Many of us keep betta fish at home, but before we start keeping betta fish, we need to know some important facts about betta fish. Many times we have seen our betta fish not eating which is a cause of great concern to us.
We know that fish will get sick very quickly if not eaten properly. Although we can easily find out why our betta fish are not eating, by adopting some correct methods.
Why is my betta fish not eating?
If our betta fish suddenly stops eating, the first thing we need to do is observe the betta fish closely. If we see any physical injury or physical problem then we have to treat it properly or take it to the veterinary doctor.
But if we don’t see any physical damage then we need to observe some other things carefully like,
One of our biggest problems is overfeeding the betta fish. We should always read the instructions on the packet carefully before feeding the betta fish. If we feed our betta fish enough food according to the instructions on the packet, the chances of overfeeding are greatly reduced.
That’s because if our betta fish consumes too much food, it can take more than 24 hours to fully digest that food. So it is completely normal for our betta fish to not eat anything for a day after consuming a large amount of food.
Many times we have seen that after feeding frozen food, live food or worms to our beta fish, the beta fish will not eat anything or take very little food the next day.
That’s because those foods take a little longer to digest, so we always say this type of food should be eaten no more than two to three days a week.
There are also some foods that are not of good quality, and if we feed our betta fish that type of food, it can cause digestive issues in the betta fish.
So before keeping betta fish at home it is very important that we have a proper idea about betta fish food.
Unhealthy environment of betta fish:
We should always create the ideal environment for the betta fish in the tank. Because if for some reason the environment in our tank starts to deteriorate, our betta fish will go into shock and subsequently become sick, which will cause our betta fish to consume less food at all.
So we should always be aware of certain elements of water like,
Betta fish water temperature:
The ideal water temperature for betta fish is 75° to 80° Fahrenheit. So temperature more or less than that specific temperature is harmful to our betta fish.
If our betta fish tank is constantly above or below that temperature, our betta fish will get sick and stop eating.
TDS for betta fish water:
Ideal water TDS for our betta fish is 150 to 250 ppm. If we do not use water with that specific amount of TDS for betta fish then that water is harmful to our betta fish.
So if the TDS measurement between our betta fish tank water is higher or lower, then our fish can get sick very quickly, which is one of the reasons the betta fish won’t eat.
So before using tap water in our betta fish tank we must check its TDS once.
Formation of harmful ammonia:
The most important thing is to make sure that ammonia does not build up in our tanks. We know ammonia is the most harmful substance for our fish.
So if for some reason the ammonia in our fish tank increases, our fish can become sick, causing the betta fish to stop consuming food.
So we should always change 10% to 15% of the aquarium water every week. We should always use bio filters in our betta fish tanks.
Cleaning the betta Fish Tank:
We should thoroughly clean our betta fish aquarium at least once every two to three months. As a result, if there is any harmful substance left in our betta fish tank, it will be cleaned.
It is therefore a very good practice to clean the betta fish tank occasionally. As a result, our fish are very healthy.
Betta fish diseases:
Many times we have seen our betta fish go to a certain place in the aquarium and take a nap. But does that mean our betta fish are sick? The answer is no. Betta fish are a bit lazy by nature.
So the big problem for us is, how do we know that our betta fish is sick? The answer is observation. We should carefully observe our betta fish for some time each day. As a result, we can learn a lot about the betta fish, such as the activity of the betta fish, feeding habits and physical condition of the betta fish.
By observing some things of betta fish well, we can tell that our betta fish is sick like,
- Our betta fish will become very lazy, and will try to hide most of the time.
- Betta fish will not eat properly.
- Our betta fish will lose their luster and become pale in color.
- Betta fish can lose their fins.
- Betta fish may have a white coating on their eyes and body.
- Sometimes small white dots can be seen on the betta fish.
- Or sometimes the betta fish’s eyes become red and very swollen.
However, it is very important to be aware of the various diseases and treatment of our betta fish.
What to do if betta fish are not eating?
As we discussed earlier, if our betta fish has consumed an excessive amount of food, it may eat nothing for the next 24 hours and this is completely normal.
Not only that, many times we feed our betta fish live food and that food takes a little longer to digest completely and during that time our betta fish does not eat anything special.
But if we see that our betta fish has not eaten for 2 to 3 days then it is a concern for us.
- So we understand that the first thing we need to do is stop overfeeding our betta fish.
- We should do a 20 to 25 percent water change in our betta fish tank.
- We must check the water temperature once. If we see that the water temperature is too high or too low then we should control the water temperature to bring it to 75 to 80° Fahrenheit. Betta fish tank water should be tested for TDS, and TDS should be between 150 and 250 ppm.
- Another thing we need to check is whether our bio filter is working properly or not. If we do an ammonia test and see that the ammonia in our aquarium water has increased or is greater than 0.25 ppm, we know our filter is not working properly and needs to be fixed.
- Also, if we see any plants in our aquarium with a small amount of rotting or yellowing of leaves, then that plant should be thrown out of the tank.
- Most importantly, if we find that our betta fish is not eating after applying the above, we should use aquarium salt. One teaspoon of aquarium salt should be used per gallon of water. That is, if your aquarium is 5 gallons, then you should use 5 teaspoons of aquarium salt.
Then we will slowly see our betta fish start taking the food and then we will do 10% water changes at least two to three times per week.
Note: If we find that our betta fish is not taking food despite adopting the above mentioned points then we must consult the veterinary doctor.
Welcome to our website Aquarium Fish Zone. My name is Sagar Ghosh and I live in Kolkata. I am a science graduate.
I have kept fish in aquariums since I was very young. I loved seeing the colorful fish in the aquarium.
I have always tried to maintain and care for the fish properly. So me and my team members have created this website.As a result, we can provide you with accurate information about how aquarium fish are kept.