"Excercising" Bettas

Bottomfeeder2

Bottomfeeder2

Lancelet
Aug 31, 2008
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So I got a small male Betta yesterday, and I was reading on, I believe, Aqualand Pets Plus, that male Bettas live longer if you "excercise" them by holding a mirror up to the tank. Instead of getting pumped up and flaring, he fled. Thinking I might have come at him from the blind side and surprised him, I tried again from a more direct angle... same result. I tried a few more times, but he started getting agitated so I stopped.

Has anyone else tried this? Is it unusual that my Betta just chickened out?:help2:
 
Maybe he wasn't comfortable enough in his new surroundings yet?
 
I agree that the Betta might not have been comfortable in his new surroundings yet.

Also make sure you don't "exercise" him with the mirror for more than five minutes a day as any longer can stress them out too much.
 
I'd let him settle in first, then you will see his full "personality" when he is confronted with his reflection. Mine did flare and put on a show when in separate tanks.

Right now, I keep all our bettas (six) in two divided 10g tanks. At first, they did show / flare at each other through the screens (not completely transparent). Now they just carry on as they did in solitary. So, maybe I need to break out the mirror, too!

They're such cool fish!
 
Let him get used to his territory. Once he is comfortable in his tank and knows he's king, he will fight hard to defend it :)
 
Hmmm, They really need to make fishie Treadmills for fish. I've read you can gently chase him with the net around the tank urging him to swim a bit faster. just dont overdo it.
 
Windy said:
Hmmm, They really need to make fishie Treadmills for fish. I've read you can gently chase him with the net around the tank urging him to swim a bit faster. just dont overdo it.
Click to expand...

LOL

um.. what i do is that i;ve trained my betta to chase my finger to get food.. so he chases my finger around all the time... = plenty of exercise :)
 
i've seen videos of bettas being exercised using a powerhead angled in a bucket so it made a gentle but steady whirlpool
 
At first my Betta fled from the mirror as well but he got used to it and flares at it now. You could try the chasing finger method, I've done that with other fish and it worked really well.
 
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