I bought the little guy Thursday, gave him a 2 gallon tank when I got him home (getting him out of that tiny little cup), and he seemed fine. I even got him to eat a few betta pellets while he was in the cup because I din't know when nooppee fed him last (if they did, he was in that day's shipment). When I first put him in his new digs, he swam around all over the place checking everthing out, and he flared at the goldiesin the other tank. Today, he seems to be more than happy to just sit on one of the flowers at the top of the tank. And, I can't seem to get him to eat anything. I've tried more of the betta pellets, freeze dried blood worms, and a betta mix from Tetra, but he won't eat.

Did a 50%water change today, thought it might help. He's by himself in a 2 gallon hex tank, no filter, with a light that I leave on for about 10 hours a day, which also heats the tank a little, though the room isn't cold (tank stays between 70F and 75F). He's across the room from the radio, which is only on at night and has never bothered my goldies who live right beside it, so I don't think the noise bothers him.

Is this normal? Any suggestions on what to do? Sorry for the long post, just kept adding things I thought you should know.

Everything sounds normal.

I would say he is stressed, although being stressed for this long is weird. You need to test the water and get back to us on how it is. Ammonia, pH, Nitrites, nitrates etc.. that could be affecting him.

In the meantime, just keep offereing him food. When is the last time he actually ate anything?

All I can say is keep trying for him to eat - and test the water.

Thanks.

Since it looks like I'll have the day off tomorrow (the restaurant where I work is currently flooded because of spring run off, snow that melted very quickly and almost 24 hours of rain), I make a trip to the pet store to get things tested. I know i should invest in my own test kits, but they treat me so well there, and their tanks are always clean and healthy.

I had one betta that didn't eat hardly anything for two weeks. He wouldn't eat any kind of betta food or bloodworms. The only thing he would eat was the homemade gel food that I make for my goldfish. I gave him that twice per week, and in between I tried him with different betta foods. Finally, after two he decided to eat HBH betta bites, and he has been eating fine ever since. I think he would eat anything I offered him now

If your betta doesn't eat the food that is offered, make sure to take it out of the tank.

One of my bettas is very picky about his food. He seems to like brine shrimp the best. I buy the frozen kind. If you try it, add them slowly because they will sink. Good luck!

By the by, make sure your betta hasn't just been in complete darkness when you try to feed him. It might just be my betta, but he is kinda dopey and his body colour is pale when he's been in the dark for a while, and he won't eat until he gets his colour fully back (usually within an hour of having some light). After that, he'll munch away.

K, I got my water tested today, and I found out that everything was excelent except the nitrites - the test showed a colour between 0 and .25 (not too bad, but not perfect). <_<

Page_of_Staffs, thanks for your suggestion. I never thought of that!! I have been feeding (or attempting to) my betta when I wake up because that's when the goldies like to be fed, so I just do both tanks at the same time. Tomorrow I will try this out.

On the upsided, today I got him to eat a bloodworm. I think it might have been be accident though, because I was about to take it out, and he swam by it, opened his mouth and ate it. Non-the-less, I feel better knowwing he has a little something in my belly. (*Note - I have been gaving him a max of ten minutes to eat. If he hasn't eaten, I gather the food up and get it out of the tank. There have been a few of the flakes from the Tetra BettaMin that have floated to the bottom, but I've gotten almost everything out.)