New Beta...not Eating And Flares At Me

[Caligo]

I just got a new betta, given to me as a gift. Not sure what specific kind it is, but I'll worry about that later. I don't have an aquarium, but he has a decent size bowl with some glass rocks in the bottom. It's the best I can do for now.

He hasn't been eating. I have Nutrafin betta food, it's flakes...he ate a few bites of it yesterday afternoon and hasn't touched it since. I went looking for reasons why he may not be eating and found that he may be too cold. I keep my house temperature around 70-72, which I've read is a little too cold for him. First I moved him to a glass table about a foot from a dim lamp but he kept flaring at the sides of the bowl and seemed really stressed, so I put him in the window sill. It's warmer there and he's calmer but still completely ignores any food. And now he flares at me anytime I go near him, probably because I've moved him too much.

What should I do??

 

[33moths]

How many days have you had him? If you got him a day or two ago it's not unusual that stress might cause him to not really want to eat much. But he can go for several days without needing to eat, so if he won't for a day or so don't worry too much. You did say he ate a time or two.

Stress seems to be a part of the problem for him. He may feel more comfortable in a nice little 2.5 gallon tank. They don't take up a lot of space, and your betta will have a little more room. You can give him a silk plant to hide and give him security and use your glass rocks for the bottom (or get gravel, or other rocks, or whatever you'd like) It's really not expensive and would make your fishie a little more comfortable - the bowl might be aiding in stressing him out since it really isn't too large and there's no place to really hide, plus all the moving (small bowls fluctuate in temperature easier, meaning it can vary a lot in temperature, which adds to stress), and seeing his reflection in the side - bowls aren't the best shaped house, in my opinion.

You could even get him a heater if you had an extra few bucks, I got one from walmart and it kept my normally 72 degree water to 80, which my betta liked. I discontinued use of it as it didn't have a thermostat but they seem like you could use it for short term warmth until you could find a decently priced small tank therm. with a temperature gauge, or whatever you're willing to spend. Or even getting a space heater for your room would help keep both of you warm. That's a good idea too.

I recently purchased a betta from Petco, and he ate the first day, and was eating out of my hand by the second - it really just depends on the fish and how stressed he feels, if you decrease his stress and make him happy he'll show you results.

phew, long post.

 

[joanne1985]

I just got a new betta, given to me as a gift. Not sure what specific kind it is, but I'll worry about that later. I don't have an aquarium, but he has a decent size bowl with some glass rocks in the bottom. It's the best I can do for now.

He hasn't been eating. I have Nutrafin betta food, it's flakes...he ate a few bites of it yesterday afternoon and hasn't touched it since. I went looking for reasons why he may not be eating and found that he may be too cold. I keep my house temperature around 70-72, which I've read is a little too cold for him. First I moved him to a glass table about a foot from a dim lamp but he kept flaring at the sides of the bowl and seemed really stressed, so I put him in the window sill. It's warmer there and he's calmer but still completely ignores any food. And now he flares at me anytime I go near him, probably because I've moved him too much.

What should I do??

Hi i am not much of an expert myself but i recently bough a Blue Beta Fish aka Siamese Fighting Fish, I have a checked out some infomation for you,
You do need a proper tank with a filter lamp and heater if you are from england you can go to a peter barretts if you have one nearby and get a 4ft tank with everything you need in it for £69 this is what i have.
Temperature: 75-86
pH: 6.8 - 7.4
Diet: Live foods preferable, will eat flakes and frozen foods
Social: Males cannot be kept together
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Temperature: 75-86

Although many fish keepers are aware that Bettas come from shallow waters, a key factor that is often overlooked is the water temperature. These countries are tropical, which means the water temperature is quite warm - often reaching into the 80's.Bettas thrive on heat, and will become increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees F. Water temperature is perhaps the biggest argument against keeping a betta in a tiny bowl (which cannot readily be heat controlled).

Water movement should be kept to a minimum, which means that power filters and powerheads are not suitable.

In nature Bettas subsist almost exclusively on insects and insect larvae. They are built with an upturned mouth that is well suited to snatching any hapless insect that might fall into the water. Internally their digestive system is geared for meat, having a much shorter alimentary track than vegetarian fish. For this reason, live foods are the ideal diet for the betta, however they will adapt to eating flake foods and frozen and freeze dried foods.Brine shrimp, Daphnia, plankton, tubifex, glassworms, and beef heart, are all excellent options that may be found frozen or freeze dried.

I FOUND THIS ARTICLE FUNNY!!!

u Other betta characteristics

What I like most about bettas, is that they have personalities. Each his own. They are curious, friendly and will soon know their breeder and recognize him/her. They are fast learner. They soon understand that my hand = food. Soon, whenever I put my hand in the tank, they all come swarming and they become so friendly sometimes they bug the heck out of me. Here I am trying to fish out one specific betta, and all of them come and soon it is a huge crowd and I cannot for the love of me fish just the one out, I keep getting 3 or 5 in my net. Aghhhhhhh.

I can put my hand in the tank and they will swim in between my fingers, resting on my palm. I can lift my hand up and there is the betta, relaxed and now out of his water, still on my palm… I pet them, and they seem to not mind that at all. I often stroke their bellies, right under the ‘chin’. They are very endearing and sometimes it is hard to part with them.

I was once asked if bettas can learn tricks. I don’t really know, mainly because I have never devoted the necessary time to try to teach a betta a trick. It would be an interesting experience. I know however that bettas are very good at teaching their breeders lots of neat tricks, like jumping through hoops, bending backwards, pulling their hair out, jumping up and down while making odd noises, and many more tricks that provide the bettas with hours of fun. (and you think I am kidding? Wait and you will learn all these tricks, too ).

I FOUND THESE WEBSITE USEFUL
http/www.gorge.org/fish/what.shtml
http/www.bettatalk.com/betta_behavior.htm

 

[33moths]

My bettas enjoy similar foods but their personalities and tastes are different - they both love freeze dried blood worms and especially live mayflies (which are what fish eat out there anyway, except I dunno if they have mayflies in Thailand. But mayflies are large in number when there is clean water available, so I'm pretty sure they're an excellent choice for part of their diet) and a mush food I make that's made of ground fish food, tuna steak, and a little pea/veggie. They eat all of these heartily. My male likes pellets, but my female hates them above all other foods.



All in all, a good variety of foods will be best for your fish.

 

[ZeeZee]

Don't move him anymore and don't try switching his food again. It may take a while but he should eventually eat it. It's probably not temperature because i have had several bettas in colder water that ate just fine. Just in case it's stress, go out and buy him some medicine for stress. If it doesn't help, stop giving it to him. Why he's flaring...i don't know. My betta flares at me when he wants food though so I hope that helps.

 

[fisherizer]

Try stress zyme or stress coat it works for me

 

[Caligo]

Thanks for the fast responses, I really wasn't expecting everyone here to be so quick. I did move him one last time, back to where I had him originally and he calmed down immediately. He still doesn't seem to be eating but I guess he will if he gets hungry enough. I haven't switched foods at all, I just have the one kind I was given with the fish. I may pick up some of the blood worms when I get a chance just to see if he might be more enticed by that. I don't have any place for a more substantial tank, so a bowl is just going to have to do. He seems content with his spot right now where he has a view of the whole room. Should I put something else in there to give him a place to hide, or are they generally content with the openness of a glass bowl?

He does have two interesting behaviors that I've noticed so far. The first is that every few minutes he will go to the top of the water and blow a bubble. The second is that when I turn the lights off he seems to start messing with the glass rocks in the bottom of his bowl. Every few minutes I will hear one shift. He may just be running into them if he can't see well, but they're heavy enough that I think it would actually take an effort by him to move them.

Thanks again for the quick responses. I've looked at some pictures and I can't tell what kind he is so I may post one in the next few days. I'm sure someone here can identify him for me. I'm quite certain he's nothing rare or spectacular, but his tail just doesn't seem to match any of the pictures I've seen.

 

[SPLiSH]

Thanks for the fast responses, I really wasn't expecting everyone here to be so quick. I did move him one last time, back to where I had him originally and he calmed down immediately. He still doesn't seem to be eating but I guess he will if he gets hungry enough. I haven't switched foods at all, I just have the one kind I was given with the fish. I may pick up some of the blood worms when I get a chance just to see if he might be more enticed by that. I don't have any place for a more substantial tank, so a bowl is just going to have to do. He seems content with his spot right now where he has a view of the whole room. Should I put something else in there to give him a place to hide, or are they generally content with the openness of a glass bowl?

He does have two interesting behaviors that I've noticed so far. The first is that every few minutes he will go to the top of the water and blow a bubble. The second is that when I turn the lights off he seems to start messing with the glass rocks in the bottom of his bowl. Every few minutes I will hear one shift. He may just be running into them if he can't see well, but they're heavy enough that I think it would actually take an effort by him to move them.

Thanks again for the quick responses. I've looked at some pictures and I can't tell what kind he is so I may post one in the next few days. I'm sure someone here can identify him for me. I'm quite certain he's nothing rare or spectacular, but his tail just doesn't seem to match any of the pictures I've seen.

The blowing of bubbles is the making of a bubblenest - this is a good sign! It means that your betta is content and for a new betta to make a nest means he is really happy! Good job.

Could you describe his tail to us?

 

[liz2]

He sounds like a normal betta to me, one of mine looks at his reflection in the glass pebbles in his tank and flares at them but only for a minute or two. 2 of my boys flare at anyone who looks at them. I dunno if you are UK but you can get little plastic tanks with lids quite cheap. I dont know why but bettas seem happier in them than in bowls, but he will settle. As for food dont worry he will eat.

 

[33moths]

You have room to move your bowl around a hundred times - you have room for a 'more substantial tank.' Really, I have two tanks with the dimensions 30.5 cm long x 18 cm tall x 15.5 cm deep. They are both on my bedstand.

 

[Caligo]

You have room to move your bowl around a hundred times - you have room for a 'more substantial tank.' Really, I have two tanks with the dimensions 30.5 cm long x 18 cm tall x 15.5 cm deep. They are both on my bedstand.

I moved the bowl to window sill, a table, and now it sits on my bar. I have places I could put a more substantial tank but nowhere to plug it in. Even if it's small, the purpose in getting it is to electronically control the environment. I want my betta where everyone can see him, and there isn't anywhere to plug in the power supply to a tank.

I'll take a picture later for identification. Thanks everyone.