Betta Questions

[ParadoxLiz]

So, my husband conned me into a betta... (not that he had to try hard). We've had him for about 2 days (got him Thursday night around 8pm), and until this morning, he was living in an empty 2g hex, no filter, just daily water changes. He seemed to like this fine.

This morning, I move him into a 6g planted tank - all his. It's pretty heavily planted, but all the plants are soft - nothing stiff that might catch his fins. There is a filter on this, but the current seems pretty minimal. First he swam around and explored, now he's got his fins flared and is swimming around the back wall (when I can see him behind the plants).

Do Bettas not like plants or is he just staking out his territory (he's alone, though) or....

Would he be better off in the bare 2g hex?

Advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Liz

 

[RockabillyChick]

can he see his reflection along the back wall? if so, he might think its another fish and be trying to fight with it. bettas dont have any problems with plants, in fact they will often rest on top of them to sleep.

 

[Holly9937]

Mine does the same thing, he sees his reflection on the back of the tank (b/c I have a border up) and when the light catches it just right, he really puts up a fight with himself : !! The plants will be great for him!! I used to think mine was dead, I would catch him nose down, tucked between 2 leaves. He just found a spot he liked, as weird as it seemed to me!!

 

[TKOS]

Since moving mine to a 5 gallon planted tank with a filter he is definatley more active and flares much more often. He has been in it for almost 2 years now so i assume that his greater activity is a good thing.

 

[ParadoxLiz]

Thanks Rockabilly & Holly - I started to come to the same conclusion as I watched him - there was a solid dark blue backing on the tank - I took it off and the flaring ended - I should have gotten a picture first! Maybe I'll have my husband hold the backing in place long enough to get a picture... He (the fish, not my husband ) goes from black in his face/head to a deep blue in his body and around the edges of his fins with a sort of peach color in the middle of his fins - very beautiful. We're still trying to come up with a name for him (my husband doesn't like "Bruise" (for the black and blue) so it's back to the baby name book...).

He's now back to exploring. He frequently comes up to take in some air right where the current is strongest - is this a good sign that the current isn't too strong?

Thanks,

Liz

 

[Roan Art]

Don't worry about the current, Liz, he's fine. I've had mine for going on 3 months now and he actually *likes* to play in the current.

OH! And if he sees you and swims to the bottom of the tank, SWOONS, and looks as though he is dying, don't you believe it. They love doing that. Mine also likes to throw himself on the java fern and bat his Betta Davis eyes at me, "food, I must have food".

I left the backing on my tank. He only did the pacing thing for a few days. Now he goes back there once a day or so just to make sure the other fish is still there

Roan

 

[ParadoxLiz]

Thanks TKOS and Roan - I'll worry less. He's definitely having to work more than in the no-filter tank, but that's expected. There are a couple places in the tank where there's no current and he seems to have already defined the back left top corner as a resting place, so I won't worry.

I'll get a pic when I can (probably will have to be with my film camera - the digital refuses to take a decent one).

And I'll watch for "I'm dying, feed me" antics

Thanks,

Liz