Betta Exersize

[betta989]

Ok, i got a question, Can having your betta exersize help him be healther? like training him to jump and catch food and seeing them selfs in the merrior?





Replies always wanted

 

[BethK]

Nope.

I would refain from training him to jump; you might wake up one day to find that e has jumped out of the tank or wacked the tank lid.

If you want to keep his mind busy, buy a little pingpong ball and place it in the tank, he'll have fun chasing it. Or live foods, some even like dried banana leafs or almond leafs in their tanks.

But using a mirror only winds them up if you do it constantly, people think it's healthy but when they flare, they are releasing andrenaline throughout their body. Not always a good thing, when there is not anything else to take it out on but then that is my theory.

 

[loraxchick]

Nope.

I would refain from training him to jump; you might wake up one day to find that e has jumped out of the tank or wacked the tank lid.

If you want to keep his mind busy, buy a little pingpong ball and place it in the tank, he'll have fun chasing it. Or live foods, some even like dried banana leafs or almond leafs in their tanks.

But using a mirror only winds them up if you do it constantly, people think it's healthy but when they flare, they are releasing andrenaline throughout their body. Not always a good thing, when there is not anything else to take it out on but then that is my theory.

i dont know how accurate the statement about adrenaline is. flaring is simply a posturing behavior that males exhibit to show rivals how large they are. basically for intimidation. it is nature's way of allowing the fish to "size each other up" to determine if they need to defend their space or to run away (smaller fish would just flee from larger fish).
personally, if a person wants the extra stimulation for their betta, there is no harm in flaring with a mirror. they eventually get bored of the game and the flaring stops (once they realize they cant "get to" the other fish-no different than 2 males in a divided tank). and it is good to allow them this natural behavior from time to time. even useful in certain situations for various reasons. ive owned a fair number of bettas and never had one stressed to death (or ill health) from flaring. in fact, one of my bettas spends about 5 hours a day flaring at EVERYTHING in his tank-plants, snails, bubbles from the sponge filter, etc. if he isnt eating or resting, hes flaring. been that way for many many months (since i got him actually). flaring is as natural for a betta as swimming and building bubble nests.
another good way to stimulate the fish is to simply rearrange the things in the tank. he will spend a lot of time exploring the "new" surroundings. as they feel comfortable in the tank, most do tend to get lazy and just chill out a lot. nothing to be worried about.
just my two cents.
cheers