Many people are trying to find a way to sort out the cause of their betta fish not eating. When we see the betta fish not active and taking food, we may worry about their health.
These are the reasons for betta fish not eating food.
- Water quality
- Temperature Changes
- Stress
- Overfeeding
- Poor quality foods
In this detailed article, you’ll find the reasons for betta fish not eating food and a better solution. So keep reading till the end to find the suitable solution for betta fish not eating food.
Why is betta fish not eating food?
Your betta fish may stop eating the food due to various reasons. But I’ve listed some of the common reasons for betta fish not eating food. The main reason for betta fish not eating food was poor water conditions.
When the water quality becomes lower then you can notice the sudden changes in the movements of betta fish. I had seen this issue from the beginning of my fishkeeping.
I know that your betta fish was not eating anything. You can check the water parameters such as temperature and pH Level.
How long can a betta fish go without eating?
Most of the betta fish breeds can survive 10 to 12 days without any food. Bettas have small stomachs so they will eat only less and take rest for a long time.
But don’t keep the betta fish without feeding because it will harm the health of the fish. I recommend keeping a diet plan for every fish for avoiding overfeeding.
Why is betta fish spitting out food?
It was a common behavior of betta fish that splits out the food. Many people will change their food products when they found betta fish spitting out food.
They are spitting out the food for softening. When you feed hard feeds to the bettas then they will try to spit it out for softening and they easily chew the softened food.
You can also feed live fish foods such as bloodworms, and brine shrimp for bettas when you find the fish not eating any pellet or flakes foods.
5 Reasons For Betta fish not eating food
These are the common reason for betta fish not eating food. There may be other reasons too, you can comment below.
Water quality
As I told you in the beginning about the water quality.
One of the main reasons for betta fish not eating was poor water quality. If you don’t provide quality water to bettas then they will struggle to breathe and are not be active.
If you find the water getting dirty then you should change the water immediately for reducing the stress of a fish.
You should check the water parameter weekly and when the water gets dirty, you should change the water immediately and check the water parameter before putting the betta in a tank.
Poor water quality will increase infection and sickness in the bettas.
- Ammonia Spreading: When the excess food left over in the tank will broke into toxic ammonia and it will affect the health of every fish in the tank.
- Algae spreading: If you find green color on the glass or on the driftwood, it was algae. Some fishes will eat the algae and keep the tank clean from algae spreading.
Temperature Changes
Sudden changes in the water will affect the water parameters of a tank. The betta fish will not eat food due to temperature changes.
It will not be active and not eat any food due to temperature changes. You need to check the water temperature every week and avoid direct sunlight.
I have seen many people keep their betta tank near the windows and direct sunlight will change the water temperature.
In cold, you can use a heater for maintaining the water temperature. Below is the recommended temperature for betta fish.
Make sure to check the water parameters every week and put small leaves of Indian almond leaves in the tank.
It will encourage growth and make the betta fish healthy.
Stress
When the betta fish become stressed, they will not eat any foods. Betta fish need plenty of space and hiding spots. Stress was a common reason that every new fishes have.
Sudden changes in the water parameters or when other tank mates attack them, they will get stressed. So you should provide a hiding place or some live plants in the betta tank.
To make the bettas calm and comfortable, you can keep the area dark and provide some caves for hiding and also you need to keep the surrounding area calm.
How do I know if my betta fish is stressed?
If your betta fish become stressed, they will show some erratic movements while swimming. Sometimes they will be not active and eat any foods.
So you need to provide a suitable aquatic environment for bettas with suitable space for hiding.
Overfeeding
The betta fish will not eat food because they are not hungry. As you know that betta fish have small stomachs and they will eat only 4 to 6 pieces of pellets twice a day. You can also feed live foods like brine shrimps, and bloodworms for bettas.
Many people will feed a lot of quantity food to betta, So excess waste food will make the water dirty and there will chance for ammonia to spread in the tank.
So you need to carefully feed the betta and if you find any excess food after 30 minutes then you can clean them.
Overfeeding leads to many health problems such as swim bladder disorder, the fish may get stressed due to dirty water, and changes in water parameters.
Avoid overfeeding using a schedule for feeding the bettas. I have kept a schedule for feeding my fish.
Try to build new habits for your bettas and spend some time with them for finding any health problems or checking the water parameters.
Poor quality Foods
Sometimes the betta fish will not eat foods due to poor quality foods. You need to keep the feeds safe and airtight otherwise the food taste may be loose.
Provide fresh foods for your betta because they can encourage its growth and improve its health.
Many people are not aware of the food quality. You can feed live food for bettas when they are not eating pellets or flakes.
What to do if your betta fish won’t eat?
Betta fish will not eat any foods due to the following reasons that I have specified above.
One of the main reasons was water quality and temperature changes. The betta fish will not eat anything due to poor water conditions.
If the water becomes dirty, you can notice changes in the betta’s behavior. They will not act and stay in the same place for a long time and they will get stressed.
How to get my betta fish to eat?
- You can change the water and check the water parameters.
- Try other brands of food products.
- Provide live plants and caves for hiding.
- Check for illnesses and treat them.
- Don’t place the fish tank near direct sunlight.
Conclusion
Now you know the reason for betta fish not eating food. You can try my advice and feed them good quality food products to encourage growth and health.
I have covered almost betta fish not eating food if you have any questions or reasons, feel free to comment below.
