Betta Entertainment - How To Make Him Less Bored?

[Da_One]

hi Guys,

My lil guy Brucie is in a uk 3.5 gal tank at the moment, with plants, java moss and a rock... around the sides at the moment he has some ornaments of cats (odd i know but someone told me he might like to look at them) and I have pictures of other betta fish which i pop up for an hour or so every now and again. After he came home I left him alone for two days to settle down and get used to being in his tank. Ive only had him about a week and he doesnt seem to be very interested in anything, not even the picture of a male betta I have...he just ignors it and goes to lie on the rock.

I have read that it takes a while for betta's to get used to their homes and will become more interested after they have settled in, I was wondering how long I should wait before he decides to take an interest in his surroundings?

Also Ive bought him some frozen bloodworms and shrimp, they come in cubes and he wont eat a whole cube I dont think, how long can i safely keep them before throwing them away?

Thanks guys, I jus wana make Brucie a bit happier!

 

[Hawkins]

I think it was Netty who told me how to use the cubes!
Put them in a small bowl of water so they melt, and then pick out the big bits and put them in
I don't think it will do him any good to eat FROZEN food.

Anyway, he probably knows the picture is a fake, try putting a mirror next to him, gives him something to think about lol

 

[Netty]

The easiest way we find is to swish the cube in a little warm water to get a few bloodworm off and the pop the rest back in the freezer. They don't tend to stay good for very long once unfrozen. Make sure you only give it to him a couple of times a week as a treat though as too much can cause bloating. It can take some Betta longer than others to settled in so just give him some more time and I'm sure he'll soon start exploring

 

[Amunet]

Oh gosh, don't try feeding him the entire cube!! That is WAAAY too much food for 1 little betta. Just get some ziplock bags and break a small chunk off the cube for him and put the rest back in the freezer.

Is the tank heated? If not, go out and get him a heater for his tank. He might be lethargic due to the water temp being too low.

Instead of pictures of bettas, try using a mirror instead. That will usually get them going.

 

[Da_One]

yeah i think hes a bit too clever for me, ill find him a mirror. The reason ive got him frozen cubes is cuz our local aquatics centre the abyss hes temporarily closed down cuz its moving, and the next closest place I know of is ages away. So I got these from pets at home as a temporary food source.

he seems more interested in my camera, ive just been taking photos of him and hes following it about.... perhaps he just likes shiny things?

thanks for the advice!

hi again, the tank isnt heated as I was told that it would be dangerous to have a heater in that size tank?

What type of heater would you recommend? Hes in the study which is normally about 22 degrees C and his water at the moment is 21 degrees C so thats about 70 farenheit I think??

Hes in a tank next to my gecko tank, shes been very interested in him and Ive had to go and get her some crickets to stop her from trying to walk through glass... Might move him later today.

 

[Hawkins]

Yeah i keep my betta at 28c!
You need a heater.

 

[Phoenixbaby]

no wonder hes not doing much, he she be in water heated to around 26c

 

[liz2]

I have one very lethargic new betta and sometimes they are just ill or stressed to within an inch of their lives. hope he cheers up, mine isn't interested in anything. I am seriously thinking of moving him, but I am in the area that has dodgy tap water so dont know what to do.

 

[Amunet]

Defintely get your little guy a heater.
A 25watt one should work just fine in that size tank.
Test it out for a couple of days before putting it into the tank first though to make sure that it works properly. Making sure that it's keeping the temp where you want it, and that it's shutting on/off when it should.

Type of heater to get, doesn't matter too much. I'd go with one with a metal casing though, not a glass one. Only b/c w/ glass ones, you run the risk of the glass cracking/breaking. W/ metal, you don't have to worry about that
And make sure it has a knob that lets you adjust the temp to what you want, and that it has an auto shut off/on.

 

[Da_One]

brill! thanks again to all of you! I have to wait for my other half to get home before I can get out to get a filter, but for now ive actually filled up a hot water bottle and put it behind the tank, the water has only gone up a couple of degrees and I know it wont last, but it might make him a little more comfortable until I get out for a heater, If it works ill use the water bottle tomorrow whilst I test the heater in another tank.

Also his fins were a little tatty wen I bought him, how long does it normally take for them to grow back? I have some melafix in for my other tanks so have been using a little of this so far.

hehe funnily enough someone recommended this? Has anyone actually tried training their fish? http/www.fish-school.com/

 

[jourdy288]

hehe funnily enough someone recommended this? Has anyone actually tried training their fish? [URL="http/www.fish-school.com/"]http/www.fish-school.com/[/URL]

I heard of that, on a PFT show.

 

[Madhousedavy]

Haha i just placed a picture of a male betta up against my tank. The male and females both spread their tails out wide it was brilliant their colours showed really well ill do it when i want to take a picture of them next time.

 

[Neon.Tetra]

If you can, put a cave or ornament of some sort that the betta can actually go inside. It'll make him feel more protected and gives him something in his territory to guard. He can also dart into it when he feels threatened.

A heater would make such a difference to his behaviour too and he'll probably perk up abit. =]

I did the same with my phone (when the screen lights up) and this betta in the Pet shop flared =D

 

[ThePiggy]

Something that one of my bettas liked was bubbles. She likes to get in the path of the bubbles that are coming from the airstone. I suppose it tickles her My other bettas didn't like it as much as she does.

 

[ReMz]

Sometimes they just need to settle and are already very stressed when you buy them and need some recovery time.

Proper temperature in the tank will make the betta much more active. They are a tropical fish and keeping the tank around 78 fahrenheit will make them much more active. After all, if you kept any other tropical fish at low temps, they would not do very well. Bettas require the same care. If you get a 25w heater, make SURE it is adjustable. Turn it down to the lowest level and test it out. My adjustable 25w heaters kept my 5 gallon tanks around 78-80 degrees all summer just under the medium setting.... although brands will vary.

Also, you mentioned a filter. I also recommend a small filter that you can lower the current on. It keeps the harmful chemicals in the tank down and results in you having to do less tank maintenance. (You should be doing at least 25% water changes twice a week btw)

As far as the fin damage goes, verify that the fins are not decaying from fin rot. This is very common when you buy bettas in less than ideal conditions. Look at the edge of the fins for dark coloration or white coloration. Melafix will not cure fin rot, but will help in fin regrowth once finrot has been treated successfully. If there is no fin rot, you should see considerable growth within a month. Sometimes you can even see fin growth after a week.

You've had some excellent recommendations. I'm not sure of your fish knowledge, so please don't take offense if anything I have said seems condescending. You do seem to have a very good grasp on betta care though.

And just on a side note... some bettas are hyperactive so to speak and flare at anything that moves around their tank. Some bettas are a bit more lethargic by nature and rarely flare. It's quite funny to have two opposites in a divided tank .

Haha i just placed a picture of a male betta up against my tank. The male and females both spread their tails out wide it was brilliant their colours showed really well ill do it when i want to take a picture of them next time.

I hope you are not keeping a male with female bettas.....