variety is good training, and it does take some training. And yes, a little bit of fasting for introduction to the new food is a great idea. Great job getting him to accept the bloodworms!!!

CHoffman

I am proud!!!..lol..Really isn't that funny..lol..It's like potty training my 20 month old....

Pam that's what I was worried about..What if he gets constipated..I'll just keep trying with the peas. It's hard not to overfeed these buggy eyed cuties..lol..I try my best though. I am feeding him Hikari Betta Bio Gold. So that's good news he's getting what he needs.He jumped up to snag the bloodworm so hopefully I can work with him on the other foods. I'm not opposed to training..I love it.

Shaina

I'm glad you got him eating other stuff Even if you didn't, the good thing would be that a high-quality pellet is probably better for him then anything else, as far as sole food sources ago (of course variety is always best)

One suggestion though, in case you have troubles later. If I have a fish that's having trouble accepting a new food, I've had success with soaking his favorite food in garlic guard or vitachem a few days in a row, then soaking the new food in the same. I suppose the familiar aspect of the food helps them bridge to the soaked version, then when the new food is soaked the same way, it seems more food-like by virtue of familiarity.

Not fail-proof, but something else you can always try. I don't particularly like fasting my fish more than necessary.

pamelakt

Awww bless him! Maybe he's a vegetarian!!!!

Does it matter if he only eats pellets? Does he not get enough nutrician from them?

Don't some pellets contain shrimp etc anyway?

CHoffman

If they are a good quality pellet they will get enough nutrition. But variety is always best..Plus I like to spoil my babies.

Matt

Sounds like he is a first class boy and he only wants the best foods around town

Do you have any pictures?

-Matt

CHoffman

Here he is Matt
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...d=630005223211