Betta Splendens. New to species.

B

BumbleFish

AC Members
Aug 16, 2003
60
0
0
Visit site
Hi all,
I just picked up my first male Betta yesterday at a club auction.

I currently have him contained in a 4x6" breeder net in a 10g guppy tank. pH ~7.2, 78-80oF, ~4 KH/GH. (He's in with guppies at this point because the water requirements are similar, and to observe if he'll get along with my near-feral guppies before releasing him in there or providing his own quarters.)

I'll be feeding him live blackworms, frozen brine, FD mosquito larvae and possibly Jehmco's Better Sinking Bits if he goes for them. I'm not feeding for a day or two regardless, while he gets over his 'new tank' stress.

Of course, in the bag at the auction he looked really nice (turquoise body, blue base fin tapering to bright red and purple at the ends.)

Now, out of the bag and in a tank I can observe his finnage very well. I gather the fish is obviously stressed, but I noticed his fins seems to 'knot' into fleshy gnurls at the very fringes. He's not flaring his fins way out as you see in show specimen photos.

I was curious if gently trimming the knots off his fins is practiced, and what kind of maintenance I may employ (aside for the usual water changes, stabile params, etc.) to see his fins held out to the maximum. Is that kind of fin display only seen when the fish is flaring and displaying to other conspecifics or females?

Thanks for your time answering my post! I'm an old hand with rift lake cichlids, but my wife really wanted a betta!
 
any photos?

i would wait it out and see if he relexes in a day or two. Do you have any pics so we can see what exactly the "knotting gnarls" look like> I have an idea in my mind but it maybe a fungal bacteria or the like. You dont notice any markings or discolorations?
 
I would wait until you see him swimming in a real tank. If he doesn't work with guppies (and they often don't) then a 5 gallon tank is generally cheap and easy to setup for a single betta. The flaring and full fins is usually a reaction to females and anger as you mentioned, at least in my experience. I find that when mine is swimming around he rarelly makes his fins extend that much.

Also colour is veru much dependant on light. When I bought my most recent fish he was solid red in the store. At home under a different light his fins are bright red but his body is purple. Still gorgeous though.
 
you can try holding up a mirror to him and see if he flares at his reflection... :idea2:
 
The 'fleshy gnarls' i described look like the rays of his fins have grown into each other, creating, well, fleshy gnarls.

I have a hunch. Seeing that this fish made it to an auction, I have a theory he's a retired breeder. The gnurls on the tips of his fins may be courtship damage that has 'overhealed.'

Does this sound plausible?
 
Well, do not cut the fish's fins in any way. Now that that is out of the way, most bettas fins do that. It's just the way they grow. I once read somewhere (maybe from topbettas.com) that certain water parameters,mostly uncontrollable ones such as metal content etc, can cause that. It is in no way harmful or detrimental to the fish. It just is what it is.

As for the housing situation, guppies and bettas are 99% of the time a very, very bad mix. If it doesn't work, and I suspect it won't, a 5g tank would be great.
 
Thanks Leapardess for your reply.

As it is, I let him out of his breeder net "cage". He wasn't displaying to the guppies at all and is doing his thing in there at this point. I've also read that betta/guppy doesn't work more wayyy more often than it does, however, my guppies are getting pretty feral and the male guppies havn't activate Mr Betta's territorial instincts. Yet...

I'll let y'all know if that changes.

Thanks for clearing up the "gnarly" question! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom