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FAQs on Betta splendens/Siamese Fighting Fish Behavior 2

If only I didn't have so many questions! Betta beh. 4/22/08
I have ANOTHER question! I have 2 actually. I've heard things about Bettas making bubble nests. Bubble nests are where they make bubbles and they pile up at the top of the tank, right?
<Pretty much bubbles of saliva and air, yes. In many species there's some bits of plant material included as well.>
My other question is my fish have been jittery and jumpy lately. Does that mean anything, like I should give special treatment to?
<Certainly a warning sign that experienced fishkeepers learn to recognise. Check all the usual things: sudden changes in pH, drop in water quality, fish that have started to breed or become territorial, and so on.>
Sorry to ask so many questions, Brogan
<Not a prob. Cheers, Neale.>

Betta Appearance Changing 04/14/2008
Dear WWM,
<Jean>
I have a Betta for almost 2 1/2 years now.
<Getting old/er...>
I noticed his scales had changed, they seemed to be more defined and they seemed to be sticking out a little.
<Good observation. You are not "seeing things"... this is actually happening>
I know he has been constipated, can this cause the scales to stick out a little?
<Mmm, yes>
Or is this old age?
<Very likely so>
Or is this Dropsy?
<Not likely directly>
He does not show any other symptoms of Dropsy; he is still eating and sometimes recognizes our presents.
<Heee!>
I do notice that he has been sleeping a lot. Also, I read that when a Betta gets older they become less active and their scales appearance can change a little. Please give advice. Thanks ahead of time. Jean

Betta chasing his tail... what they do 04/14/2008
Hey WWM crew,
Thank you so much this wonderful resource. You've really helped me a lot before.
<Ah, good>
I have a 2.5 gallon rectangular tank with the following specs:
Resident: 1 Blue male Betta
Temp: 80F - 81.5F (heated with a 25W heater)
pH: ~7.2
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate: 0ppm (no detectable quantities anyway)
Planted with a Betta Bulb (some sort of Aponogeton I understand) and a bit of pygmy chain sword in Eco-Complete gravel.
The filter is a Whisper 3i bubble driven filter, but I replaced the carbon cartridge with a Biomax insert for an Aquaclear filter, and macgyvered a foam cover for the intake for the filter from and Aquaclear foam insert.
<Ahh!>
I did this after reading on your site that there was little use for carbon filtration in a freshwater aquarium under typical conditions, and that surface area for bio-filtration should be prioritized. My other motivation for the foam was that I wasn't entirely sure the intake hadn't torn my Betta's caudal fin slightly in the first week I owned him (any change was too minor to tell for sure).
I've had him for a couple months now and things have gone very well. He's always seemed like a very confidant Betta building bubble nests, eating everything I feed him without hesitation (feed Betta Bio-Gold and couple frozen blood worms), often prancing around his tank with his fins flared to show who's boss. He was always remarkably unintimidated by my hand in his tank, really not the least bit skittish. He did have the odd habit of tearing little pieces out of the Aponogetons leaves (which I've never caught him doing, but who else could it be). Since things were going so well I made a point of trying not to change anything, or at least only small gradual changes.
<You are wise here>
His caudal fin always seemed a little short at the top and of and perhaps twice as long at the bottom, which I didn't think too much of since it always had that shape (he was in good condition when I got him. Previously he was in a little condo in a big 60 gallon tank, from a real aquarium only store that seemed to know what they were doing). I woke up about a week ago to find him chasing his tail, which to be honest didn't strike me as a problem, since he gave up ten seconds later and it just seemed silly. It occurs to me now that he may always have been doing this and succeeding in catching his own tail (caudal fin rather). Then just this morning I woke to a little "plunk!" noise. Then tank is covered (nearly flush with a glass plate with a bit of a gap for airflow) so he didn't get out, but he must have leapt clear of the water. This was new, and although I let it go at first, I've heard it about five times today (and never before). I went out to lunch and came back to find
his dorsal fin almost completely torn off, the majority of it lying on the bottom of the tank in one big piece.
I've been trying to find any source of stress or what he might have torn his dorsal fin on, but I've found no clues. The room he's in is my bedroom, no one in here but me and only for brief parts of the day. The view out the windows is mostly covered by a fence which is across the room from him anyway. There are no big changes in light or noise (it's quiet and his little lamp is on from 10am to 10pm plus a dim bit of light from outside). The most noise he hears is probably from his filter and the tiny air pump that drives it (the pump I wrapped in a towel to dampen the noise for my sake as much as his). You could hear a pin drop at any time of day in my room (I use headphones with my computer). I doubt he managed to bite his own dorsal fin so my only guesses are leapt out of the water and caught on some edge at the top of the tank where the little plastic frame meets the glass cover, or perhaps in the gaps where either the filter or the heater suction cup onto the side (though they don't look like anything that would catch a fin). Now he's been sitting on the bottom of the tank 90% of the time, occasionally coming out to frantically swim around the tank as if being chased by ghosts (maybe his torn fin hurts when he moves?). Several times today I've seen him viciously chasing his tail with his mouth open swimming in a tight circle. Though he can't seem to grab his fin, I can see that he probably would if it were even a bit longer. He ate his bloodworm snack as if there were no problem at all.
There have been few recent changes. A bit of increased light from outside (seasonal) and a small amount of algae growth I assume to be associated with it. I added the pygmy sword recently (two weeks ago or so). Other than that I'm at a loss for any changes at all (water changes are every 5 days or so, chloramine treated tap water heated to within two degrees of tank temp, maybe 15%). Actually, should I change the water less since I never find nitrates (or ammonia or nitrite). I assume the plants are soaking it up and I regularly pull out pieces of Aponogeton that have been shredded. My Betta is showing no visible symptoms of disease, I've checked quite thoroughly.
I imagine there's nothing I can do about his fins but let them grow back on their own, but is there anything I can do to prevent/discourage him from beating himself up? Thanks so much for any advice you can provide me about his unusual behavior or anything else I can improve.
-Mouse
<Mmm, the behaviors you list and detail so well are part of all Bettas natural repertoire... the better part of the origination may well be due to internal reflection inside the tank (the fish seeing itself and overtly reacting). I would try darkening one end of the tank (affixing a piece of dark paper). Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Question About My Betta Fish, beh. – 4/12/08
Hello, I have a 6 month old Betta fish (believed to be a male)
<!? Easy to discern at this age>
who has always been very healthy and happy. About 3 weeks ago I went out of town for a week and left him with a friend (who also has a Betta fish - first time owner, fish is only 3 months old) and while I was away my friend decided she would put the two fish together in the same tank.
<!!!>
YES I KNOW! Bad idea!!! But she believed her fish was a girl and thought they would mate. Obviously my friend knows nothing about the mating rituals of Betta's, or how aggressive they can be, so needless to say my Betta attacked hers and did some damage to her tail fins before my friend was able to separate them again. Anyway, a week later I get home to find that my Betta is now incredibly listless. Normally he is quite active and happy, and he just seemed ... sad and depressed. I noticed that he started to show white coloration around his face and fins, so I immediately went to my pet store and they recommended I use a product called "PIMAFIX", which is an antifungal remedy for fish, all natural, extracted from West Indian Bay Trees and supposed to be gentle enough for little Betta's.
<And of very limited value>
I used a tiny drop of this product in a 2 gallon mini aquarium - which by the way I bought the same day, originally I had be Betta in a vase... I bought him at a Farmer's Market where the lady was selling them in the vase with peace lily style which I just recently learned was cruel to Betta's, as they need more room to thrive - which is why I purchased the larger 2 gallon mini tank. SO, I let the new tank, with the "medicated" water in it sit over night while my fish was hold up in his bowl, seemingly on the verge of death. He was so incredibly listless I felt for sure he was on his way out and worried he wouldn't make it through the night. Luckily he did!! And Now I have him in his new tank, perched on a book shelf up against a wall. He seems to be 100 x's better than he was. The white discoloration fades more and more every day (its only been 2 days that he has been in his new tank) and he is most definitely more active. However, I notice now that he seems to always be on the attack.
<Is the species/sex nature>
I'll watch him sometimes throughout the day and he will have his faced puffed out and it is as if he is skittish and constantly waiting for his new tank to be invaded. I understand that it is a new tank and will take some getting used to, but is it good for him to be so worked up all the time?
<Will pass in time... likely is reacting to his own reflection...>
I don't want him to be under anymore stress than he already is! I should also note that I do live in an apartment building with elephants living above me, could the vibrations from the wall the tank is up against me causing his anxiety?
<Not likely>
OR is he traumatized from his fight? haha, can that happen to "fighting fish?" I wondered if I should move him... But I'm also wondering if it is all that bad for him? He is more active now after all? And I do notice that there are times throughout the day where he is resting so it's not as if he is constantly on the look-out. Is it just a matter of getting used to the new tank? Or should I try and find a new place for him? Thank-You so much for your time, Christina

Betta's tail fins lost colour, no data - 3/21/08
Hi. I have had this red Betta for a year. Just today, the end part of my Betta's tail fin decolourised from a red to a translucent gray. Overall, my fish's pretty fine, all robust and active and blowing bubbles and all, but the end part of he's fins are still translucent grey!!!! Could it be due to stress that's causing this??? Pls reply asap at <Done>...THANK YOU.
<Likely simply "old age"... perhaps with a bit of environmental stress tossed in... Please read here re proper Betta Care: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Betta's tail fins lost colour... idiocy , 3/22/08
R u
<... no net-speak, please>
serious,,,,old age???? I wont think it is a problem since i had him for just eight months.....
<Actually... if you had read re Betta splendens... you'd know something re their lifespans>
anyway...my Betta's fins has regained colour. Also, another Betta EXPERT told me my fish had the marble gene in him,
<Like the ones loose in tu cabeza?>
that it was nothing to worry about. How can it be old age???
<Uhh, time going by... Stop feeling, start reading... B>

My Betta goes white while flaring 2/27/08
Hi,
I hope this hasn't been asked before, I did look around first :-) .
I have had a Betta for nearly 6 months now. He lives in a 6.6 US gallon tank (5.5 imperial gallons, for those who work in old money!). It is filtered and heated to ~25c.
I do big water changes about every fortnight, and clean any food left on the sand when it appears with a gravel cleaner, (so small water change every few days).
The tank has a sand substrate, 1 potted plant (I never remember what type), and a plastic cave. There are also 4 Corydorus habrosus (sp?) and some trumpet snails to keep it clean.
I feed once one day then twice the next, (Its what he seems to prefer without letting him get bloated). I feed a mixture of Hikari pellets, dried
blood worm, flakes, and food I made out of vegetables and raw shrimp, which sinks to the bottom. (All my fish rush to eat this, even my Betta that never eats anything, unless it floats and seems to move!!!)
<Neat!>
I have never seemed to have a problem with nitrates and nitrites. My pH is 7.5. The GH and KH always reach the max value on the tests I do (is hardness bad for Bettas?).
<Not necessarily, no>
I use a Betta water additive which adds various tannins and some salts to the water (Labeled as Attison's Betta SPA). I am wary of using the
recommended dose of this as I read Corys don't like salts in their water, so I use about half dose.
He has had a tumor for about 3 months now, but it isn't causing him any problems / difficulties.
<All sounds/reads as very well>
What I wanted to ask about is, a while ago, when I put a mirror near his tank he flared up beautifully as usual, but he went white on his gills, his
mouth, and around the top of his head. It had never happened when I held the mirror to him before. The whiteness faded after a few weeks, but happened again when I tried the mirror again. I have never heard of anything like this before on all the forums etc. that I lurk on.
<Me neither>
Has I done something wrong, am I causing him any discomfort, maybe his tumor has spread (but it doesn't seem that this is the case), or is this so normal that no one ever asks / talks about it? or maybe I am just paranoid!
<Seems like this fish was simply stimulated to such an extent... that the usually most nearly all neural effect/response was complemented with a hormonal (longer lasting) one>
Also, sometimes he seems to pretend that he is a leaf. He will put his tail on the plant, and suspend himself as is he were a leaf, and stay like that
for many minutes. Is this normal, or just that my Betta has decide that he wants to become a spy on behalf of fishy nation?
<Is normal... a ploy as you state likely>
Hope that I have given you enough info to help.
Thanks in advance,
Beki.
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

About my Female Betta... beh., comp.... 2/25/08
To a mind more experienced then my own,
<Perhaps>
I have a large tank with 2 Angel Fish, 2 Cory Cats, 1 Pleco, 2 Shark Catfish,
<Mmm, incompatible. Actually a brackish to marine animal>
2 male Platies, 1 male, and 1 female Betta. All levels are with-in the standard. All in slightly brackish water.
<Oh! The Angels, Corydoras and Loricariid don't care for salt...>
I also have a second tank (brackish water) with 1 male Platy and 7 female Platies with their fry. All of my fish are doing well with the exception of my female Betta. I have observed her from the time I got her 2 weeks ago. She has always been at the bottom of the tank rarely surfaces.
<Likely too harassed by the Angels, perhaps the fast-moving catfish here>
Rarely ever moves. The male Betta leaves her alone,
<Oh! And should not be placed in constant association with a male... See WWM re...>
I guess she wouldn't be a threat to him. I'm just not sure what to do. Finally today I separated her in a breeding tank.
<Good>
She is still acting in the same fashion. Any tips or suggestions would be helpful.
Thank you for your time,
Cal
<Needs to be kept with slow moving, easy going fishes... and not a male Betta. Bob Fenner>

Fading Betta – 1/28/08
Hi to whoever answers. Thanks to your help in the past, everyone is happy . I do have a question about my Betta. He started out a dark orange about 8 months ago. He keeps fading and is white under his chin. It looks like an old dog chin.
<An apt comparison>
It looks smooth and normal as far as the scales go. He is active and eating well but slowly turning white. Do I have a problem?
<Mmm, likely not... some individual Betta splendens do "hold" their color better, longer than others... and better care (low metabolites, good nutrition, consistent, warm water...) do "help"... The whitening is mostly an artifact of age/aging and genetics. Bob Fenner>

Male Betta tail so long it impedes his ability to swim to surface - 1/17/08
Hello Crew:
<Hello,>
I have a 2.5 year old male Betta.
<Pretty good going! These fish don't often live that long.>
His tail is so long that he has trouble swimming to the surface and essentially can't swim more than an inch up. I have put him in a wider shallower, 2 - 21/2 inches of water, tank so he is doing fine, but do you have any advise?
<Nope. What you're doing is the best thing. Floating plants and leaves at various levels will doubtless help as "resting places". But the problem with Fancy Bettas is that they are bred for looks, not viability. Moreover, they're bred to sell when they're small, without much thought to how they'd look after a year or two. So what you're dealing with is the inevitable result of over-breeding. One of the more welcome trends in the hobby has been from the long-fin Fancy Betta style towards the short-fin "Plakat" style. Whatever else can be said about them, these short-fin Bettas can at least swim about normally.>
He is otherwise quite healthy. Is trimming cruel, dangerous and out of the question?
<Out of the question, unless you're a vet with access to anaesthetics and sterile operating tools. Fin membrane is essentially skin, so cutting away fin membrane will obviously hurt the fish and open up a route for secondary infections.>
Sincerely,
Mara
<Take care, Neale.>

Lazy female Betta's? 01/14/2008
Hi
<Hello!>
I have recently bought three Betta females. They were imported by the pet shop about a week before (I'm not sure from where). I'm a bit worried because all of them lie on the bottom of the tank all the time. They swim up occasionally for air and food, and the one sometimes chases the others and they swim very fast, but otherwise they just lie there, sort of on their sides. Sometimes they will lie on a plant/on the heater. The one seems to be constipated, I'm not sure, but the others are fine (I think). The pet shop guy told me not to worry, they tend to be lazy, but I'm not sure if this is normal behaviour. One of my theories is that they might've been transported in very small bowls. Should I be worried?
<Provided the fish are feeding normally (but not overfed!) and otherwise look healthy (good fins, normal gill movements, no white spots on the body, etc.) I'd not over overly concerned.>
Two of the females flare at each other now and then, and seem to have a kind of stand off for a few seconds, then they go and lie down again. (very interesting to watch:) I make sure they don't nip, and it seems they just bluff:) I really want to start breeding with them. I put one of my males (the most docile one) in the tank in a chimney, just to see if there would be a change in behaviour, and none of them took any notice. So I let him out, and there was still no reaction from either male or female. The two girls still danced now and then though, but that was it. I think I'm going to fast them for a day or two.
<Does no harm. Do also take care not to overfeed the rest of the time though. Bettas need tiny amounts of food per day, e.g., 3-4 bloodworms or a couple of small pieces of flake. Bettas, and indeed most other fish, should never look fat or as if the belly is filled with a ball! Rather, the body should be slender, and the abdomen only very slightly rounded outwards. Most people massively overfeed their feed fish, and this causes problems with their health (just as in people!).>
If the one still looks bloaty, I'll add some Epsom salt and feed her a pea, then start on brine shrimp and then bloodworms.
<Do bloodworms last. As a laxative, Daphnia and Brine Shrimps are both very good. Not sure Bettas will eat peas, but if yours do, then great.>
Does this sound like a good idea or is there something else I should do? (I'm feeding 1-2 pellets in the morning and 2-4 mosquito larvae/blood worms at night to the other Betta's, should I start the "healthy" females on this diet as well?)
<Sure.>
I'll try to send some photos a bit later:)
<Okey dokey.>
Thank you!
Regards
Yvette
<You're welcome, Neale.>

Odd Behaving Betta 1/3/08
Hello, My name is Katelynn and I have some concerns about a new Betta I bought on December 29th, because he does not eat and he will spend hours curled up on a plant, hiding at the top of the tank in between the heater and the filter, or laying (almost on his side) at the bottom of the tank.
<Hello Katelynn... Betta malaise can be caused by a variety of things. Lack of warmth, cold air above the aquarium, and poor water quality are particularly important.>
And when I mentioned that he curls up, he actually will be in an upside down, motionless, summersault position.
<Not normal.>
Sometimes I have to watch him for a couple of minutes to see if he is breathing. Then I get scared, so I take a net and give him a little nudge and then he will move to a different spot and continue his odd behavior.
<Touching fish certainly doesn't help. They are easily damaged and your dry skin can cause removal of the mucous on their bodies, allowing secondary infections. Basically, look but don't touch!>
I have only seen him swim around twice since I have brought him home and one of those times was because I gave him a nudge. I have never seen anything like this before with Bettas I have had in the past.
<Ah, so you have experience with this fish? That's good. Do review the basic requirements of the fish and check you have them all covered. Use test kits to check pH, hardness as well as water quality.>
His color has not changed and there is no other physical signs of sickness. Now I will fill you in on my set-up. I have an Eclipse System, 3 gallon tank.
<Too small. Three gallons -- especially 3 US gallons -- is a bucket, not an aquarium. I KNOW people keep Bettas in tiny jars and the like, but this hardly makes them easier to maintain. Small tanks are unstable and quickly go bad.>
It has a BIO-Wheel 3-stage filtration and a heater that keeps the water between 72-78 degrees.
<This is too much temperature change. You want at steady 77F/25C. Humidity above the tank is CRITICAL; use a pane of glass or similar to the top of the tank if is open to the air. You want just a crack to let in fresh air, but enough humidity that water droplets collect on the pane of glass.>
I got the tank as an early Christmas gift and I set it up the night I got it and put in three fake plants, (soft so they wont hurt the Bettas' fins) a house and a cave and covered the bottom with gravel and some decorative, polished stones.
<Hmm... filter likely immature. Have you checked nitrite or ammonia?>
After setting up the tank, I let it run without any fish for a week to establish the nitrogen cycle and after testing the water, I went out fish shopping.
<Doesn't work this way. Tanks cycle when they contain fish OR some other source of ammonia, e.g., a piece of decaying seafood. Just sitting there empty achieves precisely nothing.>
On that first outing I did not find the perfect Betta, but I did find an active Cory and so I brought him home. He adapted well and then I added two small neon tetras that were in need of a home after my sister decided she did not want her tank anymore and could not find a home for them.
<All these in 3 gallons...? NO NO NO. Corydoras and Neons are schooling fish, and Neons especially need to be kept in groups of 6 or more in a 10+ gallon tank. Corydoras also need to be kept in groups of at least 3-4 specimens, and most common species need a 20 gallon tank.>
They also adapted great and I waited a week to make sure none of the fish showed any signs of disease. When the fish proved to be healthy and the water quality did not deteriorate, I went out and found that perfect Betta.
<Oh...?>
I found a small, teal, crown tail Betta and brought him home. At first he swam a bit and then started hiding. He wont even come out to eat.
<Neons have been reported to nip Betta fins. The two species cannot be kept together.>
I have tried flake food, pellets, and freeze dried bloodworms, but none of these seem to interest him.
<Don't worry about food just now.>
I test the water daily and the nitrate level is 0, the nitrite level is 0, the water is soft (75GH), the alkalinity is between 120-180KH, and the pH is neutral (between 6.8-7.2). The other fish are fine and seem to be doing great.
<Hmm... seriously, I'm not convinced this tank will work in the long term.>
If you could please give me any idea of what may be wrong with my new fishy friend, I would be very grateful. Thank you
<Difficult to say precisely what's wrong. Check the ammonia and nitrite levels. I'd assuming a tank this young will still be cycling, so don't feed more than 1 times per 2 days, and do 50% water changes at least every other day, and ideally every day. After 3-6 weeks, things should settle down some and you'll find ammonia and nitrite are both zero. Please think seriously about a bigger tank: 3 gallons isn't an aquarium, it's a bucket, and no better suited to keeping fish in the long term. Cheers, Neale.>

My brother's Betta... Spots under eyes... beh. 12/30/07
Hello, Bob. Thanks for all of your insight on the webpage. I gave my brother a Betta for Christmas because I have enjoyed having the simple company of my Betta, Alexander, since I moved into a smaller apartment downtown.
<Very good.>
They certainly make for lovely pets.
<Yes indeed.>
I am writing because my brother is chronically ill and loves pets but is not able to take care of something like a cat or a dog which requires more maintenance. He is so pleased to have Mr. B, as he calls him, and his cleaning lady feeds him when my brother can't. My only concern is that (Mr. B is a red/orange Betta) he has white spots under his eyes.
<These could be a variety of things. As Bettas age, they sometimes get grey or white patches. But equally these things can be whitespot/ick, velvet, Finrot, fungus, etc. So you need to identify the problem and then act accordingly.>
I would hate for my brother to get attached to Mr. B if he is sick. Is this something we should worry about? Best Regards, Brett Christine Holaday
<Quite possibly. Do review this handy dandy disease ID chart, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwdistrbshtart.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Bubblenests? 12/4/07
I managed to get a picture of Reno's bubbly tank! :)? Thought I would attach it here.? I tried to get one of Robyn's foot but it came out way too blurry.? My fiancé looked at her and he said it just looked clamped and curled back, not actually detached.? When I looked really closely, I could sort of see the webbing that goes in-between the toes, it was along the end of the leg, but I couldn't see any toes.? Maybe she just hurt it?? Or I was thinking maybe a nutrient deficiency... anyway, I'll insert this picture as well, though I don't think you will be able to tell anything from it :(
Sincerely sorry to be such a pest, just thought these might help!
-Valerie
* View full size
* View full size
Robyn, her hurt foot is facing to the outside, closest to the camera.? All she's been doing lately is swimming up and down, up and down, in that little corner.
She will go all the way to the water's surface, and then back down.
<Hello Valerie. Nothing came through. Pasting pictures into e-mails doesn't always work between different browsers and e-mail readers. If you can, send them as attachments. Like Bob, I'm concerned you aren't giving these animals the right conditions they need. Please understand that animals have fundamental, non-negotiable needs below which they will not survive. When it comes to small species of frog, your main problems are water quality and temperature. Poor water quality brings on something called Red Leg, essentially the same infection as Finrot on fish. It's an opportunistic bacterial infection. Early signs of infection have to be noted, because once severe it is very difficult (usually impossible) to cure. At a minimum, an African Dwarf Frog (Hymenochirus spp.) needs about 20 litres of water, heated to 25 C, kept clean with something like an air-powered sponge filter. Attempts to keep them with any of these things missing will be doomed to failure. Please please please understand that this frog did not ask to be bought; you chose to bring it into your home. As such, you also took on the responsibility to care for it, with all the fuss and expense that might involve. I hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: African Dwarf Frog acting strangely/manic, Betta bubblenests 12/5/07
Dear Bob,
<Valerie>
Thank you so much for the prompt reply, sorry I couldn't get back sooner! (Final Exams).? I have read a lot of the articles on your site, but I wasn't able to find the specific link on nitrogen cycling... and I am still sort of confused on what tank 'cycling' involves exactly, though I understand the general idea.?
<Yes... and I've seen your response further on, where you state you have read re>
Reno the Betta seems much more like his normal self these past two days, although he started spitting his food back out when I gave it to him, then re- swallowing. It stayed down for a couple more minutes before he spit all of the pellets back out. I watched a while and he eventually ate them and kept them down. Not sure what that's about... I bought some frozen bloodworms today, am going to try varying his diet with those, but I am confused as to how to serve them and the portion amount?
<Just a few at a setting, defrosted... held near the surface to get his attention>
My ADF freaked me out a lot yesterday because I saw transparent, filmy stuff clinging to her underside, but after looking it up online it seems she was just shedding her skin.
<Likely so>
In a few more minutes it was off completely so I didn't worry anymore about it. She's learned to come to her food plate to eat, and is now eating consistently. Her weird behavior also seems to have subsided, but her tank looks cloudy... I am going to do another 25% water change today, even though I just did one on Saturday.
If I turn on the air stones now (all of the sudden) will it alarm/stress my animals?
<Should be fine to do so>
Should I perhaps move them to a separate tank, turn them on, and then reintroduce them?
<Mmm, I'd leave all in place>
I want to get my undergravel filter system working, as I feel this will help with the tank changes. I am leaving their lights on about 12 hours a day, in order to keep the water warm enough, but I am going to get a thermometer tomorrow so I can see what the temp actually is... I am afraid it is dropping too much at night even though I keep my apartment around 75 degrees F.
Now the problem... today I just got home from school and I see my ADF is missing his right foot entirely!?!? He still has his leg, with a stump.
<Happens... perhaps the Betta...>
I have no idea how this happened... he seems to be swimming alright without it but I am so worried it will get infected.
<Possibly>
It doesn't look like there's anything on it right now but what are the procedures I need to take in order to get him to grow it back? (I heard they can do that..)?
<Mmm, a possibility, but not likely>
Also, what might of caused this to happen? I am afraid his little plastic coral reef may of caused him to catch his foot and tear it.. but the thing said it was approved for aquariums and when I felt around the edges prior to buying none of them seemed excessively sharp.
<What other life is present?>
Please let me know ASAP what treatment I should apply for Robyn, as many of the different FAQ's prescribe different things and I am unsure where to start.
Thank you!
-Valerie
<No specific treatment is suggested... as your system is not established... this will very likely cause more trouble than fix...>
P.S.? What does a Betta "bubblenest" look like?
<Like a floating mass of small bubbles...>
I Googled it without much success on an actual picture. His tank has a large accumulation of bubbles all concentrated on one area on the side of the tank, I was wondering if this was a bubblenest, or an indicator of some type of water quality problem. it looks crystal clear the moment... I will try purchasing some of those test stripes for nitrogen, ammonia, etc.. anyway if you could provide a picture or a verbal description of what a bubblenest looks like, that would be great, thanks!
<Do try to set some time aside to visit a local library and check to see if they have books on Bettas... these will have photos... Bob Fenner>

My boy's gills are flared... Betta beh. 11/15/07
Hi :) My name is Kat and I have a beautiful blue boy named Kira.
<A Betta I'll take it>
He was rescued from a very bad situation and I've been impressed the last week with his activity and hardiness. He currently lives in a 2.5-gallon minibow, a light for heat (I ordered a heater, it's on the way, so I don't screw up his diurnal cycle any more!)
<Ah, good... and well conceived>
and I have only had him six days so I haven't even had a chance to do a water change yet (left water standing last night, will change it in the morning, plus a dose of Stress Coat). I feed Betta Bites (I didn't know Hikari Bio-Gold existed till after I bought this stuff :(
sorry.) My question is about his gills: he seems to be flaring them an awful lot.
<Mmm, a "happy" behavior>
They are not prolapsed, as the black liner does retract once the gills close, but sometimes he will just flare them open and stare at me (no fin-flaring at all). It's creepy, heh! Is there a reason he does this?

It doesn't mean anything's wrong, does it? If so, how do I fix it?
<Mmm, no need. Will subside with time>
I did read that they "burp" like that, but he never expels bubbles or anything when he flares the gills. Sorry to bother you, I'm sure it's just that I'm not reading everything well (tired, you know heh).
Thanks in advance,
~~~>Kat
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
--
And the science gets done and you make a neat gun for the people who are still alive
?Kitty?
<Prophetic... I would add... and hopefully they're smart enough to not use it>

Have you ever seen this happen with a male Betta? Beh. 11/4/07
Hi,
I am a big Betta lover I have had my fish for about a year and he has his own 5 gallon tank. Today my husband brought home two Bettas which we placed next to our other fish's tank so they could all look at each other...
<Not on a permanent basis...>
Our old fish swam up to look at the other fish and sat very quietly looking at them. then he began dropping these little dots of red almost the color of blood out of his gills..
<... strange>
it dropped on the floor of his tank.. it was so weird... Have you guys ever seen a male Betta do that?
<No>
Is it a dominance thing? or is my poor fish bleeding?
please write back...
Thank you,
Jordan

Betta Color Change 10/1/07
Hi Chris,
<Hello>
Since emailing you last, my fish has developed red in his tail and under his chin. Do fighting fish change colour. I had not noticed this till my husband pointed it out. He was aqua and now he has red in two places and it appears to have come quite suddenly.
Pam Zweck Silcock
<They sometimes have subtle color changes over time, but in this case I am more inclined to think something environmental is driving it. Is it more like red streaks or red scales?>
<Chris>

Re: Betta Color Change 10/2/07
Hi Chris,
<Hello>
Thanks for your reply. The colour is like streaks. The beard is completely red. I am now wondering if we just did not notice it before as the lighting in the room is adequate but he does not have a direct light above him. I think perhaps my husband just caught him at a certain angle, with the light also just at a certain angle. I have now shone a torch at his tank and the colour is very evident. I have since read your site and have noticed that some replies to questions relating to colour suggest that bettas often have red as part of their colouring. Of course, I am interested if it could be the environment and would attempt to rectify this.
Thanks again.
Pam
<Red is a very common color for bettas, to the extent that "show quality" bettas are carefully bred to avoid it. However red streaks makes me think there is a water quality issue here, watch the water quality closely and do extra water changes.>
<Chris>

Re: Betta Color Change 10/3/07
Hi Chris,
<Hello>
I bought Strauss (that's my blue betta) a heat pad today, but now I think I will need a different bowl - one that sits directly onto the pad as my present bowl has a stem which means the heat does not get to the water direct, or at least that is what it seems like.
<Most likely.>
It has been on about 5 hours and the sides of the bowl seem as cool as before. I will leave it on all night and turn it off in the am, especially if the day is warm.
<A consistent temp is important here too.>
Our nights are still falling below 18 degrees, but days are over 20. It is a 5 watt heat pad. Thanks for your assistance.
Pam
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Betta hanging out at bottom of tank – 09/29/07
<<Hello, Robert. Tom with you.>>
I have a Betta that is approximately 1 year old. He was active, exploring his tank and would often build bubble nests. He appeared to be very healthy.
<>
Recently, he has been spending a lot of time on the bottom of the tank only leaving to make a fast dash to the top of the tank for air and then return just as quickly to whatever location he left from. Sometimes it is in the front of the tank and sometimes it is under the filtration system in the back of the tank.
<<Something’s stressing your pet, Robert. Bettas will “lounge” from time to time but this is out of the ordinary.>>
He is not interested in eating although I cannot see any bloating, damage or disease. I did notice him eating an algae wafer about 4 weeks ago and then noticed one day he regurgitated a brown substance like vomiting? When on the bottom he seems to be breathing hard. I have also noticed an oily film on the top of the water which I skim-off.
<<All right. Now we’ve got something. The “oily film” – soapy feeling? – is due to dissolves solids (TDS) in the tank water. In a nutshell, your filter, if any, isn’t doing the job adequately or your water changes are too infrequent.>>
The tank chemistry is:
Ammonia level = Safe according to the pet store, but my quick dip testing shows a level of 0.5 which indicates stress?
<<Worse than that, Robert. It indicates a lethal level of ammonia. So much for “safe”, I’m afraid.>>
Nitrite = 0
Hardness = 150, considered hard but normal for this area
<<This could be dealt with but I doubt this is a significant problem given that your Betta’s a year old.>>
Chlorine = 0
<<Good.>>
Total Alkalinity = 40, on the high side of Low moving towards Moderate
pH = 6 - 6.2
<<Wow. You’ve got quite a combination going on, don’t you? High hardness levels with low-moderate buffering capacity and very low pH. Not what I would call “everyday” readings.>>
Temp = 75 - 76 degrees Fahrenheit
<<Should be upped to 80-82 degrees F., Robert.>>
Food - 3 Betta bit flakes once per day
<<Okay.>>
Water changes are from 25% to 50% on a biweekly schedule never going over 3 weeks between changes.
<<Not nearly often enough, particularly with what you’ve shared with us. Bettas need their water changed very frequently, on the order of every 4-5 days. That said, you’re going to have to get busy immediately due to the ammonia readings you’ve found. You must get these down to zero…now!>>
The tank size is 5 gallons and it contains a carbon bio-bag filtration system.
<<Nothing “wrong” with the use of activated carbon in the filter as long as you’re aware that it loses its efficacy in three-four weeks. My Emperor 280 employs packaged carbon/floss filter elements and I love the filter but these get “pitched” every two weeks. (I get Christmas and birthday cards from Marineland! :) )>>
Tank Mate is a golden apple snail. We feed the snail 1 algae thin wafer every other day. They have been mates for the entire time. I am going to invest in a small wattage heater to raise the tank temperature.
<<Excellent.>>
Do you have any suggestions as to why he is acting this way?
<<Water conditions/quality, period. In this case, Robert, this is virtually guaranteed to be a matter of increasing the water changes dramatically in order to get your fish back to good health. The ammonia levels alone mandate this right now but you also need to increase the regimen on a very regular basis. You might look into a different source of water down the road, as well.>>
Thank you for any help or guidance.
<<Happy to be of assistance, Robert. Best of luck.>>
Robert D. Mercer, Jr.
<<Tom>>

Re: Betta hanging out at bottom of tank 9/30/07
Tom.
<<Hello, Robert.>>
Thanks for the quick reply.
<<Not a problem.>>
Leaving now to get the heater and look for a new filtering system. What percentage of water do you suggest I change daily to get the ammonia back under control?
<<This will depend on test readings, of course, but don’t be shy about it. When ammonia/nitrites are an issue, 90%+ is in order. If it takes more than one change in a day to get the ammonia to zero, by all means, do it.>>
You mentioned changing the water source. This is a public water system and we are going to move in the next month to another system and town. I would like to change the source only once? What do you recommend?
<<Since you’re moving, I’d hold off on spending any additional monies right now. What I was alluding to is a RO (reverse osmosis) filtering system for your source water, as an example. An excellent idea that I picked up from one of my fellow Crew members, Neale Monks, is using rain water for your tank. Some experimentation with blending portions of your source water with rain, or bottled, water could also yield results which can get your water parameters more in line. Again, though, I’d wait to see what the new town has for you. Might just take care of itself. Tom>>

Re: Betta hanging out at bottom of tank message 3. 9/30/07
Hello Tom,
<<Hi, Robert. Long time…since a couple of minutes ago. :) >>
I have bought a Marineland Penguin 100 and could immediately tell the difference in water flow and debris movement towards the filter.
<<Amazing what good equipment will do for you.>>
I have placed plants (artificial) to break-up some of the water turbulence and moved my Betta to a 1 1/2 gallon tank 77F and climbing, for observation while I work on the 5 gallon tank chemistry. I have also bought a Hydro 7.5 watt mini heater for the 5 gallon tank.
<<Good on all counts, Robert. Temperature is one of the most overlooked factors with Bettas. I, personally, don’t find it necessary but there are a number of folks that run their Betta tanks in the mid-80’s with success.>>
I have recorded the following numbers from the tank after 5 hours under the new filtration and a 1.25 gallon water change. This is the first time I have used the Red Sea Fresh Test. So if I have not explained my findings please do not hesitate to question them.
pH at time of testing was 6.6
<<A fine improvement provided you can keep it stable.>>
Temperature at time of testing was 76F.
<<Okay.>>
According to the table provided the toxic ammonia level at this pH and Temp is 0.2%.
Total ammonia level measured at time of testing was 0.5ppm.
If I have calculated this correctly the level of toxic ammonia is 0.2% of 0.5ppm or 0.0001ppm.
<<Much, much better. Without belaboring this point, “total ammonia” is a combined reading of ammonia and ammonium. Toxic ammonia converts to less toxic ammonium at low pH levels. (Plants actually prefer ammonium to nitrates, for what it’s worth.) The trick is maintaining stability. If, for example, your pH should suddenly rise, the ammonium would re-convert to ammonia and you’d have your hands full.>>
Nitrite level at time of measurement was 0
<<Very good.>>
Chlorine at testing measured 0
Hardness is now between 75 –150
<<Both of the above are good, as well. Sounds like things are doing well, Robert. Hopefully, these improvements will translate over to your Betta. I read a while back that if we think of ourselves more along the lines of being “water keepers” than “fish keepers”, a great number of our problems would disappear. I don’t find any fault with this reasoning. Continued good luck to you, Robert. Keep “stability” at the forefront of your efforts and you’ll be just fine. Tom>>

Re: Betta hanging out at bottom of tank message 3. – 10/01/07
Tom, believe my math was incorrect on the toxic ammonia should be 0.001ppm not 0.0001ppm.
<<Yep, and I failed to correct it. Guess we both get an, “Oops!” Still better than what we “thought” we were dealing with, Robert.>>
Thanks for all the help. Great site, very helpful, very responsive and very knowledgeable.
<<You’re welcome and, thank you for the compliments. I hope that you’re seeing some improvement in your Betta’s condition/behavior, by the way. My best. Tom>>

Lethargic Betta, Env. 9/28/07
Could you please advise me regarding my Siamese fighting fish. I have had him for two weeks and have been looking after his water as advised by the pet shop owner. He seems ok - his fins are fine and he swims around and is eating one pellet twice a day. He comes to the top when he hears my voice. Often though I find him sitting at the bottom of the bowl. I thought he was sleeping or resting, but am wondering if he is ill. There are no other symptoms.
Thank you for any help you can give.
Pam
<Is this tank heated? If not he is probably cold, and being a cold blooded animal will be less active.>
<Chris>

Re: Lethargic Betta, Env. 9/29/07
Hi Chris,
<Hello>
I have been keeping the room at 70 degrees and last night changed his water and bravely added more drops than before.
<Drops?>
When I read the directions on the container I realized that the shop owner told the wrong amount of drops to add to the water. Today he seems more active. The room is not usually cold but I am now monitoring the temp.. I do not have a heater in the tank, but now feel more confident that keeping the room temp right or at least even, might do the trick? What do you think?
Pam
<70 is not warm enough for bettas, they prefer the low 80s, so unless you plan on keeping the room very warm all the time I think a heater will help here. Please read here for more on optimal conditions. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm>
<Chris>
Re: betta fish
Thanks Chris, I will look into this further.
Cheers
Pam
<Very Good.>
<Chris>

Betta, beh... 9/1/07
Hi, I hope you can help. I bought a Betta from Thailand and have had him for about three weeks.
He has turned lethargic today, hanging at the bottom of the tank with his fins held close to the body. He is a pale green/ blue color and he has a darker splotch on his side which in less than a day spread to ( separate splotches) to his back and another on the side. I have several books and looked on the Internet but can find nothing that sounds like this.
The spots appear smooth. They are a dark brown. He did eat today.
History: He is in a three gallon tank with a small filter. Temperature is about 75 to 77 degrees.
<Needs to be warmer>
He gets fed once a day with either flakes, frozen brine shrimp or pellets. He has eaten fine with any of them. He has never been as active as my pet store Betta. I have a couple very fine plastic plants near the filter to break the pull of the water. Thank you for your time.
<Could be the system is not cycled... but the temp. is a major issue here. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Making bubbles? Bettas... females? 8/22/07
Hello, i have a sorority of female bettas that recently have begun making bubbles which look like the bubble nests that male bettas make when ready to breed. I am sure they are all female, so i do not understand why these large numbers of bubbles have begun appearing, could you help?
<Mmm, I strongly suspect that you have at least one male mixed in here... do isolate the larger/est ones in turn... and be observant. Bob Fenner>

Need advice for Cellophane Betta 8/20/07
Hi---
<Hello>
I won my Cellophane Betta on the boardwalk at the Jersey shore a few days ago. When I got home he was very listless just hanging at the top of bowl.

I changed the water put conditioning drops in and he perked up a bit. He will swim a little and eats maybe one pellet of food that I can see. Also I noticed the water got cloudy so I changed it again. He is very small I presume a baby, are there problems with the albino fish ? Does he have a disease?
Please help---- Thanks, Jennifer
<Chances are that this fish was not well cared for while waiting to be won, our betta section should give you a good idea about what is going on and how to care for them.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstkind2.htm .>
<Chris>

When white fins turn pink? 7/21/07
Hi,
I have a male Betta with a white butterfly pattern (a white band on the outer edges of all the fins). When I got him, the white parts were perfectly white. Over time, all the white has become a peachy pink. I am afraid my water has some compound or heavy metal in it that is causing his fins to become stained! What could this be?
<Likely mostly "just" genetic expression... though diet is likely playing a role to an extent... and maybe a much smaller influence of water quality>
I doubt it is his natural coloration changing -- I breed Bettas and am pretty sure that he's genetically supposed to have a white band, not peach.
<The "red" is quite persistent in this species...>
I've looked everywhere on your site for the answer to this, and the closest answer I could find is that blood veins in the fins sometimes become visible due to irritation of some sort, causing a white fin to look pink.
<Mmm, this is not the case here>
I doubt this is what is happening in my fish. I don't see any veins if I look closely. It simply looks like a color change, and there is no irritation. Also, it is a peachy pink, not the red/pink that red micro-capillaries would produce on a white fin.
<Agreed>
I am tending towards the idea of a contaminant in the water, but I don't know what would do this. Any ideas? There must be fish people out there who have encountered this before!
Thanks so much,
Eryn
P.S. I've attached before and after pictures of the fish.
<I do believe this color is "natural", but you could experiment (esp. if you have multiple specimens) with keeping them in different waters, feeding foods with more/less propensity for color change... Look for Astaxanthin, Carotenoids in what you're offering... Bob Fenner>

Betta Acting Lethargic 7/2/07
Dear WWM Crew,
I have a Crowntail Splendid Betta; named Bartholomew, who I have for 1½ years now. I keep him in a 5 gallon tank with a filter, heater set at 73 degrees,
<This is a little cold for a betta. The water should be kept at about 80-82F>
and an air pump. I premix my water one day before I do my 20% water change, which is every week. The pre-mixture consists of stress coat and ½ teaspoon of aquarium salt. After changing the water and cleaning his tank by light vacuuming; I check the temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. They are now reading: temperature – 80, pH – 72, ammonia – 0, nitrite – 0 and
nitrate – 10. Sometimes I have to add pH down, which consists of a total of six – ten drops during the course of two days.
<So, the temp is 80F, but the heater is set at 73F? Is the temperature usually constant or does it drop to 73F very often? If it's dropping, I'd try to make sure the temp stays more constant at 80 to 82F.>
Everyday I feed him live black worms, dried blood worms and once a week presoaked pellets and occasional brine shrimp. Bartholomew was a very active Betta, swimming and flaring at everything – the filter, the heater and even his owners. Also, he would get excited by your presence and most of all getting his food. Although, Bartholomew is still swimming around and eating a well-balanced diet;
<These are good signs. You do spoil the little guy quite well. :-)>
I have noticed a change in the little guy’s personality; he seems to be lying at the bottom of the tank most of the time and acting very lethargic. His colors are still vibrant; fins are free of any tears, no signs of any parasites, bacterial or fungal infection. I do notice a few little white dots; but they are not raised. Could it still be ick?
<Doubt it... but if he starts getting the spots on his fins, then I'd be more concerned.>
To be on the safe side I started treating him with Melafix and Pimafix.
I spoke to Aquarium Adventure, a fish store and they stated that he is just getting old. Could this be true?
<Unfortunately, yes. Sadly, Bettas only live 2 to 3 years and they're already several months old by the time they're sold.>
Can he be acting this way so quickly – just lying at the bottom of the tank; being lethargic? Is there a possibility that he has contracted a parasite or some type of infection that could be making him act this way without visual signs? Also, could I have possibly fed him bad food?
<All possibilities, but I doubt it. In all likelihood, he's just getting old.>
Do you recommend that I give him a Methylene Blue dip bath?

Please give advice? Thanks in advance for your help; I think your staff is great. Jean
<Thank you. Happy to help. :-)
Sara M.>

Betta beh. and feeding comments – 06/07/07
Hi Crew!
<Hello.>
I wanted to share a couple of observations about my Betta, which I thought might be of interest to other Betta owners.
<Cool.>
I read recently (was it today?) on WWM that Bettas don't eat flakes. Mine does :-) He started eating them when he was in the community tank. Now he gets mostly Betta Bio-Gold micro-pellets, also bloodworms, the occasional brine shrimp treat, and just about anything else we give the other fish.
<Ah, the question of what-eats-what. For every person who has a fish that only eats live herrings and durian fruits, you have another who keeps the same species but finds it enjoys chopped spam and eggplant. Really, all you can do when recommending diet is to say what you've found works well. I agree prepared foods such as flake and pellets are often very good. But understanding the wild diet for a given species is important. In the case of livebearers, goldfish, and many cichlids, people ignore the fact they are largely vegetarians in the wild. Some catfish eat wood. Bettas feed on insect larvae, so things like mosquito larvae and bloodworms are certainly the most authentic diet. But just like people, fish thrive when given a balanced variety.>
One thing though. When he hasn't seen flakes in a while, he tends to forget that they're edible and doesn't notice them as long as they're floating on the surface. I have to poke one or two underwater before he takes a bite and "remembers" they're edible. Then he goes to the surface and grabs the floating ones. Maybe he's come to associate my finger-poking with food, no matter what's at the end of said finger...
<Fancy bettas are dumb as posts. Too much inbreeding, not enough natural selection.>
Also, he goes *nuts* for peas! My Mollies won't touch the stuff, but he just *loves* them. He jumps for his pellets when we stick them on a wet finger and hang it just above the water surface. For pea bits, he jumps out at least a third of his body as soon as he's had a first taste, I don't even have the time to put them in the water!
<Interesting your mollies don't like the peas. But do make sure they get some sort of greens: vegetarian flake food is ideal, but otherwise supplement their diet with Sushi Nori, for example. I can't stress this enough: in the wild, mollies are mostly algae eaters.>
And a strange behavior. As I mentioned earlier, he used to be in a community tank with Mollies. Everything was fine until, after about three weeks of peaceful cohabitation, he decided that he didn't recognize them anymore when the lights were off. Lights on, no problem, totally peaceful tank. Lights off, rampage. Lights on again, no problem. So we had to take him out of that tank (good thing because I now want to go brackish for the Mollies...). He's got his own Eclipse 3 now. He tried to taste the Apple Snail's antennas at first, then apparently decided they're not edible. He still comes to investigate every time the snail decides to do something though :-)
<Many fish are curious about apple snails and nip them. Perhaps their tentacles look like worms? Mixing bettas with community fish is sometimes unpredictable, as you suggest. It may simply be boredom. Without any of its own kind to interact with, it decided to make-do by picking on something else. Animals just aren't solitary, one-of-a-kind things though we treat them as such. Anyway, your mollies will be 100% happier in brackish water. Since brackish is my thing, I think you'll find this aspect a great way to specialise. Make sure you look over the Brackish section of WWM... http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm .>
I hope this has been helpful!
<Indeed it was, so thanks for writing.>
Thank you!
Audrey
<Cheers, Neale>

Query from a vet - urgent please. Male Betta beh., comp. 5/14/07
Hi
I am a vet student with a query on a Siamese fighter fish. I am awaiting a response from an exotics vet, however I thought you guys may be better equipped to answer please.
<Okay>
I have had my new tank set up for almost 2 months. I purchased a male fighter, but within days the tank became infested with flukes,
<How determined?>
therefore 100% water change was carried out, followed by a weeks water treatment.
<With?>
The fish recovered, the flukes were gone, so over a period of 3-4 weeks I stocked up with 3 guppies and 2 Corys. All was well for a few weeks. All fish were happy with each other.
Yesterday I awoke to find my fighter "spoiling for a fight" (although he is NOT flaring his gills). He has managed to nip the tail of one guppy.
<What they do>
His behaviour is one of general agitation. I can only describe the behaviour as similar to one of my male dogs who is territorially aggressive. He normally eats 6 pellets a day, and now will only eat 2.
Now I know that some people don't advise keeping guppies and Siamese together,

however I have a larger established tank where I have kept them together for a long time with no problems.
<Can work, but can be trouble...>
I am also perplexed as to why this has happened literally over night. Even when he's not after the guppies, he is swimming in a very agitated way anyway.
<Perhaps the chemical/medication exposure...>
My tank seems to be VERY reflective compared to my very established tank ( I can't seem to stop this). He seems to be obsessed with one side of it at the moment and keeps settling in a position with his head up, tail end down (in a diagonal).
<Ahh! A clue here>
Although I cannot see a bubble nest, I am wondering if he is wanting to breed. I cannot find a resource to tell me their breeding times etc.
<A matter of age, conditioning, environmental and social cues...>
I am not interested in breeding with him - I just need to know how fast this phase will pass if this is indeed the problem.
<May be... as you state, this fish is likely "spoiling for a fight", perhaps warmed up by responding to its own reflection. Happens>
The final point to note in his behaviour, is that he won't "settle" at all and rest in his favourite hiding place.
<Another clue>
If you believe my fighter has just decided that my guppies are a threat after all (slow decision!) - I can move them to my other tank (with an older fighter who is fine with guppies & other fish), however I am loath to do this in the first instance, because as I said - he just appears cross with the world generally!
Thanks
Anouska Simpson

'Frantic' Behavior, Betta on a desktop 5/10/07
Hello to all!
<Jasi>
Firstly, a huge pat on the back for selflessly providing much needed information to give our fighters five star treatment!
> the below, you need to read a bit more...>
I have taken time to browse your site and made sure to note all advice given to ensure I am providing a good environment plan to move him to a larger tank soon.
I have a Siamese fighter named Samurai and he's gorgeous!
He has been mine for about one month now and lives on my work desk seeming that's where I spend most of my time and want him to be close.^_^
The air con is set at 24 degrees Celsius (I think that's 70 F??) but is there any way I am able to heat his tank with a desk light? Without causing too much brightness?
<Mmm, not really... as this light "goes out" at night, isn't on during the weekends... Need constant warm water...>
Or anything in fact that will keep him at a steady happy temp? I think he would be happier in around 28C (the smallest heater sold here (Aus) is too big for his tank)
<Look for the Hydor brand... come in small wattages>
My main concern about Samurai is the way he behaves..
It's understandable that when transferred to a new environment he is 'sussing' it out by swimming all about, however.. he swims around which looks like frantic swimming--dashing and jolting around the tank. He will also routinely swim on one side diagonally down, across, up then back to starting position! This can't be normal can it?
<Is not>
He will do this over and over before something distracts him to do otherwise (e.g.. food) or he gets over it.
I am more than happy that he is active but the WAY he acts is worrying me! I have a live plant in his tank which fills it quite a bit but he still has room to have a good swim about. There are times where Samurai has caught my attention because I have heard him hit against the glass, is this hurting him???
<Likely so>
He has also flickered across the surface of the water which seems to be in a panic mode. He has jumped across/over the plant (which sits just under the surface) lay on the leaf on the other side very very still... then started to swim again. He is always at the glass swinging from left to right like someone shaking their head.. argh! is he okay guys? I just want him to be happy..
<Something amiss with this fish's environment... Likely related to cycling...>
He has never tried to actually jump OUT of the tank but does hitting the glass mean he wants out? or more room?..
<Heat, filtration...>
Also. does noise effect him? My phone rings at work and at the moment he is next to it. Should I move him?
<Mmm... possibly>
Really appreciate the help. Thank you
xx Jasmine
P.S He eats fine - every 2nd day 3 dried blood worms or 5 tiny blood/bone something..
His color is fine and vibrant and he is very aware if people come near his tank and his surroundings.
<This last is a good sign... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Betta flaring...advice? 4/26/07
Hi, WWM,
<<Hi, Marissa. Tom with you this evening.>>
First my tank: 25gal, water temp 80, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10; livestock - 7 cherry barbs.
<<Sounds fine, Marissa.>>
Next, I have cardboard around my tank to minimize reflection and I've had Bettas in this tank in the past with no problems. All were lively, interactive fellows who never bothered with reflections in the glass.
<<Okay.>>
I purchased a new Betta about three days ago, and from the moment I put him in the tank he's been flaring at even the barest reflection of himself. He'll do this almost non-stop, even feeding time won't distract him. When he's not fighting, he's resting in the leaves of a sword plant. The poor thing is exhausting himself.
<<For all of the advice we give, Marissa, we recognize that each fish is actually going to behave somewhat differently from another. It’s not all “cut and dried” by any means. Case in point? I’ve had mine in a 20 gallon tank for about a year. Not once have I seen him “flare”. Only once have I seen him build a “bubble nest”. Yet, he swims around contentedly and rushes to the front of the tank whenever I check in on him. He sits on the gravel and on the plants regularly. Go figure.>>
I've tried adjusting the cardboard, adjusting the lighting, trying no lighting, anything to cut the reflection down even more. Any advice?
<<Let him be himself. He may tire or it or, he may never tire of it. There’s only so much you can do. You might have a “super-Alpha” Betta, i.e. looking, and willing, to do battle with anything that appears inviting.>>
Is it possible this behavior will lessen over time, or will he die from stress and exhaustion?
<<My guess is that he’ll tire of his own behavior. If he doesn’t, there’s nothing that you’ll probably be able to do for him.>>
I feel terrible--I think the poor guy was happier in the little jar he came in.
<<Not in the least! “Predisposition”, Marissa. He’s “built” the way that he’s built. Let’s not forget the transporting and acclimating process and recognizing what he’s been through just to be with you. It’s still a bit early to be overly concerned. Give him and yourself a bit more time.>>
Thanks!
Marissa
<<My best to you. Tom>>

Betta eats his tail 4/12/07
Hi crew,
<Rebekka>
I'm very concerned about Rokko, my beta. He lives in a 2-gallon tank on my desk. I change his water once a week and add dechlorinator, pH-neutralizer and aquarium salt and I keep the water temperature at 80 degrees.
<How? And is this small volume filtered? Constantly?>
I've had him for about four months now and so far he's been a happy healthy fish.
Yesterday I noticed that his tail fin looked a little ragged. This morning it was very ragged and had a big chuck missing in the middle.
<... trouble>
He wouldn't eat when I fed him and he's generally a very hungry fish. I suspected fin rot although I couldn't see any discoloration at the edges and it's only the tail and the back end of the anal fin, so I scrubbed the tank down with hot water, did a water change and took the plant out. (It's plastic and doesn't have sharp edges. So far it has never been a problem but I figured "You never know.") I also added a more generous amount of salt.
<... this "system" is not cycled... some microbes living in the fish and uneaten food waste are "eating" your Betta...>
However while I was busy finding an online source for Kanamycin (we don't have any pet stores around here) I noticed that he's eating his tail.
<This is not atypical behavior... Bettas' are rather "autistic"... don't recognize that the tail is theirs... akin to young dogs... will "chase" it for hours on end>
I watched him for a while and it's always the same procedure: He swims around as usual and then suddenly starts to rapidly swim in circles trying to catch and bite his tail. Sometimes he catches it and holds on to it until it tears or he has to let go.
I'm at a complete loss as to why he does this. I'm wondering whether he might be itching somehow or if this is a psychological thing. (Maybe he's bored?)
<Mmm...>
I don't want to medicate him unless I know it's a problem medication can fix. And I don't want him to be unhappy! Especially since I have no idea what would make him unhappy all of a sudden. He was such a happy active fish and he had gorgeous fins. I wanted to take a picture but my camera's not working.
Do you have any idea what's the matter with him?
Thanks,
Rebekka
<Mostly, the vast majority... environment... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Betta, sluggish beh., no useful data 3/16/2007
Hi. I have had my betta, Jules, for a week now. He used to be very lively. Now he's just hanging near the bottom, or on the plants. He doesn't seem to be eating, ever. He acts like he doesn't like the food. It also looks as if he has a bulge on both sides near his tail. On top of this, he keeps on flaring up his gills, then putting them down. He does this whenever he swims toward the front of the tank. What could be wrong with him??
*~Amanda~*
<Mmmm, is this fish in a filtered, heated setting? This reads like its environmental. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Betta – 03/18/07
Yes, he's in a filtered & heated 5 gallon tank. I'm doing a partial water changes today, so hopefully he'll liven up after that. Thanks
*~Amanda~*

Betta help needed! – 03/09/07
Crew,
Help! I have a sweet little crowntail named Mr. Wiggles who used to interact with me all the time. He would sit and stare at me, follow my finger, come up when I feed him, etc. A few weeks ago he got sick. I treated him with meds and a bright lamp for heat for about 10 days. He's better, but he's not the same. He's deathly afraid of me, always hides at the back of his bowl and is extremely skittish. He's been like this for over a week now. What could have caused this change and what can I do? Thanks so much!
<<Bettas should not be in bowls. They should be in a filtered, heated aquarium. They are tropical fish. They should be in tropical temperatures all of the time, not just when sick. I seem to say this until I am blue in the face. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm.>>
Tara
<<Good luck with Mr. Wiggles. I hope/trust the improved environment will help him. Lisa.>>

Betta fins developing clear spots 3/6/07
Hello,
<Hi there Bill>
I have been "fish-sitting" my daughter's Betta, Wally, since Christmas break at college. She realized that her dorm wasn't the best place to care for him (irregular feeding, temp changes, etc.) Since we have had him, we have made sure that he has regular water changes and is kept at a nice temperature (75-78 degrees).
<How?>
 He is doing well as far as eating, bubble nesting, swimming, flaring, etc.
<Good signs>
but lately I have noticed that his lower and upper fins are beginning to lose color in a few spots and becoming transparent. The spots aren't near the ends of the fins, but in the middle of them.
I have looked through your website and many others and can't really find anything that describes this condition.
He is about 1 year old and lives in a 1 gallon tank (small enough to fit in her dorm.) Heat is provided by an overhead 7 watt light and at night we turn on a nearby 60 watt desk lamp which keeps his temp pretty stable. Is there a problem with too much light?
<Possibly>
From what I have read, it might be that he is just aging,
<This too>
but I would like to be sure. He seems to be a happy fish - he comes over to greet me when I walk into the room (like a puppy.) I just want to make sure that he lives a good full life since my daughter is very attached to him.
Thanks,
William L. Cotter
<Do know that this sort of "discoloration" is not atypical, developmental in many Bettas... this trait has even been selected for by breeders to produce "Cellophane" et al. named/finned Bettas. I would not be overly concerned here... as the more-important good behavior you list indicates this animal to be in good health. Bob Fenner>

Re: Betta fins developing clear spots 3/7/07
Hello,
<William>
Interesting that you mentioned the term "Cellophane finned" since his 2 small side fins have been almost completely clear since my daughter bought him. They look like little dark "fingers" in a clear "mitten" of a fin.
<Ahh, a good description>
I am also looking for a heater to better regulate the temp and allow light cycles.
<Yes, this is best>
I think I've found one but I will go check it out tomorrow to see if it fits the tank.
<Look for the "Hydor" brand... they make some very nice small, low wattage units of good quality>
Is there any problem with adding a little Betta fix or Mela fix to his tank as a precaution?
<Mmm, is of little actual value... and possibly some harm... in disallowing efficient biological conversion... nitrification>
I just want to take the best care of the little guy - I guess I'm his honorary grandpa!
<Oh yes>
Thanks for the help,
Bill Cotter
<Welcome. BobF>

Re: Betta fins developing clear spots 3/8/07
Hello,
<Howdy>
Actually I have a bit more info for you on Wally's condition. After using a flashlight to look more closely at him, it looks like the spots are a very pale powder blue and only look transparent when lighted from above or behind. The scales on top of his body are also starting to turn the same light blue (his normal color is very dark blue) Does this give you any new ideas?
Thanks,
Bill Cotter
<No new ones, no... Is an apt description of chromatophore and iridophore reflection in fish coloration, Bettas. BobF>

Betta, beh.
Hello -
<Hi there>
The reason I am contacting you is because I have noticed some very strange pooping behavior with my Betta. Bernie has always been a very personable fish. He loves company and he likes to show off. Every morning and evening I go to the front of his bowl and chat with him. He responds back by flaring up. When he is mad at me he doesn't like to play that game. Well lately when he flares up at me he poops! At first I thought it was just a coincidence. Well now it seems like a ritual for him. He has done it each time I have gone to visit with him. Sometimes it's just a pebble, but is this normal?
<Mmm, not abnormal>
Is he mad at me? Is he pushing one out just for me?
<Heeeeeeee! Can't say. But not to worry... Likely he is just "over-excited". BobF>
Thanks,
Jennifer

Skittles Is A Butt-Biter?! 1/20/07
Hello WWM Crew!
<<Hello, Tara. Tom with you this afternoon.>>
Your site has been informative and now I need help!
<<Glad for the former and happy to help with the latter.>>
See, I've had Skittles the Siamese fighting fish for maybe a half a year now. Already he has tried sky-diving, digging and plenty of jumping for his food, which lead to the sky-diving incident.
<<Active little devil, I’ll give him that! :) >>
Now an even more annoying habit has come up, he's been BITING his OWN TAIL! For about a month I thought it was tail rot of some kind that wouldn’t go away, until I looked into his tank recently and saw him in a ball chewing on his own tail!
<<This one does pop up from time to time. A symptom of stress, Tara. A Betta won’t go “airborne” unless he feels the need for a different environment. Likewise, the tail-biting. Something in, or about, the tank has him agitated/over-active.>>
I am pretty sure he is not hungry since I feed him about 3 hikari Betta bio-gold pellets 2 times a day except those days when I force him to eat blood worms (he hates them compared to the pellets). He has been by far the most troublesome Betta I’ve ever owned.
<<Some fish “resign” themselves and others just won’t have it. This one is displaying intense ‘alpha-like’ characteristics. The tank’s too small, the water parameters/conditions are “off” or something of this sort. Might just be him or, it might be a matter of taking a second look at his living conditions.>>
Do you got any information for this bad habit, it seems that not many people have had this problem.
<<Not many have, Tara, but it’s certainly not unheard of.>>
I'm going to keep the tank pristine but after that I’m at a loss.
<<Consider adding some aquarium salt if you don’t already. Some dispute its use for Bettas, however, I’m heavily in favor of it.>>
Also, all my Bettas now know how to yawn, learned it from each other. They will be swimming and randomly open their mouths wide like they are yawning, and a even more strange behaviour, sometimes they will "bend" their heads back like they are stretching, though I’ve only seen it three or four times, they immediately go back to swimming happily though.
<<Mimicking a “display” such as ‘flaring’ most likely. Fish are extreme creatures-of-habit. If there is, or has been, a positive result to an action, whether real or perceived, they’re up for it and will repeat it. A case in point? Add a new fish to a tank. Likely it will run off for parts unknown (for the fish, anyway) when you approach the tank. Once it associates you with “supper” though, it will all but jump into your lap looking for food. Since Bettas aren’t predisposed to being “outdone” by the others, the “yawning” is, most probably, a way of saying, “I can do that, too!”. The same goes for the “neck stretching”. Nothing physiologically “natural” about either behavior, that I know of.>>
Thanks,
Tara
<<You’re welcome, Tara. Add the aquarium salt and I’m confident that your Betta will stop the tail-biting habit. Additionally, if he’s in a small bowl, consider giving him larger living quarters. A tank of 2.5 gallons (about 9.5 L) is really the minimal size that a Betta should be housed in. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions if you have them. Tom>>

Passive Betta 12/9/06
Hello:
<Hi>
I recently got a blue veil tail betta. He was noticeably smaller than the other bettas and was not flaring back at the others flaring at him. I took him home and put him in his own five gallon heated tank. He does not even flare when I show him the mirror and likes to hide.
I am wondering if he is a juvenile and still needs to do some growing or are some male bettas just small and passive??
<Each are individuals, some are less aggressive than others, although passive is going a little too far.>
Also do some people see these fish as fashion statements?
I was reading a site that stated that Crowntails are "in" at the moment as if the person was speaking of shoes or purses. Also the writer called veil tails "mutts" like it was a putdown
<Much like other pets, certain types become more popular over time. Such is the way of human fancy.>
<Chris>

Betta Questions - 10/15/06
Hello Crew,
<<Good afternoon, Rebecca. Tom with you.>>
Tis a great site!!
<<Glad you like it and, thank you.>>
Seeing as you get so many questions I will keep them brief. I moved my new Betta I call him "Fish" (very original I know) from a tiny bowl with no filtration, no gravel, no plant and no heating to a 20litre tank with filtration, heater, gravel and some live plants ....Fish was creating bubbles in the tiny bowl... but not in the aquarium? Is this a good or bad thing?
<<Kind of a “neither” thing, Rebecca. Male Bettas build “bubble nests” for the purpose of breeding. He’s probably not yet accustomed to his new surroundings enough yet to feel comfortable about…”interacting” with a potential lady friend, if you get my meaning.>>
I have reduced the water movement to as little as possible. Fish seems very energetic, well at times almost frantic/aggressive, is this a problem?
<<Not initially, it isn’t, though I would have expected a more “retired” type of behavior at the onset. If the filter is still causing too much movement in the water, this might be a little disconcerting to him but I think it’s probably just the change in his environment that’s got him going.>>
I read on a website that you can entertain the bettas by giving them toys, i.e. tube to swim through. Is this correct?
<<No. Fish – not “Fish”, but fish – don’t need to be “entertained” in the way that we think of it. Not to be a stick-in-the-mud but the need for entertainment suggests a level of intelligence that fish don’t possess. (I know that someone will come back and argue that their Discus can recite the value of pi to a gazillion places but…) Seriously, though, your Betta will be more “entertained” by your presence around his tank – thinking he’ll be fed – than he will be by giving him a hamster-tube to swim through…which he, most likely, won’t do anyway.>>
Thanks for the help in advance
Cheers
Rebecca
Australia
<<You’re welcome, Rebecca. Tom>>

Betta Chasing His Own Tail 10/11/06
Hi, fabulous site, have lost hours of reading to it and learning so incredibly much! (okay, so maybe those hours weren't quite 'lost' :) ).Anyways... I have a quick question regarding my Betta, and after looking it up, noticed there wasn't much on the subject. See, he's been nipping at his tail, fraying the ends. I've only seen him do it once: He sort of lays himself down so that he can fold his body and then he snaps at his tail and chomps the end of it. There isn't much at all missing, it just looks a little worse for wear at the end. For all I know he might have only done that a few times and then stopped, but I'm curious as to why he would do it in the first place. He lives in his own five gallon tank alone. He also has a heater that keeps the temp at 80 F reliably (or else he wouldn't be making it in my dorm room right now, lol). My roommate and I change his water every week, about thirty percent water change. His diet consists of Betta min, a few flakes a day, bloodworms, two or three small worms a day, and we just bought some small dried shrimp in case he was bored with the flakes and worms. I keep an eye on him to make sure that he looks healthy and other than his tail looking slightly frayed he looks great. He's almost always swimming around, checking to see what's going on outside his tank and likes to swim through the holes in his castle and hide occasionally (all dull edges, didn't want him to get hurt). Unfortunately, I don't have any way to check the water parameters, seeing as how none of the places around here carry testing kits. Thanks for any and all advice you might have!
Caitie
< Wild bettas don't have nearly the finnage than line bred domestic bettas have. I am assuming that he catches a few fin rays out of the corner of his eye and thinks that are something to eat. There really isn't any other explanation that I can think of.-Chuck>

Betta Flaring 10/11/2006
Dear WWM crew,
I have a Betta who recently started to flare at his filter extension tube, which is part of the Whisper Power Filter System I have. How can I prevent this from happening? I am concerned that this is stressing him out. Do you have any suggestions or reasons why this is happening? Or would he eventually overcome this?
<<So long as the tube is not a reflective material, there’s nothing you can really do. Maybe try hiding it with a plant. Not to worry too much my friend.>>
 Thanks again for your assistance.
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>

Re: Betta Flaring - 10/13/06
Dear WWM crew,
<<Tom with you.>>
I just want to thank you for a great website. Again, thank you for your quick response in getting back to me regarding my previous questions; dated 10/11/06. I have attached my previous questions for review with your answers in brackets.
[[I have a Betta who recently started to flaring at his filter extension tube, which is part of the Whisper Power Filter System I have. How can I prevent this from happening? I am concerned that this is stressing him out. Do you have any suggestions or reasons why this is happening? Or would he eventually overcome this?
(So long as the tube is not a reflective material, there's nothing you can really do. Maybe try hiding it with a plant. Not to worry too much my friend.)
Thanks again for your assistance.
(Glad to help. Lisa.)]]
Unfortunately, due to a stupid mistake I treated my Betta with antibiotics for fin rot and destroyed all my good bacteria, which I will never do again. Next time, my Betta has a problem I will treat him with aquarium salt as per your web site advise.
<>
As of now, I am in the process of establishing good bacteria in a 5 1/2 gallon tank. I prepared ahead of time, one gallon of water (aged premixed water) by adding Splendid Betta Condition and 1/4 teaspoon of aquarium salt. Everyday I have been removing 20% (one gallon) of the aquarium water and replacing with the aged premixed water.
<<Very good…>>
Also, in the addition to adding the premixed water to the aquarium tank I add 1/2 cap of Cycle. At the Pet Store I purchased a Java Fern because I had heard that Java Ferns live off of a Betta’s waste and it keeps the water cleaner by reducing harmful nitrite and ammonia levels.
<<Your last sentence requires a little clarifying so that we don’t start an uncontrolled stampede of aquarists to pet stores demanding Java Ferns for their fish tanks. First, there’s a difference between ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4-). The former is extremely toxic to fish while the latter is less so. These exist in equilibrium based on the pH levels of the water. The higher the pH, the more ammonia is present. At lower pH levels, ammonium is predominant. What does this have to do with anything? Aquarium plants will feed on ammonium, if available, and nitrates. They don’t feed on ammonia so, unless pH levels are low enough to enable ammonia to be “converted” as the existing ammonium is used by the plant(s), it would be a misunderstanding of the process to suggest that your Java Fern is capable of controlling ammonia and nitrites. You weren’t “misinformed”, per se, but someone’s trying to get more mileage out of this than it’s really worth. As an aside, the ammonia levels we typically read in our tanks is, in reality, “total ammonia” – a combination of ammonia and ammonium. Without a test kit that reads only “free” ammonia, you’d have to do further calculations to determine how much of your reading is ammonia and how much is ammonium. Yuck. :)>>
My questions is, can an ammonia level of 0.50 be causing his flaring problem?
<<As Lisa suggested in your earlier post, flaring isn’t a “problem” but a reaction to whatever is cheesing your Betta off. It could be due to ammonia levels, certainly.>>
Also, is there anything you can recommend for me to do to get the ammonia level down further until the cycling is complete? If so, can I use Ammo-Chips?
<<The Catch-22 ammonia question! How to reduce ammonia while leaving it alone so the tank can properly cycle. Yes, the Ammo-Chips would be an option here. These would “hold” the ammonia in the filter canister while not depriving the beneficial bacteria of the nutrients required for population growth.>>
Also, is flaring healthy for a Betta?
<<It’s not “unhealthy”, just a sign that something’s “got his goat”. If he’s still doing this after the tank has completely cycled, you might consider “anger management” therapy for him. :)>>
Please advise. Thanks again for your assistance.
<<Hope this helps. Good luck with your pet. Tom>>

Betta staying at the bottom of tank 9/25/06
Hi Crew at WWM,
This is Bartholomew's caregiver again. First I want to thank you for answering my previous questions, dated 8/28/06.
<Mmm, please always copy/paste prev. corr.. There are several of us here>
 As you are already aware, I have Bartholomew set up in a 5 1/2 gallon tank with filter, air pump and heater, which is set at 80 degrees for the colder months ahead. The temperature in the tank is now reading 83 degrees. The problem I am experiencing with him now is he seems to be hibernating at the bottom of his tank for two days now. He does come up to the top of the tank to eat, gets excited and hides again. Also, I noticed that lately he is darting away from me and hides behind a plant or any object within the tank. He used to be nosey when I came to the tank.
I still feed him an alternating diet of blood worms and betta pellets; one in the morning and one at night. His color is still bright; but I noticed that his caudal fin seems to be torn a little. I do not think it is fin rot, or is it?.
<Possibly... but from what cause/s?>
I change 50 percent of the water once a week and add the correct amount of Splendid Betta Complete Water Conditioner to regular tap water. Should I put some Epsom Salt or Non-iodized Sea Salt in the water?
<Perhaps a bit of the latter>
Can Epsom or Sea Salt be added with the Betta Water Conditioner I am using?
<Yes>
If so, how much Epsom or Sea Salt for a 5 ½ gallon tank?
<Posted on WWM>
Or can I use iodized sea salt? I have all natural Mediterranean Salt, is that good to use?
<Is fine>
Or should I just leave him alone? Please advise? Thanks ahead for your assistance.
<And I would allow the water temperature (if possible/practical, to drop back down to the upper seventies F... And pre-mix, store change water... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saltusefaqs.htm
BobF>

New Betta Just Chilling 9/11/06
Hi, I just bought a new betta fish. He was very active the first day I got him ( swimming around and exploring his tank), but today he is mostly just sitting at the bottom of the tank. When I fed him this morning he ate a few pellets and spit out the others. I have him in a 2 gallon tank with a little rock cave and some kind of water fern. I also have an air pump/filter in his tank. I use filtered tap water and add two drops of AquariSol to it. The water temperature is 79 degrees F. I had another betta that lived fine with same water conditions except he didn't have the plant or the air pump. So I'm wondering if maybe one of these is causing problems for my new betta. He is also much younger than my other betta was when I first got him. he is maybe 9 or 11 weeks old ( he's very small). Here is a picture of him. thanks for your help.
Rebecca
<Bettas in the wild are not very active. Continue to observe for signs of illness. They have a fairly slow metabolism so if he is full, he is not going top be active looking for food.-Chuck>

Poor Sarge, the Betta 8/20/06
Hi, Bob and crew,
<<Hello, Ryan. Tom here.>>
Now, I suppose that you receive hundreds of emails a day regarding sick fish and how to fix them.... well, this is another one. Please help us.
<<I'll do my best.>>
My housemate has a male Betta named Sarge and is the love of her life. Three months ago Sarge started to go down hill.
<<Three months is quite a bit of time in 'Betta years', Ryan.>>
He seems to have no energy and spends most of his day slumped in the curve of his bowl. He spends alot of energy to get to the top of the bowl to feed (and often misses) and once he has the food in his mouth he sinks really quickly. We were joking around saying that his tail seems too heavy for him and is weighing him down.
<<How old is Sarge? I ask this because 'farm-bred' Bettas don't have a particularly long life span compared to those captured in the wild. Wild-collected Bettas (properly housed, fed and, generally, cared for) could expect to live for five years, easily. In fact, ten years wasn't at all uncommon. The inbreeding that's connected with farm-raised fish has reduced this span to more like two to three years. Hardly a "news flash" if you think about it. Another point I'd bring up here is Sarge's diet. Specifically, "how much" as opposed to "what". Bettas are very easily over-fed. Look at Sarge's belly (behind the gills and forward of the lower fins). This should be very slightly rounded. More than this and you've got a "fat" Betta, which could explain, in part, the struggling to get to the surface and why he's sinks quickly.>>
We added in a ship in to his bowl to cheer him up....and seemed to make things worse.
<<Not likely to have had any adverse effect unless the new decoration caused him concern/stress.>>
Now we have stuck a postcard of a turtle on the side of his tank and now he lies in the turtle's shadow. His dorsal fin has just started to get a white spot on it. We have cleaned his bowl and changed his water regularly and his turds are now pieces of art as they are spiral in shape. We think he has depression.... or some kind of alien inside. What can we do???
<<The addition of aquarium salt as part of the normal water change regimen is, frankly, a debatable topic among credible sources in the hobby. In the case of Bettas, I don't consider this "debatable", however. I consider it essential. Depending on the size of the bowl Sarge is kept in, I strongly suggest that you try adding some 'aquarium' salt in with the next water change. Slightly less than 1/4 tablespoon per gallon of water should be fine. Also, go with small but frequent changes. No more than about 15%-20% per change but as often as every three or four days. Monitor feeding closely and don't be tempted to put more in than you would if he were eating normally. Either he'll eat it or he won't but you don't want to "pollute" his bowl. He certainly won't starve if he doesn't eat for a day, or three. One thing I haven't touched on until now is the temperature of his water. Bettas need warm, stable temperatures. You don't mention having a heater in the bowl but the water should be 27-29 degrees C. (80-84 F.).>>
Please help us help Sarge.
Worried Aussies
<<Keep a close eye on the "white spot" you've mentioned on the dorsal fin. I don't think this is a sign of Ich but, if it is, the aquarium salt is effective against this, as well. Finally, watch for loss of coloration in Sarge. If his behavior/condition doesn't seem to improve with what I've given you and, his coloration appears to start "fading", I'd suggest that he might simply be getting "old". My best and good luck to all of you. Hopeful Yank (Tom)>>

My Betta is eating his tail!!! 8/17/06
Hello, Crew Members.
<<Hi. Tom here.>>
I am concerned about my betta, Jinjy, since he has begun to chase his tail and eat parts of it. I have looked through the forum and have read other people's entries that deal with the same issue, but I still find myself at a loss as to how I might better my pet's situation. Here are some details that might help:
Jinjy lived in a fishbowl with no filter for the first three months after I got him (This is terrible. I was completely misinformed about how to care for fish. The pet stores where I live sell them in the tiniest, most inappropriate and cruel bowls).
<<Most do, Erika, sadly.>>
After discovering this site, I changed him to a 20 litre tank with a very simple underground filter and a heater that is always set at 79 degrees.
<<Very well done, although I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we didn't recommend the UGF. I'll explain as we go...>>
I keep him in treated (dechlorinator, etc.) tap water and there is a small silk plant and a tiny cave in his home. He eats Azoo brand Betta 9 in 1 pellets, tetra BettaMin flakes, Wardley's 'Spirulina with Betta Glucan' food, and brine shrimp 5 times a month; once a day. I have been doing 100% water changes once a week (I found on the site earlier today that this is not recommended).
<<All else sounds good, Erika, but the water change is too much. I do about 10%-15% every three to four days with my Betta. Less a matter of 'how often' than it is a matter of 'how much' at one time. Often is good but take this in little steps.>>
I did some tests on the water today and the results are fine. pH : 7.5 Ammonia: 0 nitrate= 0 nitrite = 0.3
<<Actually, a 0.3 nitrite level is not good. When dealing with either ammonia or nitrite, if it can be detected, you've got a concern.>>
I read about the possibility of adding a tankmate to calm him down, but I do not think that he'd cope well with one.
<<Bettas do perfectly well by themselves. I agree with you. Not a good idea to add another fish to the mix.>>
Is it possible that the sound of my sewing machine might be disturbing him? It is about two meters away from him, on a different table.
<<Possible? Sure, but not likely. Not to worry. Now, let's get back to your UGF (undergravel filter). Bettas tend to be 'lazy' swimmers inclined to rest on the bottom when the mood strikes. Exactly where all of the bad stuff is being collected and, more importantly, where the bacteria will be growing. The easiest place for bacteria to "collect" is on the fins of the fish. Do you scratch mosquito bites? Most fish can't "reach" but our Bettas can. (You know where I'm going already, don't you?) While Bettas need really good water conditions, the bottom has to be as great a consideration. That said, I recommend adding aquarium salt with your water changes along with vacuuming the bottom and cleaning the filter. Consider a different type of filtration, as well. (Bob doesn't like hang-on filters for Bettas - rightly so - but mine is in a 20-gallon tank (~ 75 liters), so I've got some latitude. :) )>>
I thank you very much for any advice at all. This site has been tremendously helpful to me and to my friends who recommended it.
<<Anything else I can help with, Erika, just post it. Tom>>

Betta not swimming around like he used to..... 7/28/06
Hi!
<<Hi, back, Michele. Tom with you this afternoon.>>
I have a 2 year old Betta - his name is Phantom. I saved him from a store that was basically allowing him to rot in his little cup and he's been healthy and doing great ever since.
<<Due to your good care, no doubt.>>
About a week ago, I noticed that he's struggling to swim. Every time he stops, his back end sinks and he tries really hard to move it just to get around either to eat or to get back on his leaf (where he's been sitting for the last week). Since he can't swim well, he sits on this leaf every day. Is this just age or is there something I can do to help him??
<<Likely age, Michele. Sadly, farm breeding and, in-breeding, have contributed to reducing the life spans of these fish. Phantom was (best guess) about six months old when you "adopted" him so he's probably getting tired, in a manner of speaking. Since he's done well up until now, it's doubtful that anything has changed to affect him adversely. I can't discount it, but it's highly unlikely.>>
Thanks for any information you can provide.
Michele
<<No problem whatsoever, Michele. Tom>>

Bettas, community tanks, and dividers 7/28/06
Hello:
<<Hello. Tom here.>>
I have a fully cycled 29 gallon tank that I do a water change on every weekend. I have five danios, two male guppies, four Corydoras catfish, and five neon tetras.
<<Sounds nice.>>
I recently purchased a male Betta, but not before getting a Penn Plax divider in the tank.
The other fish have two thirds of the tank now and the Betta has one third, so on the Betta's side his section is higher than it is wide and he swims up and down a lot.
<<He wants/needs to breathe surface air, as you probably already know. It's a lot of activity for a fish that's accustomed to not having much room to move