MY BETTA HAS STOPPED EATING

Question
Hello;
We have had a blue Male Betta for 3 months now, and he has been a hoot up to about two days ago. He has stopped eating, and basically stays to the side of the tank. This evening, I found him in lukeing in the leaves of the plant that is in his bowl (he has never been interested in it before). We changed his water, but he is essentially still ignoring the food he has eaten all along (Betta Flakes with freeze-dried worms)
What gives?

Answer
Hi Kathryn,
Sometimes its difficult to diagnose fish that stop eating. But there definitely must be some underlying cause. It could be water quality (in terms of pollution level and water temperature especially, cooler temps make bettas sluggish) or he could be developing a sickness. I don't like advising meds at this moment since we aren't sure of what he is listless from but a good precautionary step to take would be to check his water temp and make sure he is kept warm (at least 78-80--warmer is better if sickness is expected) and start changing it everyday. I'd also use a water conditioner that neutralizes ammonia and nitrites like Amquel+ or Prime just in case. Ideally it'd be best if you could test his water for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. You can also bring a sample of water to your petstore to have them test it. Just make sure you ask for the specific readings and not settle with "everything looks fine"

Few bettas can resist frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp...You might try that kind of food to tempt him. Also, garlic extract is a appetite stimulator commonly used for fish that are off their food. It also deters parasites which is an extra bonus.

I can bet that there must be some kind of water issue going on.

Best of luck and I hope this helps!
Karen~