New Marine Betta feeding

[BDeVaney]

Hi everyone, I recently acquired a Marine Betta from my LFS. It is not a full grown adult but not extremely tiny either. It was ordered from Sustainable Aquatics and the LFS told me it has been eating SA's Hatchery Diet food. I bought some of the food and have been feeding a mixed diet since I purchased it, about one week ago, frozen mysis, flakes, and the SA pellets. I have seen it eat 2 large flakes but I'm not sure what else it has eaten because it has been hiding a lot in the shadows. I want to make sure that it is eating regularly because it is a fairly slow eater and there are other inhabitants in the tank; midnight clown, coral beauty, juvenile yellow tang, and white ray goby. Any tips or advice for this fish? I am happy that I have at least seen it eat something but I want to be able to trust that it will eat daily. Does anyone know much about these fish? Will it become less timid?

 

[Rhincodon Kypus]

Comet Bettas can be kinda finicky. Does your Betta have a lot of crevices and stuff to hide under/in? Also, if you haven't had a chance to read this, it may help:
Aquarium Fish: The Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[Eienna]

Why wouldn't you start it on the food it's used to, and then switch it?

 

[pickupman66]

YOu may also want to look into the LRS foods. they are Super good for finicky fish to help them get to eating better...

 

[BDeVaney]

My Betta has plenty of hiding spots and likes to hang out in them with just his head or tail out. I am still able to watch him eat flakes here and there. The food that the LFS was feeding him has not seemed to work, the fish rarely even looks its way. Just bought some live and frozen brine today because I have heard they are more likely to go for brine since they are smaller than mysis and should be easier to eat

 

[beastium]

Mine would only eat frozen mysis at the beginning, and I had to feed with a turkey baster like right in its face, else it'd get no left over food. Tried dried mysis (get one that sinks somewhat) which it did eat as well, though hardly when I didn't use a baster.

It grew used to my presence staring at the tank and that food usually came with my presence. After a while it would associate the turkey baster with food and would approach it whenever it was in the tank. It now trusts me it seems, and when I fed pellets last night, it saw my damsel eat and it also did, so now it eats pellets.

 

[lion king]

Like beastium said you may have to target feed him for a while until he gets used to things. These guys can be difficult to feed, many times they even have to be fed live food at first. As long as he was already eating prepared foods, you should be fine.