betta fish?

Question

I got a betta fish around a month ago. I clean his bowl at least once a week and I feed him everyday. His bowl (or her I dont know its gender) is big enough for him to swim around and be happy. There is even a little shell where he could hide in. But all he does his stay in one spot each day like a lazy bum. (hehe I called my fish a lazy bum) I've heard Betta fish to be active and wild and fun and wagging their long flowy tails when they see you but my Betta is being weird. His gills thingies (I dont know what they are called) flare a lot and it makes him look like he has a lion mane. (hehe) His two little front fins are split. I am doing everything I can for my fishy, so why is my betta fish like that?

Answer 1

In a bowl, there is generally very little room for it to swim around. You likely have a male Betta (females are not as colorful, and not as commonly seen in stores). They flare when the feel threatened or stressed. Also, Bettas get very sluggish when their temperature is too low. Bettas need temperatures around 80 degrees. Also, it sounds like your maintenance is reasonable, I would say do a minimum of 2 cleanings a week though, bowls get very messy very quickly. I would suggest you spend $15-$25 and go to Walmart and get him a 2 gallon tank with a filter and heater. You will see a surprising increase in activity and color. Also, the two front fins are not split, they are two separate fins. Bettas' pectoral fins are more for decoration, in their cousins (Gouramis), the pectoral fins are used as feelers to detect movement in murky water. Email me if you have any questions.

Nosoop4u

EDIT: Bettas are carnivores, they do not eat the roots and the plant does not keep the tank clean. Avoid plants that cover the surface of the water. Bettas breath air (instead of getting oxygen from the water) and will suffocate if they can't reach the surface.

Answer 2

The two front fins are supposed to be spilt. Your betta sounds like a male. First of all, please please please get him at least a 2 1/2 gal. tank. Put pretty gravel in in and maybe a small fake plant or two to make him feel at home. Have him on a live blood worm, frozen blood worms/brine shrimp, and freeze dried blood worm diet. It puts in virety and makes you fish very healthy if you feed him live foods. For a few hours of the day, put a mirror by his tank so he can admire himself and flare all he wants. It keeps him from getting depressed or lonely. And if you can, get another betta and put that in a seperate tank, but right next to your male. They'll keep eachother company. ;]
Still clean the new 2 1/2-5 gal. tank for your betta (remember?? :]) once a week. Feed him a different meal everyday, or even put some different combos of food. BUT DO NOT OVERFEED!! Any uneaten food should be taken out of tank pronto. Also, it helps the betta's digestive system if you skip feeding them a day. So basically, you'd feed him 6 times a week.
Hope I helped!

Answer 3

Bettas are active if there is space enough for them to do so. Try setting up a 5g aquarium with lots of plants and a cave. Tour betta will swim around exploring the tank and picking out his territory.

A flaring betta is a good sign he is still healthy.

Answer 4

All of my bettas are active and bold.

I suspect yours is cold. Unheated water in an average room is usually going to stay at around 70-74dF. Bettas are from Thailand which is an extremely warm climate, and since they live in shallow water, it stays very warm too. The recommended temperature range for their tanks is 78-82dF.

You can find heaters designed for small tanks for under $10. I found one at WalMart for $7.

Good luck with him! All that flaring means he is feisty and I think if you warm him up he'll be extremely interactive. You won't believe the difference!

Answer 5

He is going to be a "lazy bum" until you put him in a real fish tank (minimum 3 gallons) with a heater. Bettas are supposed to be in 77-80 degree water....would you want to move if we put you in an environment that is too cold? Plus, the shell might be changing the pH....might want to check on that. Also, make sure you do water changes every day, since he's in a bowl.... (grrr...no fish should EVER be in a bowl)

Answer 6

I'm not exactly a betta expert but when I'm buying fish I can't help but notice how beat up looking the bettas are. You probably bought a betta that wasn't very healthy/happy to begin with

btw, is your betta has long flowing fins its a boy

Answer 7

I've had 3 betta. Sometimes they're just lazy.

Don't feed them everyday though. Go at least one day without feeding him. It's good for their digestive system.

Answer 8

Male Betta's are usually kept in a small ( one cup or so) container and never put in with another male , they are aggressive fighters and well always kill each other, A really cool way to show off your male Betta and keep his colors bright and healthy is to take a clear glass bowl about 2or3 cups size put a 'spider house plant ' in the water, no potting soil or dirt just plane water, put your Betta in with the plant, two things happen , one the Betta keeps the plants roots clean and his self fed, it makes a real nice center piece for the dinner table. You can 'supplement his diet with a special Betta food that keeps his colors bright but this setup is almost maintenance free.

Answer 9

its normal you probably have a mirror near him and when he looks at himself he thinks its another betta and flares his gills to scare it of but really its his reflection because bettas are also known as chinease fighting fish

Answer 10

Try putting plants and other hiding places in the tank