Betta cannot open mouth enough to eat

Hello. I just joined as I am looking for a solution to my Betta's problem. I have had him for almost 2 years and feed him Hikari Bio-gold. We have been through some illnesses and I thought he was better but he cannot open his mouth wide enough to accept his pellets. I have owned Betta's for years but have never encountered this problem. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do? I have crushed his pellets temporarily but he is not showing any interest. He made several attempts for the whole ones but can't get them in his mouth.

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear about the issue with your Betta. Is there by chance a growth? Prohibiting his mouth from opening? A lip fibroma I think it's called...

Can he eat baby brine shrimp?

I tried freeze dried blood worms but he wanted nothing to with them. Today I bought him BettaMin flakes so I'll see how that works. In the mean time I crushed some of the pellets and he ate a little bit. I can't see anything visibly wrong with his mouth.

That's what i do with my smaller tetras. crush the floating pellets. But they sink straight to the bottom.

Baby brine shrimp are really small... They might be the answer. You might try hatching some...

He can go for a week or more without eating, so don't fret too much.

Make sure the water parameters are all correct. The Betta became lethargic for a reason, and the reason is usually a water problem.

Thank you for your help. He is eating the flake food without any problem. Maybe I'll wait a week and try the pellets again. This is a great site. I'm really glad I found it!!!!