How To Deal With A Fussy Eater?

This is something I’m completely new to...

I bought a beautiful Koi Plakat Male on Thursday, and here it is Saturday and he refuses to eat. I bought him from Petco where he was mislabeled as a female koi betta (maybe that was my first red flag that something was wrong.) Never the less, I love him anyway and put him in his new home.

I’ve never had any problems with my veiltail or halfmoon refusing to eat (all the fish are hardly a month old, have done the fish in cycle, and have eaten immediately upon leaving the cup). Also, I noticed that he’s immensely more shy than my veiltail male, albeit more active when he’s sure no one is watching.

I’m doing my usual fish in cycle with daily partial water changes (he just lets the food float to the bottom and clamps up whenever anyone approaches the tank). ALL PARAMETERS ARE READING 0 according to my API Master Test Kit.

I’m using my usual water conditioner, stress coat, and quick start bacteria to care for my tank. It’s a heavily planted TopFin 5.5 gallon with two java fern attached to a faux rock decoration, three amazon swords, one Tropica Fern, and an Anubias. I don’t use Seachem because it seems to stress my fish out when I do use it.

I tried using Garlic Guard to soften his pellets but again, he shows no interest and lets the food hit his mouth before it falls to the gravel. I called the LFS to make sure of what they fed their fish and was told they fed them aqueon pellets, but that the Omega One pellets I am using are the same thing. I’m debating doing either flakes or something else, and I’m trying to avoid messy frozen foods.

How long does it take a new fussy betta to eat? What’s the longest they can go without food? I’d hate to take him back, but if I have to my LFS has a 30 day guarantee.

 

Sometimes live foods will encourage them to eat or try frozen even though they are messy. They can go for a week without eating (I think) And he's a very handsome betta! (I see why you'd hate to take him back!)

 

Sometimes live foods will encourage them to eat or try frozen even though they are messy. They can go for a week without eating (I think) And he's a very handsome betta! (I see why you'd hate to take him back!)

I’m really concerned about the live foods getting him sick since he seems to be constantly stressing during meal time.. and I know! I saw my Pinto in the cup and I just had to snatch him up! He’s a beautiful little boy!

 

I’m really concerned about the live foods getting him sick since he seems to be constantly stressing during meal time.. and I know! I saw my Pinto in the cup and I just had to snatch him up! He’s a beautiful little boy!

Have you only fed him omega pellets? Maybe omega freeze dried krill or brine shrimp will get him to eat

 

I’ve tried omega pellets and aqueon freeze dried bloodworms. Nada. He doesn’t go for either. I may try some HikarI freeze dried brine shrimp with him and my other bettas if worse comes to worse

 

Don't give up on him yet. I would continue trying different frozen and dry foods for another few days.
Btw, your tank not heavily planted! I'd call it lightly planted to medium planted but that's my definition. A heavily planted tank is a tank that no more plants could possibly fit into it and it looks like a jungle!

 

Don't give up on him yet. I would continue trying different frozen and dry foods for another few days.
Btw, your tank not heavily planted! I'd call it lightly planted to medium planted but that's my definition. A heavily planted tank is a tank that no more plants could possibly fit into it and it looks like a jungle!

O__o everyone I’ve spoken too even says I have too many plants. How heavily planted are you talking???????

I’m going to keep trying with him. I put in some almond leaf for him and he seems a little more comfortable. I’m just letting him alone for now and trying to let him get used to the tank. He seems to be happy, no clamping when I let him swim without watching, flaring at his reflection, doing his fish thing. It’s just when anyone approaches that he clamps and tries to stay very still, but after a bit he goes about his business. I’m not used to such a scardey cat fish XD

 

I’ve tried omega pellets and aqueon freeze dried bloodworms. Nada. He doesn’t go for either. I may try some HikarI freeze dried brine shrimp with him and my other bettas if worse comes to worse

I deal with the same thing in my betta. Any kind of pellets he just spits back out and looks at me like "...really?", even tried some omega one freeze dried blood worms and same thing. He went for a good week, maybe week and a half at the most before I brought in the live food. I use live black worms as according to my LFS and have been since I got him in December of 2017 with a tiny piece of pea (roughly the size of his eyeball) once or twice a week to mix it up and keep him going to the bathroom. Try a piece of pea first, not canned just frozen, to make sure he is eating if you have some around the house. Then maybe consider some live foods.. as much as I've been warned about live food I have personally never had an issue aside from getting constipated once or twice which was quickly cured with the pea. Sometimes we just pick the picky ones and we have to bend. If he eats live food you can try weaning him over to something else but it was a no go for my guy at any rate. Guess I spoiled him But don't give him back! I can't say I've ever seen one like that in my LFS. I think he'd be worth the trouble haha

 

O__o everyone I’ve spoken too even says I have too many plants. How heavily planted are you talking???????

I’m going to keep trying with him. I put in some almond leaf for him and he seems a little more comfortable. I’m just letting him alone for now and trying to let him get used to the tank. He seems to be happy, no clamping when I let him swim without watching, flaring at his reflection, doing his fish thing. It’s just when anyone approaches that he clamps and tries to stay very still, but after a bit he goes about his business. I’m not used to such a scardey cat fish XD

Almond leaves are always good for bettas!
Search up "heavily planted tank" in s. The first 4 or so are good examples of a really heavily planted tank.

 

I deal with the same thing in my betta. Any kind of pellets he just spits back out and looks at me like "...really?", even tried some omega one freeze dried blood worms and same thing. He went for a good week, maybe week and a half at the most before I brought in the live food. I use live black worms as according to my LFS and have been since I got him in December of 2017 with a tiny piece of pea (roughly the size of his eyeball) once or twice a week to mix it up and keep him going to the bathroom. Try a piece of pea first, not canned just frozen, to make sure he is eating if you have some around the house. Then maybe consider some live foods.. as much as I've been warned about live food I have personally never had an issue aside from getting constipated once or twice which was quickly cured with the pea. Sometimes we just pick the picky ones and we have to bend. If he eats live food you can try weaning him over to something else but it was a no go for my guy at any rate. Guess I spoiled him But don't give him back! I can't say I've ever seen one like that in my LFS. I think he'd be worth the trouble haha

I’ll definitely keep working with him. According to the store they used Aqueon pellets and no frozen foods, but I think his issue is his shyness. I may buy some HikarI food as I hear that’s one of the best. I’m just going to let him alone for a bit and keep trying his pellets with garlic guard. I’m scared to bring in frozen food too soon with his stress level, I hear you can easily give them ich with frozen food if they have a compromised immune system. For now I’m letting him have some alone time with almond leaf and changing up the non aquatic potted plants around his tank so he can feel covered on all sides, luckily my sibling has plenty of plants for him to look at!

Almond leaves are always good for bettas!
Search up "heavily planted tank" in s. The first 4 or so are good examples of a really heavily planted tank.

I wonder if potted plants outside the tank count as heavily planted LOL!

Definitely good for them! He was a bit wary of it at first but he is playing around it and using it for cover. Hopefully he relaxes in a few more days.

 

I was concerned with my Bettas eating habits when I first got him as well as what I thought may have been an impact mark but he turned out ok. I called HikarI looking for some help and emailed them some pictures, they were really helpful. They even sent me a free sample of some HikarI Betta pellets to see if he would eat them.

 

I was concerned with my Bettas eating habits when I first got him as well as what I thought may have been an impact mark but he turned out ok. I called HikarI looking for some help and emailed them some pictures, they were really helpful. They even sent me a free sample of some HikarI Betta pellets to see if he would eat them.

How long did it take your fish to eat approximately?

 

How long did it take your fish to eat approximately?

At least a week, maybe a few days more. But he never ate the pellets at any point. I gave up on them and my LFS gave me a sample of the worms and recommended the pea just to make sure he had an appetite, knowing he would eat at least one of those 2 options. He at both the second I put them in the tank. Remember, it could be stress and he isn't eating or it could be that he's just picky.. You have to see if he eats something even if you don't make it his regular diet so you know which "end of the spectrum" he's in. Now my Betta goes after the peas just as hastily as the worms. . HikarI also recommended freeze dried daphnia btw but may be harder to find.

 

Koi Plakats are very fussy eaters, they don't usually accept food right away.
I have a plakat elephant ear female, and she still hasn't eaten, but I just got her yesterday.

 

I was also once told "Continue feeding him what's available. In time he will be hungry enough to eat whatever is offered. Instincts will not let him starve." But that sounded somewhat cruel and I didn't want to chance it. Kinda like when your parents used to make you sit at the table till your veggies were eaten. You didn't happily sit at that table all night did you? layful:

 

I was also once told "Continue feeding him what's available. In time he will be hungry enough to eat whatever is offered. Instincts will not let him starve." But that sounded somewhat cruel and I didn't want to chance it. Kinda like when your parents used to make you sit at the table till your veggies were eaten. You didn't happily sit at that table all night did you? layful:

I think I’ll sit it out and have patience with him. If he doesn’t eat by Monday I’ll try something else for him. I think he does better when I leave him alone in his tank, so I’ll be very patient with him.

 

Koi Plakats are very fussy eaters, they don't usually accept food right away.
I have a plakat elephant ear female, and she still hasn't eaten, but I just got her yesterday.

Interesting. I’ve never had a fussy fish quite like this one, so I’m guessing the best option is time and patience.

 

Today I picked up some bug bites betta formula from my LFS, they had just gotten it in and figured I'd give it a shot plus I got my mom a betta and wasn't trying to feed him worms. Both of them are them right up, I was quite pleased to see mine seemed to really enjoy them. Just thought I'd share.

 

Maybe try frozen brine shrimp? When my betta Hazmat has bloat I took a small chunk of frozen brine shrimp, thawed it in tank water and poured a few of the brine shrimp in. He went absolutely crazy for them and was hunting the tank for more several minutes afterwards (or maybe I’m just crazy) Combine that with garlic (maybe try actual fresh garlic) and hope that your betta takes it.
If not, I’d try feeding him live brine shrimp to get him used to brine shrimp, and wean him into frozen brine shrimp. Once he’s used to them, wean him onto pellets.