My betta, Jakers, is in a planted (Java fern, floating and planted anacharis, Japanese Dwarf Rush) Eclipse System 6. I've bogwood, a pipestone "cave" formation and a large resin Buddha (Thai style) statue as well. He's healthy and eats well. I feed him a daily varied diet of dried bloodworms, daphnia, tubifex, and once a week frozen brine shrimp.
When Jakers was new to the tank, I added two corycats: a leopard corycat and an Agassiz's corycat. He got along pretty well with them. He was chasing each one in turn for a little bit, but not really harassing them. After my 36 gal bow cycled, I moved the leopard corycat into the new aquarium with the other 3 I had put in there. Happier in numbers.
So that leaves Jakers with the Agassiz's. Jakers started harassing him relentlessly. The tank sits right in front of me on my desk, so I can see him all day. If I dropped a wafer in the tank for Fu (the cat), he would grab the wafer and swim away with it, flaring his head off. Fu would get the wafer and Jakers would grab it again and so on. He never bit Fu, just harassed him.
(Please read on, Fu isn't in the tank anymore, just giving some background)
Jakers has a pale mouth area and the part of his body from the back of his eye to mid-section is normally a metallic rust color spackled with blue. The top of his back is much lighter, but still rust.
When the tank went down to just Jakers and Fu, I noticed that Jakers' colors changed on his body. He was darker. MUCH darker. Almost blackish. Menacing, even (nice imagination, huh?
)
About a week ago I noticed that I was building up some nice algae in his tank (Buddha looked like he was wearing a green vest!) and I figured it would be a good idea to have Molly Maid visit for a week. Molly Maid (I have no idea if it's a girl or boy) is a Trinidad Pl*co that goes from tank to tank wherever she or he is needed. Last night I put Molly in the tank and she went straight to work on Buddha.
Jakers did not like this at ALL and went after Molly (Molly is a tad bigger than Jakers). I kept a sharp eye on the situation -- I did not want to jeporadize either fish -- but I just HAD to laugh! Jakers, flaring and darker than ever before, approaches the pl*co. Molly stops eating and waits. I wait. Jakers gets closer and closer till he's almost touching the tail. I was so afraid he was going to bite Molly or something. Molly swings her tail and WHAP! Smacks Jakers in the head. It was hilarious! Jakers comes back. Molly whaps him again. This went on with his persistence going downhill like a run-away toboggan. He finally gave up and started harassing Fu again.
A few hours later I noticed that Jakers had almost returned back to his normal, lighter color. I also noticed that Molly and Fu were fighting over wafers. I've seen pictures of pl*co x pl*co fights and there was no way that little Fu could go a round with Molly and hold his own. I actually saw Molly try to attach herself to Fu!
I removed Fu from the tank and put him in with the school of Leopard cats. Only Jakers and Molly are in the betta tank now and Jakers' colors are totally back to the rust that they were before I put the cats in.
Fu has been adopted by the leopard school and seems MUCH happier.
My question(s): has anyone else ever noticed a color change in betta males when they are put with other fish besides a betta male? I can understand the color change, but why would he change back to his old color when Molly is still in the tank? Would it be because:
a) the pl*co is no longer perceived as a threat
b) the pl*co is the "boss"?
c) I haven't thought of the right answer but you'll tell me, right?
Has anyone ever put a pl*co in with a betta? Has anyone had a pl*co do grievious harm to a betta? Molly was pretty darn handy with that sucker mouth during his short bout with Fu, but I doubt Fu even has a fighter bone in his body. I'd like to leave Molly in there with Jakers for a while, but not quite sure if it's "safe".
Sorry if I've bored everyone, just want to know more about this particular fish of mine.
Thanks!
Roan
PS
Buddha's vest is gone and the tank looks awesome thanks to Molly. I've love to put an otto in there, but I think Jakers would harass the poor thing to death.
When Jakers was new to the tank, I added two corycats: a leopard corycat and an Agassiz's corycat. He got along pretty well with them. He was chasing each one in turn for a little bit, but not really harassing them. After my 36 gal bow cycled, I moved the leopard corycat into the new aquarium with the other 3 I had put in there. Happier in numbers.
So that leaves Jakers with the Agassiz's. Jakers started harassing him relentlessly. The tank sits right in front of me on my desk, so I can see him all day. If I dropped a wafer in the tank for Fu (the cat), he would grab the wafer and swim away with it, flaring his head off. Fu would get the wafer and Jakers would grab it again and so on. He never bit Fu, just harassed him.
(Please read on, Fu isn't in the tank anymore, just giving some background)
Jakers has a pale mouth area and the part of his body from the back of his eye to mid-section is normally a metallic rust color spackled with blue. The top of his back is much lighter, but still rust.
When the tank went down to just Jakers and Fu, I noticed that Jakers' colors changed on his body. He was darker. MUCH darker. Almost blackish. Menacing, even (nice imagination, huh?
)About a week ago I noticed that I was building up some nice algae in his tank (Buddha looked like he was wearing a green vest!) and I figured it would be a good idea to have Molly Maid visit for a week. Molly Maid (I have no idea if it's a girl or boy) is a Trinidad Pl*co that goes from tank to tank wherever she or he is needed. Last night I put Molly in the tank and she went straight to work on Buddha.
Jakers did not like this at ALL and went after Molly (Molly is a tad bigger than Jakers). I kept a sharp eye on the situation -- I did not want to jeporadize either fish -- but I just HAD to laugh! Jakers, flaring and darker than ever before, approaches the pl*co. Molly stops eating and waits. I wait. Jakers gets closer and closer till he's almost touching the tail. I was so afraid he was going to bite Molly or something. Molly swings her tail and WHAP! Smacks Jakers in the head. It was hilarious! Jakers comes back. Molly whaps him again. This went on with his persistence going downhill like a run-away toboggan. He finally gave up and started harassing Fu again.
A few hours later I noticed that Jakers had almost returned back to his normal, lighter color. I also noticed that Molly and Fu were fighting over wafers. I've seen pictures of pl*co x pl*co fights and there was no way that little Fu could go a round with Molly and hold his own. I actually saw Molly try to attach herself to Fu!
I removed Fu from the tank and put him in with the school of Leopard cats. Only Jakers and Molly are in the betta tank now and Jakers' colors are totally back to the rust that they were before I put the cats in.
Fu has been adopted by the leopard school and seems MUCH happier.
My question(s): has anyone else ever noticed a color change in betta males when they are put with other fish besides a betta male? I can understand the color change, but why would he change back to his old color when Molly is still in the tank? Would it be because:
a) the pl*co is no longer perceived as a threat
b) the pl*co is the "boss"?
c) I haven't thought of the right answer but you'll tell me, right?
Has anyone ever put a pl*co in with a betta? Has anyone had a pl*co do grievious harm to a betta? Molly was pretty darn handy with that sucker mouth during his short bout with Fu, but I doubt Fu even has a fighter bone in his body. I'd like to leave Molly in there with Jakers for a while, but not quite sure if it's "safe".
Sorry if I've bored everyone, just want to know more about this particular fish of mine.
Thanks!
Roan
PS
Buddha's vest is gone and the tank looks awesome thanks to Molly. I've love to put an otto in there, but I think Jakers would harass the poor thing to death.
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