Flaring Betta?

Question

I just got a male betta and he keeps going up and down the side of the tank flaring like he sees another male betta. I think he might see his reflection. is this healthy for him? will it stress him too much? and how could i get him to stop? any advise would be helpful. Thanks!

thanks for the tip but unfortunatly i have a backround and he's still doing it :( i'm worried he's going to get stressed out and die.

Answer 1

that is absolutely normal, especially if you just got him
It is his territory
Mine is actually in with other fish, and he does that sometimes, but he won't hurt anybody and he's going to be just fine


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 2

Yes, flaring for more than half an hour a day can stress out your betta, exhaust him and damage his fins. It's possible that he's seeing his reflection in the corner of the tank, if your tank has rounded corners.

It's also possible that he's not flaring at his reflection but at something that he mistakes for another betta. Some bettas will flare at anything brightly coloured. For example, one of my bettas flares at me everytime I wear red or yellow, and another one, next to my computer, flares at the bright screen very often. Is his tank near a computer or a television?

Lastly, are you sure he's flaring? Are his gills upturned and is he patrolling his tank? If not, it's common for bettas to hang around the side of the tank that has the most activity, like the front. They love watching things going on outside their tanks.

Answer 3

If betta's see their refletion they will try showing off, they don't like other males or any other fish with too much color or long fins. They get intimidated I guess you can say. Usually when they see a male betta (or their reflection) they flare out their gills, and of course swim agressively. It's not much stress on them, but it will tire him out. I recommend putting a backround on your aquarium to reduce reflection. Petsmart usually has good backrounds.

Answer 4

If the Betta is stressed, its color will drain from it's body much like a person looks pale when they are about to faint. If its color hasn't changed, he's not stressed. I had a Betta that flared every time someone approached his bowl and he lived for 3 years. I wouldn't worry about it unless you see a difference in his color.

Answer 5

I had a Betta and I use to show him his reflection in a mirror. He eventually figured out that there really wasn't another Betta there and he stopped reacting to it. I've never heard of a Betta getting so stressed that it died so I wouldn't worry over it.

Answer 6

Eventually he will learn that there is no other betta in the tank and stop flaring at himself.

Answer 7

If ur betta thinks he sees another, make it so it aint so. They fight till they're dead. I once had one bash his head in on the reflective marbles we had on the floor of his jar cuz he thought there was another one there trying to steal his woman that was completely non-exhistant. check ur area for mirrored surfaces.