Betta that won't flare?

[tttnjfttt]

While I see my betta flare all the time, especially at night, I have never seen my mom's betta flare. Tonight, I decided that I was going to get this guy to flare, so i took a mirror and held it up to his tank and I could not get this guy to flare!?!?!?! Is this normal, or just a sign of his crappy living coniditions or just a really mellow betta.

I am working on improving his living conditions, but my mom is beyond stubborn and has the attitude of it hasn't killed him yet, so i'm not gonna change. Right now she NEVER does water changes , just adds bottled water as the old evaporates. He is also forced to share his one gallon wiht twenty+ snails, whihc my mother is beyond proud of. I am doing small water changes when I can without vacuming just to get him used to having lower nitrates, since I can gaurentee are sky high since she can sustain 20+ snails.

 

[bettaboi]

i have 2 bettas that NEVER flare its normal some are just more calm than others i also have one that flares at anything that moves i wouldnt worry about it

 

[OrkyBetta]

Don't do anything drastic with your mom's betta, because it just could kill him now that he;s used to it. But try to convince her that the tank will look much nicer all clean, and you would be happy to clean it for her. Do it gradually, and take out a little each day, and then gradually do your regular changes on it. Try to convince her that sleeping in a stew of your own waste will eventually kill you, and it will be gross.

And the flaring isnt a bad sign, it just means he's a mellow boy. Sky won't flare for me, he's a wimp. He runs and hides.

 

[bettaboi]

Sky won't flare for me, he's a wimp. He runs and hides
LOL i got a few like that but ya gotta love em

 

[tttnjfttt]

Yeah, a few days ago when I was doing a water change in my tank I scooped out about 3 cups of water, and added new. I need to do it again soon. I saw her stir up her gravel the other day to get more snail food out, and it was . And this is the same lady who gags when she sees me feeding blood worms, but is super excited when she sees her fishy going psycho over them.

Will vacuming the gravel take out the REALLY tiny snails? she is onto her third generation within two months, but will KILL me if they aren't all there . Can we say idiot test failed?

 

[ScoutCarcer]

I had an orange boy that never flared

 

[daudy_dojo]

well i wish freckles was like that he just wont stop flaring!

 

[OrkyBetta]

Vaccuming might take out the teensy snails. Try chicking in a lettuce leaf and scoop the snails out that way.

 

[tttnjfttt]

to make sure the mirror was visible with just the tank light, I did it to mine who already flares like crazy, and he went psycho!!! When I took the mirror away he seriously tried to attack the glass

 

[Jezah]

It may also be living conditions. When I first get my bettas from the LFS, and into their new big tanks they tend to be kinda lethargic for a couple days. Once they get used to the nice clean water and swimming space they start flaring. So I think definatly bad water = less likely to flare.

 

[OohFeeshy]

My newest guys a wimp. He won't flare at a mirror, so when I wsa doing a water change the other day, I introduced him to Hannibal Hannibal goes crazy, the new guy runs away, but keeps coming back, and I eventually got a tiny flare.... Wimp.

 

[fishwatcher]

That's pretty much my fellas. Frankie is a very mellow little guy that won't even flare at a mirror, and Pedro would whoop up on any body who dares cross his path. When I put their bowls side-by-side, Frankie will then "defend" his territory, but that's it. I believe, given enough time, that Pedro could eat through the glass to get to him!
They're pretty funny together.

 

[Bettabelieveit]

It may be an age thing sometimes too, because two of my more younger ones wouldn't flare much, but now that they've aged some, they flare away, especialy when i pretend to be invading their nests, by putting my finger near it, ohh do they hate that!! heh

 

[WeeMan]

Might have to try that, the finger thing!
I think mine is to lazy to flair unless a Tetra gets to close he seems to chase then rather flare

Oh well

Dan

 

[fayebee]

my betta flared for the first time today and has not stopped lol. hecan see his reflection in the glass that was always there but he has just noticed. I was getting excited as well i thought I had the worlds first homosexual betta hehe.
Fayebee