My new boy Rio, a marble CT, is really, really skittish. I'm really worried about him... about half an hour ago, I was doing my routine betta tank cleaning and Jeremiah cruised around his tank as though nothing was going on. When I did Rio's tank though, he got freaked out by the gravel vac and hid in his plant. When the water level slowly started to drop he freaked out again and started literally splashing, tearing around his tank, bumping into stuff... so I stopped and a few minutes later, tried again. Same story.. you'd think I was trying to murder him the way he was acting.
Rio doesn't eat when there is movement going on, and when I reach out to grab the food container he goes and hides. I know animals don't necessarily understand that we might be trying to help them, but he's starting to worry me.
Is there anything I can do to calm him down and minimise stress? Just then, I went to put the tank lid on and he swam right into the gravel, then up the tank side. Now he's resting up top. I feel so bad for him, the poor little thing, but it's becoming so hard to care for him.
I'm terrified he will somehow get scared of something and hurt himself...
Does anyone's elses' bettas act like this?
Rio doesn't eat when there is movement going on, and when I reach out to grab the food container he goes and hides. I know animals don't necessarily understand that we might be trying to help them, but he's starting to worry me.
Is there anything I can do to calm him down and minimise stress? Just then, I went to put the tank lid on and he swam right into the gravel, then up the tank side. Now he's resting up top. I feel so bad for him, the poor little thing, but it's becoming so hard to care for him.
I'm terrified he will somehow get scared of something and hurt himself... Does anyone's elses' bettas act like this?
I have a skinny little syphon (home-made) which is just some airline tubing taped together but it is only an inch or less in diameter so I might just use that. 
