Is It Me

[juliehainsworth]

Ok is it me or do bettas seem to have personality traits! Mine is a right character! He runs and hides when strangers come into the room or go past the tank but whenever I go past he is always at the front (unless i have a camera then he hides too) Also he seems to enjoy hanging about in the plastic plants which worries me a bit as I'm scared he's going to tear his fins but he doesnt!

Also has anyone else noticed that they like hunting down they're prey! And if they dont get it they seem to go off and sulk elsewhere? It could just be mine but I thought I'd ask!

I love watching him!

 

[Durbkat]

Yeah I noticed that. In my 2.5g where its divided with 2 males in it they will come running to the front of the tank and start swimming around alot but if my mom or grandmother comes to look at them they go and hide in the plants or if I pull out the camera one would go to the back and the other one will come to the front and swim around fast.

 

[juliehainsworth]

I'm glad mine isnt the only one! Wish he wasnt camera shy though! Would love a nice pic of him! Oh well at least he's happy in the tank!

 

[Durbkat]

All you have to do is lay a mirror next to his tank towards the front on the side and he can't resist going over to flare at him self to show how macho he is then take his pic, thats how I take pics of mine and when I can get the film developed to put on here.

 

[juliehainsworth]

I've had him flaring but he still manages to stay out of sight of the camera.... He stays behind the mirror but my silver dollar also spends ages infront of the mirror too even with my betta there! He looks like hes talking to himself though which is quite interesting! Then again maybe they're not right in the head! I'm def gonna have to try and get some good pics of him!

 

[Durbkat]

What size tank are they in? Silver dollars aren't compatible with bettas because they could eat it.

 

[juliehainsworth]

It's not a very large tank! The silver dollar is only in there until I rehome it! He's only 3 inches at the moment I've had him for two years he was originally in my 4ft tank which I had to get rid of just before x-mas! I was meant to take him to my LFS at the weekend but he has out grown my net so need to get a new one before I can rehome him...........

He used to be a very nervous fish but he is coming out of his shell now that he's in smaller tank!

 

[Booboo puppy]

Each of my bettas has a distinct personality. George is the king of his surroundings and flares at me periodically just to let me know who's in charge. He has six gallons all to himself and uses all of it, frequently going through the tunnel in his castle. Mustang seems to be a slow learner and loves to just lay on a leaf. Barracuda is "grandpa" and doesn't let anything rile him. He's just happy to get fed and fresh water. I think that Mercedes is on coke or something she's always zipping about her tank. Challenger likes to assert himself and try to get Barracuda into a flaring contest. Porsche doesn't let anything bother him and he has his eye on Mercedes.

 

[flautist]

All of my bettas have their own little personalities, too. Daemerung likes to play dead... when he sleeps, he'll lay leaned over on the bottom of his tank... he's scared me by doing that more than a few times. When I'm at my computer, he comes over to the plant closest to me and lays on it and watches me. When he's feeling ornery, he goes over to the other side and bugs his neighbor. He'll sit at the side until Angel sees him, then duck behind a plant when Angel starts flaring.

Angel is very agressive. He flares at himself, his neighbors, his plants... but he's really a big scaredy cat. If I put my finger up by the tank, it scares him and he darts into his plants. He sometimes gets scared of his thermometer, and I've even seen him get scared of his plants a couple times! He's really a riot to watch. Angel was my Wal-Mart rescue... he had fin rot so bad that one of his ventrals was bent over up next to his body... the rest of his fins healed nicely, but that one ventral never healed and eventualy fell off due to lack of circulation. So, he has a stubby fin.

Sakana is my old man, but he's just such a cutie! He never flares at anything except his own reflection, but he loves to tease his neighbors. He'll dance at them until they get all reiled up and start flaring at him, then he'll just turn and casually swim away. He dances for me every time I come up to the tank. He likes to lay around in his cave, and it's so cute to see him swim out of it to greet me whenever I come up to him.

Diamond is also very agressive. He just cracks me up. He doesn't flare very often, but he just patrols his part of the tank, and you know he's on the hunt. Whenever he spots one of his neighbors, he swims up to the divider and just starts dancing at them, sometimes with small little flares, like he's warning them to stay away. He attacks his food, even if it's just the pellets, and he nips my hand any time I have to put it in there for something. I have a cave and a couple plants in there for him, but he only ever uses one of the plants. That's the one he sleeps on when he's tired of patroling.

Koenig is my most laid back fish... he likes a bare tank, too. He used to never nest for me, and would just sit around... I couldn't figure out why. I tried all different things for him. Now all I have in there is two plants and a cave, with lots of open space, and he loves it. He's been contstanly nesting for me ever since. He comes up to the front of the tank to greet me whenever I'm there, but other than that, he just swims around and lives the lazy betta life.

 

[juliehainsworth]

I think its great how they each have a personality of their own! I can't wait to get my own place and have enough cash spare to have a few different tanks and fish! I would love to have a couple of males and maybe a tank with females! I've still never seen a female in any of my LFS!

Quick question how old do bettas normally live to on average?

 

[Durbkat]

On average about 2 years but they have been known to live longer depending on how good it was taken care of.