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Why won't my new betta fish eat? Is he stressed or hates the food?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Fish | Betta | Male

Hello My male betta fish's name is Aries. He was introduced to his 1 gallon bowl 3 days ago from a pet store. He is really active and a god jumper and swimmer. He seems really healthy than I thought he would be considering the bowl size. But I when I fed him Betta granules he doesn't not eat it. I tried soaking it and he still doesn't eat it. He swims toward the food and looks at it and smells it? and swims away. At first I thought it would be because he's new and maybe stressed out. Pls help.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 25th, 2019

It would take your betta fish two weeks to completely starve to death so don't get too worried just yet. They usually don't eat due to stress. He probably does not like the food you have. Try some good quality food like Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets. Remember, the betta is a meat eating carnivore so if he does not enjoy the pellets I would advise getting him some bloodworms or dried shrimp. A new fish tank setup is always going to bring stress to the fish because its new. What is important to know is that stress puts a fish’s body at harm. Fish rarely get sick unless under stress levels. So if you can cut back on as much stress as possible, the better. Try bringing some darkness to the tank to reduce stress. Cover the tank with a small blanket so the fish doesn’t have to witness all the movement outside of the tank. Even though he is inside the tank, he still gets stress from movement in his surrounding view. Darkness helps this stress tell he is more used to the new environment.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 5th, 2018

    I didn't see how long ago you acquired your bettas, and I didn't see whether your divider was clear or opaque. Sometimes it can take a couple of days for fish to adjust and become comfortable enough to eat. Also, male bettas can become very stressed with other fish around, and if the divider is clear or mirrored, he may be able to see himself. I would recommend ensuring that he cannot see a reflection of himself in any of the walls or other areas. You may also try to arrange the plants and other cage furniture in the tank to see if that makes him more comfortable. I am not sure where your filtration system is located, but if there is anything else that is coming into his area, it may be worth rearranging it to see if it helps. i hope this gives you a place to start, and good luck!

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