paranoid betta

[mm_simb]

Ok...so I just bought one of those safe betta caves that they have at walmart because I thought Rye would like more hiding places. Now he just seems paranoid. He didnt use to do this before so I don't know if it's because I put that thing in the tank. I cleaned it right but he just seems so scared of everything. He's in a 10 gallon tank with a plastic plant, a plant pot, and the cave. It has a filter but not much of a current anymore and a heater. I've noticed that everytime I go near the tank he swims off REALLY fast . He also does this when the heater goes on. I have no idea what's wrong with him.
And the fins that I thought had fin rot are getting worse. They look tattered now and the black seems to get worse. I don't know what else to do for him. I did treat him with bettafix which didn't seem to do anything.
Do you think I should take the cave out? Maybe he was happier then

 

[Kiarra]

It's worth a try, I think, to take out the cave.

If he still behaves the same way after, keep removing things until he's happy. And if he's STILL behaving the same way, then keep ADDING things until he's happy.

 

[mm_simb]

Yea, that's what I'll do. I'll start tomorrow when I do his water change. I hate doing those Not because I'm lazy though He just gets so stressed from it.

edited to add: Thanks

 

[Kiarra]

I just hope my advice helps!

Let me know how he does, even if you have to PM me to get my attention. There's a few other things you may be able to do, but they'll cost more money than just adjusting his tank around.

 

[mm_simb]

Well...as I've been trying to buy things to make him feel better in his tank and so he wont be so bored I don't think it's that much trouble to spend on him. I just want different options of making him feel better even if it costs. Like I said, I've had him over a month and he wasn't like this before. I do have salt to lessen the stress but I don't know how often I should do water changes if I add salt.

 

[Kiarra]

Well, there's another product you can buy, if you don't have any already, called Blackwater Extract. It replicates their natural habitat's water. Honestly, I recommend it for most everything because I've noticed a lot of different things that it does, including helping with finrot and the regeneration of fins. But I've also noticed that it helps to calm my Bettas down, especially the neurotic ones that jump at every shadow. It may not fix the problem entirely, but it has helped whenever I have used it.

You can also try adding plenty of live plants, so he has even more places to hide, and ones that he may feel more comfortable in than a cave.

 

[mm_simb]

Where do you get it from? I've never seen that.

 

[Kiarra]

I got mine at a little store called Mark's Ark. Couldn't find it anywhere else locally.

Someone said that they found it at their local Petsmart, but I don't remember where that was.

TetraAqua distributes the one I have. Maybe you can order it online, if you want to go that route. You can also pick up Indian Almond Leaves online, which do the same thing as the Blackwater Extract.

 

[eudielynn]

I found the blackwater extract at Petsmart in Louisville, Ky. It seems like it was on their website, too. I asked about it at my LFS since Petsmart is about 50 miles from me, and they were able to order it for me. You might want to try that if you can't find it otherwise. (Cost was about $2.00 a bottle cheaper at my LFS than at Petsmart, too.)