How do ya know if they're stressed?

[GrullaQuarters]

My new guy has been in his new tank for almost 3 hours now. He was pretty comfortable....just gliding around snooping.

I've been watching him for about the last 45 minutes testing the sides of the tank like he's wanting to get out.

I had a large plant in there, that really was too big for the tank. he didn't seem to like it, so I pulled it out. He was getting caught up in it, and trying to push his way through. So he's just got one plant in there. But he's acting like he is desperate to get out of this tank........

Do they often have a period of time where they need to just get used to their new surroundings? The tank is at 78 degrees, it's a 1.6 gallon hex, right now with some gravel, decorative rocks and one plant.

Also, should I feed him right away this evening or just let him go a day while he gets used to things? (I have bettamin). and for a tank this size, when should I do my first w/c, and how often from there?

Do you all in tanks around a one to one and a half gallons do full water changes, and do you all actually move the betta somewhere else when you do these changes? I'd think moving them out for w/c and then back in would stress them out a little more.....this tank also has an undergravel thing with an airpump...but there's no current in the water...just some bubbles on top.

His tank is right on the kitchen counter....where the kitchenaid stand mixer used to be! LOL....

Thanks for the help...

 

[BettaMomma]

Drop some food in and see if he eats
Most of my guys ate the first day. and my girls - god Cloey ate 14 pellets last night!

Anyway - it sometimes takes them several days before they get used to their new place. he's probably panicking right now because he has ALL that room and he just doesn't know what to do with himself in there. OR you could have a hyperactive betta like Archie. Archie acts like he's on speed when I walk past his tank.

As far as water changings go, I have the same tank as you do - and I take all the stuff out of it that has wires and tubes and set them on the counter or table (UNPLUG FIRST!). Then I carry his tank to the kitchen. MAKE SURE YOU PUT A TOWEL DOWN IN YOUR SINK IN CASE HE JUMPS OUT!!! Using a solo cup, start scooping the water out. Then take your decs out one piece at a time. Eventually you'll be left with him and about 1 - 2 inches of water. Put the cup down in and patiently wait for him to get nosey enough to swim into it. I sometimes have to chase them down, but that's kinda stressful for them so I try to let them think it's their idea to go into the cup. Then make sure you put something over the cup (not airtight) and dump out the rest of the water. Run some scalding hot water into the tank and swish swish swish! Sometimes I will toss some salt into the tank for good measure - but make sure it gets dissolved and you get rid of it with good rinsings. Then I take paper towels soaked in hot water and wipe off the yuckies on the sides of the tank.

Then fill it back up with the same temp water you had him in when you took him out. I try to float the cup for a little while before dumping them back in, but they are VERY impatient while in their cups.

That should be it!
Just be careful when transporting them cuz they WILL AND DO jump!!!

 

[BettasRFriends]

Well, you gotta let your new betta adjust to his/her surroundings. If you were blindfolded and kidnapped and was placed in a uninhabited island like Cast Away the movie, you gotta have time to adjust to your surroundings. HORIZONTAL LINES = stressed signs but cannot be shown on lightbodied bettas

 

[3neko]

For the first day and a half after I put Aka in his one gallon, he swam around and bumped into the sides, pressing his nose against the glass and moving his little tail like he was trying to swim out. I think it's just getting used to the space and testing how far they can go. But that's just me.

I had one little bugger(I think it was Dacey) jump out of her little floating cup while I was acclimating her to the new tank water temp.

All of the bettas I got from walmart never ate anything the first day I had them, but after a while they came around. The three I got from wuv were little piggies from the first feeding.

 

[GrullaQuarters]

Well he must not be too stressed out like I thought....he ate as soon as I fed him tonight...so that is a good thing!

 

[BettaMomma]

That's a very good thing!
How's he acclimating to the tank?
Has he stopped trying to swim out the sides?

 

[GrullaQuarters]

He's still focusing on the sides, however now it seems like he's being more snoopy than desperately trying to get out. And when I went to feed him, he was at the top of the tank and didn't shy away....so that's a start!

I did take the big plant out, he didn't like it. I could tell that....so I've got one in there, but will go out and get a different silk plant that's not quite as tall as the one I bought. I sure like my new boys!

 

[BettaMomma]

They're gorgeous, how could you not love them?

YOu might notice that when it's a bit darker in your house and you have the tank light on, he goes a little more nuts than usual - that's cuz the sides turn into a fun house of sorts - they kinda turn into mirrors. I had to move Harvey out of the tank like that and into a 2.5G rectangle tank because of the issue with the sides, but Archie doesn't seem to mind that as much.

I thought Harvey was going to pop a vein because he was soooo riled up from seeing his reflection everywhere!