Betta suddenly VERY picky eater

[Lexi B]

I currently own 3 bettas, and up until recently, all have had the typical "garbage disposal" appetites. I like to keep a relatively mixed diet, so i have a handful of different foods ranging from dried, frozen, and repashies. My newest betta was a big fan of the typical diet up until a week ago, and now refuses to eat anything except for frozen thaw adult brine and (if i'm lucky) freeze-dried blood worm.

What should I do? I've exhausted all of my options and I know that you can't exclusively feed frozen thawed brine. He no longer acknowledges flake foods, will spit out pellets and repashy, but has no problems eating the brine. Frozen daphnia seems to small for him to notice as food.

 

For anyone who keeps snakes, I know hognoses can get "hooked" on specific food items and refuse to eat anything else. Could it be a situation like that?

[Gannon]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:53 PM, Lexi B said:

I currently own 3 bettas, and up until recently, all have had the typical "garbage disposal" appetites. I like to keep a relatively mixed diet, so i have a handful of different foods ranging from dried, frozen, and repashies. My newest betta was a big fan of the typical diet up until a week ago, and now refuses to eat anything except for frozen thaw adult brine and (if i'm lucky) freeze-dried blood worm.

What should I do? I've exhausted all of my options and I know that you can't exclusively feed frozen thawed brine. He no longer acknowledges flake foods, will spit out pellets and repashy, but has no problems eating the brine. Frozen daphnia seems to small for him to notice as food.

 

For anyone who keeps snakes, I know hognoses can get "hooked" on specific food items and refuse to eat anything else. Could it be a situation like that?

Sometimes fish tend to only eat extra enticing foods like these when there are stressful factors going on. Any signs of poor heath in the past or recently? Change in behavior? Have you tested water parameters? 

It is possible that the fish is just hooked to those foods, but I've only ever seen that in one betta, where he wouldn't eat pellets, only flakes and frozen foods. 

[Lexi B]

On 1/21/2022 at 12:49 PM, Gannon said:

Sometimes fish tend to only eat extra enticing foods like these when there are stressful factors going on. Any signs of poor heath in the past or recently? Change in behavior? Have you tested water parameters? 

It is possible that the fish is just hooked to those foods, but I've only ever seen that in one betta, where he wouldn't eat pellets, only flakes and frozen foods. 

If anything, water parameters have improved. His behavior changed a little bit when I added a couple new plants to his aquarium 2 weeks or so ago, but I figured he was just enjoying all the hiding places.

I've only had him since December 24th, so it's hard to say for certain, but I did notice he isn't as wiggly as he had been. Other than that, he looks entirely healthy. His eyes and colors are bright, nothing looks off externally. What should I do?

[Gannon]

On 1/21/2022 at 6:09 PM, Lexi B said:

If anything, water parameters have improved. His behavior changed a little bit when I added a couple new plants to his aquarium 2 weeks or so ago, but I figured he was just enjoying all the hiding places.

I've only had him since December 24th, so it's hard to say for certain, but I did notice he isn't as wiggly as he had been. Other than that, he looks entirely healthy. His eyes and colors are bright, nothing looks off externally. What should I do?

Not sure. But it would be good to keep trying to get her on a reliable staple food. Perhaps the current stuff is expired of was left out with its lid open?

[Lexi B]

On 1/21/2022 at 4:11 PM, Gannon said:

Not sure. But it would be good to keep trying to get her on a reliable staple food. Perhaps the current stuff is expired of was left out with its lid open?

Hmm I hadn't considered that, but I'd be surprised. I'll pick up a different kind of food and see if that does the trick. 

[Guppysnail]

Fish are no different than people. They get bored with things. They are also smart probably smarter than a lot of people 🤣. They can figure out if they wait long enough the weird thing behind the glass will give them their new favorite food why accept old faithful 

[Lexi B]

On 1/21/2022 at 4:14 PM, Guppysnail said:

Fish are no different than people. They get bored with things. They are also smart probably smarter than a lot of people 🤣. They can figure out if they wait long enough the weird thing behind the glass will give them their new favorite food why accept old faithful 

Honestly that wouldn't surprise me either. He's a cheeky one. I hope it's that and not something wrong