My betta won't stop pacing

I have a male betta in a 10g with neons and cory cats and another in a 55g with lots of other small community fish. Both of mine patrol their tanks almost constantly during the day. I occasionally catch them napping in a plant. They are both very healthy and would eat like little piggies. They are constantly watching what is going on outside of the tank. I's very obvious they have both claimed King of theTank
 
Galaxie that video is SO funny! I've been tempted to tape mine, so other people can see how obsessive-compulsive my betta is--yours looks normal & active (lucky you). Maybe has to do with the fact that yours has all those tankmates to chase around?

Well, I've totally re-landscaped the tank with some hills & added new types of plants. Today he seems distracted by these changes & is not doing as much of the "pacing", but who knows how long that will last before he gets bored with it. If this doesn't work, I may have to resort to Plan B--a tiny tankmate. I don't want to overcrowd, but I fear he may simply be bored stiff.
 
One other thing that might amuse him:

If you can reduce the agitation at the top of the water, or create a calm area somehow, he will probably start blowing bubble nests hoping that a female will stroll by. Happy little bettas love to build nests. Just a thought. :)
 
Actually Clurin, I just put a piece of nylon over the filter output, which is slowing down the current, in hopes that this will help him to feel less "hyper". Here's hoping...
 
Emg said:
Well, maybe he needs a tankmate ?? The tank you have him in is big enough to try and add something else in there for him....a few shrimp (even though he may end up eating them, they're cheap and could provide a bit of distraction for him).....or........a couple of African DWARF frog (NOT clawed!!)....it will be difficult to feed the frogs without the betta gobbling up all the food, but it's not impossible to figure something out that would work....and those frogs are pretty active and intersting.......or......a large snail...or...... a few otos.......some very small endler type fish.....
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i have 2 frogs(Clawed, but they never got real big cuz they been living off pellets and the occational feeder fish, only when i get too many for my small oscar) and they r awesume with my large king pink kissing gourami. they do get boring some times just sitting there. i was going to add a oscar or a beta cuz of the look but you said not to Emg. i was wondering if i can add a beta to a 10g tank that has 2 black convicts. or to a community tank with 2 bala sharks and a siphodius emperus cat and assorted gourami, or a chichlid tank with a zebra, jack dempsey, severium, and a small oscar??

whats the diff between male and female betas, i was just wondering cuz dont the males fight but a male and female wont?? are males more blue and females more red??
 
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I have my Betta in a 10 gallon planted tank with 5 young platys. They get along great. My Betta paces too. Believe it or not, it really is because he wants attention. Your little guy wants you to pay attention to him and play with him. I heard of somebody putting a marble in the tank for their Betta to play with. I have yet to do that. These fish get bored easily and need attention and/or toys to keep them occupied and happy. If you have live plants in your tank he may like to swim in and out through them. It may lessen his pacing. It won't stop the pacing, just lessen it. The only way to stop the pacing is to go in there with him. ;)
 
BrianAW said:
i have 2 frogs(Clawed, but they never got real big cuz they been living off pellets and the occational feeder fish, only when i get too many for my small oscar) and they r awesume with my large king pink kissing gourami. they do get boring some times just sitting there. i was going to add a oscar or a beta cuz of the look but you said not to Emg. i was wondering if i can add a beta to a 10g tank that has 2 black convicts. or to a community tank with 2 bala sharks and a siphodius emperus cat and assorted gourami, or a chichlid tank with a zebra, jack dempsey, severium, and a small oscar??

whats the diff between male and female betas, i was just wondering cuz dont the males fight but a male and female wont?? are males more blue and females more red??
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A betta in a tank with an oscar would sooner or later be lunch. The Jack's might mess with him too.

Male bettas attack other males on sight. A male would live with a female long enough to mate, then you'd have to remove her as eventually he would attack her too. Females live together with no problems. Bettas aren't considered semi-aggressive as are most cichlids (bala sharks too), so they will be bullied. I have one successfully living in a 10g with 10 neons, 2 corys, and a flagfish. I don't think color defines male/female. Fin length is a giveaway though.
 
cool..cool..thats helps.. i guess ill go with the 10 gallon and maybe get some mollies,always kinda wanted mollies, and maybe a gourami or two...o and i have 2 questions.
1. Do male bettas have longer fins or do females??

2. is it common for jack dempsey to school with black convictc?? i have one thats like 4" and he leads a school of 3 black convicts...i guess its more like they just fallow him and he egnores them...i think i need A.D.D. medicine...i always ramble...

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one more question

3. does wal-mart have a good selection of varried plants?? i know they have like dead fish and poor conditions but are their plants usually good??
 
BrianAW said:
1. Do male bettas have longer fins or do females??
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Males have longer fins

BrianAW said:
2. is it common for jack dempsey to school with black convict?? i have one thats like 4" and he leads a school of 3 black convicts...i guess its more like they just follow him and he ignores them.
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Sure, why not. They are both cichlids.

BrianAW said:
3. does wal-mart have a good selection of varied plants?? i know they have like dead fish and poor conditions but are their plants usually good??
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Wal-Mart sells aquatic plants? Well, you've got to be careful buying their fish, so the same is true with plants. Live plants can have any number of unmentionable things hitch-hike along and into your tank. I think any Walmart plants would get a bleach bath before going into my aquariums.
 
ok thanks.
i only ask because the only other aquatic plant seller only has 4 types...long stemmed plants with big leaves, fizzy looking plants that fall apart after like 10 mins, some fern thing but the last i saw they only had one that looked healthy but it had only 2 leaves; the rest fell off, and the last thing i saw was like an underwater x-mas tree with like brown leaves...didnt like any and bettas tend to need live plants or silk because of their leaves... can i find silk at the pet store??
 
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