My betta wont eat

I have had this betta for 1 1/2 years. I know thats old for a fish but he wont eat. I have an aquarium that is good size, a filter, light,a treasure chest and fake plant. He wont eat and he is staying towards the bottom of his tank. He hides and wont come out. This is very unusual for him. I am extremely worried that he is about to die. Is there any thing I could do??????

well, I have had bettas last for up to three years, but I may have just been lucky. But I've seen betta do the same thing before, and most of the time they did end up dying. have you tested the water? and what is the temperature of the water? there could be many reasons why he isn't eating. For now leave the light off, even during the day so that he doesn't have to hide and will rest more.

check the water temperature!


(watch him close, any other symptoms?)

Thanks for the advice His temp. is 77 and i need to get the water tested. I just cleaned his tank about a week and a half ago. He is kind of slow and even when food floats right past him he will not eat it. This is strange for him because normally he is so excited when there is food in his tank.He also is laying on his side. I know thats not a good sighn. Right now he is in his tresure chest and wont come out. Thanks again for the advice.

When you "cleaned" the tank, did you change all the water or did you forget to use a water conditioner? Changing a large percentage of the aquarium water will also change the water parameters and put stress on the betta, especially an older one.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

When I cleaned his tank I changed all of his water and put water condtioner in it. I think he is getting worse because he has been in his treasure chest awhile. He now has 2 small white things on his lips and one on his side. I know he is still alive because I can see him. The even weirder thing is I cleaned his tank a week ago and it is already getting alge. Normally it takes a month. Do you think that has anything to do with it? Thanks again for all the advice .

YES!!!!! Im hoping this is a good sighn...my betta ate 1 of his betta bits food. I know its not alot but it is better than none right? He is still slow but today as I went to push the food to the bottom like I have been doing since he wont come to the top...He acted as if it was the first time he actually saw the food. But after one I tried again but he couldnt seem to get it.

You should do partial (about 20 percent) water changes every week or so. That will keep the aquarium healthy and will avoid sudden changes in water parameters. Those sudden changes can compromise the Betta's immune system.

Algae growth is not necessarily a bad thing so long as it does not take over the aquarium. A change in water parameters or lighting can trigger algae growth, but it can be controlled with live, floating plants. The plants also help keep the water clean.

I hope the Betta continues to recover. The right aquarium environment will give him the best chance.

what type of betta is it and how old is it and tank size?

Im not sure his tank size or what type of betta he is. But he is 1 1/2. I thought he was recovering yesterday but now im not sure again. He has alot of extra food in the bottom of his tank could that be what is hurting him? Thank for all the advice. I REALLY appreciate it.

The extra food can foul the water very quickly, especially in a small aquarium. By small, I mean five gallons or less. If the beneficial bacteria in the aquarium cannot consume all the food waste, it can turn into ammonia (a chemically active compound of nitrogen and hydrogen), and ammonia is one of the compounds that will kill fish. Nitrite is another one. Bettas breath air as well as water, but they cannot live in a toxic environment. Most aquarium fish can go without eating for a week or more, so don't worry too much about him getting enough food. I know you're really trying, and I hope the Betta recovers. Please keep us posted.

bettas can go 2 months top without eating

I got him 2 eat two pebbles. But I think I should clean his tank because of the extra food. Do you think he can handle it if I just scrub the sides and wash the rocks? I would put him in another bowl and do a 50 or 25 percent water change. I am glad he is slowly getting his appetite back but he is still very lethargic wich worries me. I know I say it every time but THANK YOU all for your advice!

Do you have any airline?

You can take a piece of rigid airline, attached to a piece of flexible airline. Then you can put the rigid part in the tank, and suck on the other end. As long as you put the hose in a bucket lower than the tank, it will syphon. Try not to get any of the water in your mouth... Tank cooties are gross...

Then you can hold the rigid airline... and suck out all the uneaten food, and perhaps some of the poo...

Then just top off the aquarium with the same temp water... and use water conditioner...

I wouldn't feed him anything for a couple days. See if he can get his fins back under him...

Good Luck!

The food waste is on the gravel, so it needs to be syphoned out like Angela said. You can even use a turkey baster to do it. Some of the water also needs to be syphoned off, but cleaning the glass will just make it look good. Remember that you are dealing with a closed environment that needs to work by breaking down waste materials and converting them to plant nutrients. Partial water changes just help keep it all in balance.

Even if the aquarium is small, I would not transfer the fish to do a partial water change. That will produce more stress and further compromise his immune system.

Ok I will do a partial cleaning and see if we have a turkey baster. If you mean by air line the thing that puts air in his tank than yes I do have one if not then I dont. When I do the partial clean while he is still in the tank should I put some water in a bowl and add condtioner to that water before I put it in the tank? Is there a certain time on how long the water condtioner works I normally wait 5 minutes.Just curious but when I get all the waste out why should I stop feeding him? He just got back to eating again. When I say eating I mean 2 pebbles (wich is not his normal amount.) I still really appreciate the advice and so does my fish!

after you clean it, don't stop feeding him if he is eating, but i would just put in one piece at a time, and if he eats it, then put another, and if he doesn't, then don't put anymore. This way there isn't a lot of waste on the bottom.

Most water conditioners like Stress Coat or Amquel+ work right away. You can put them in the aquarium, then carefully dump in the replacement water. Bettas are like people in that they have no appetite when they're sick. If he will take some food, that's fine, but don't feed more than he will eat. When he gets well, you might try a small amount of frozen (well thawed) adult brine shrimp or blood worms. Good luck.