Betta Fish: Problems with Betta Eating

I got my Betta out of a tank (not a cup) at PetSmart. He’s a little guy, a veil tail. Smaller than most others there. I asked if he was young and would get bigger and she said he won’t get much bigger. (Which was okay with me) Every Betta I’ve owned in the past has been much bigger.

He looked thin to me, so I started feeding him right away. The regular pellets he readily took, then spit them right out. So I found some smaller pellets which he also takes then spits out. (Went to pick up some prescriptions and oddly enough, I found some”Betta starter kits” at the pharmacy that have extra tiny pellets in them.)

Then I read that you can try soaking the food with tank water first, so I tried that. Still spits them out. I got some bloodworms and break them into smaller pieces. He goes crazy for those. He seems to have been able to keep some of those down.

Meanwhile I’ve been sick and unable to drive to the next town to look for other sources of foods for him. I ordered some Hikari food and something called Insect Bites from Amazon, coming on Monday.

I did a fishless cycle before getting the fish. (Took weeks). Ammonia is 0. Nitrites 0. Nitrates minimal. Have had to do partial water changes every other day due to the amount of uneaten food that my small mystery snail can’t keep up with.

This fish was only $3.99. Makes me wonder if this is why. I’ve owned bettas in the past and they’ve always readily taken the pellets without problem. Bettas usually love to eat, so I’m baffled. And he comes to the top every time he sees me, like he’s looking for food.

He’s active, swims all over. Occasionally lays on a leaf and rests (fake/silk plants). Goes in and out of his tunnels and swims all over. Has been making bubble nests. Doesn’t act or look sick- just thin.

Also, he’s in a 3.5g, and I am aware that 5g is the recommended minimum, so I’m aware I’ll need to be more diligent with tank cleaning and water parameters. I can’t believe that would be the reason he isn’t eating, because I had bettas for my kids 20 years ago, back when didn’t know they needed a bigger tank, and we kept them in tiny little cubes. And those bettas always ate.

Any ideas? Constipation is the only other thing I can think of, but then he doesn’t look bloated at all. I got a good pic of him from the top. This is literally how thin he was when I got him. (Should’ve listened to my grandson and gotten the bigger, more expensive one. )

P.S.- just did a partial water change an hour ago and looking at my pics, think I’ll add a little more water.