backgrounds

Scarab · Jul 30, 2003

Hello. I'm a new betta owner as of last week. My very first fish and aquarium (well, if you don't count my failed attempts at keeping a goldfish as a child). Solomon is my betta's name. I have him in a 1/2 gallon Marina Betta Pals plastic panoramic aquarium which he seems to love (especially compared to the cup he was in).

My question (which I think I already know the answer to): should I get him a background for his little home. He seems to be reacting to his own reflection, flaring and darting about and I worry about him being over stimulated. I read that a background will help calm him and provide security. Is this correct?

Another question: I read it's good to allow him to see himself in a mirror so he can 'exercise' by flaring. I did this a couple of times and while I loved seeing him flare and color, he got extremely excited and darted about so I worried about over stimulation. It took him a long while to calm down. I don't want to over stress him.

I'd love some input from you experts out there.

Thanks!

wuvmybetta · Jul 30, 2003

Hiya
1st of all welcome to the forum

second...that's a tough question, my oldest betta in a 10 gallon has a background and it doesn't bother him at all so I put backgrounds on my little 2 gallons which house bettas and they HATED it, they would flare and flare (even those who never flared before) . It was almost as if the background took away there sense of security and they wondered who was lurking back there behind those "plants" so I finally removed the backgrounds and they were content again. Maybe it depends on the style of background or the betta itself...not sure, but it couldn't hurt to try

and as far as mirrors go...in my opinion that's more for a persons amusement rather than the betta...I think males like to feel like they're your only guy and seeing another boy probably blows their mind, all of my bettas are waaay out of the others sight range and they truly think they're the only one

, I'm sure he gets plenty of exercise cruising in his tank, but the mirror doesn't hurt him at all,I don't think (except for my crazy logic with the jealousy)

Scarab · Jul 30, 2003

Thanks for the welcome and the response.

I don't think I'll be doing the mirror thing too much anymore...he gets so wound up!

As for the background, just in the interim I've taped a solid color piece of paper to the back....just to see how he responds to it. And I may get a better one with pictures of plants what not to see how he does. Or just go back to no background.

And it just may be because I moved him to another part of the room. He didn't seem to mind not having a background until I moved him to another end table in the living room. I don't know, maybe he sees his reflection more in the new area. I may move him back to the coffee table.

I'm thinking of buying another betta as well at some point.

The jealousy theory is quite interesting.

Lipreader · Jul 30, 2003

I agree with everything that was said above. You can put a background but you don't have to. But since it is a small tank that you have, I would think you should put maybe solid blue background, nothing busy. Or put the tank close to the wall. I have one betta in a one gallon tank and he is on my desk with no background and he is fine and another one in a 5.5 gallon tank with my tetras, guppy, and albino corys doing very well too. You just have to take the time to get to know them personally and to know what he likes and don't like.

I used to have a betta(named Bucky) and I used to put the mirror against the tank and he would flare and flare. Funny but cool because I get to see him spread his fins and they are beautiful! I think it is for our amusement because they do get enough excersise just by swimming around. Don't worry too much. You may have just gotten a Betta that has a bad temper! :lol:

Question: Is that all you are going to have? One betta? Or is this a start?

Lipreader · Jul 30, 2003

You must have posted the last one at the same time I was posting one. Aw well....

Scarab · Jul 30, 2003

Thanks Lipreader,

You're right. It's just going to take a little time to get to know him and his likes/dislikes. As you can see in my other post I do plan on getting another betta at some point (I've described Solomon's coloring in the Newbie forum)...I'd really like a purple one and maybe a red one too. I can see myself becoming addicted to the little guys.

I'm also drawn to neon tetras, danios and the like. But I'm gonna take my time and enjoy just bettas for a while. But I can see myself getting a larger tank in the future for the tetras, etc., only....once I have more knowledge about aquariums and such.

I like the simplicity of my betta's home....no filters, heater, etc. I just make sure to keep his water clean (which is easy since it's just a 1/2 gallon). And he's way spoiled on the food. I don't overfeed him, but he's got variety: four different kinds of food

Lipreader · Jul 30, 2003

I have a red one and he is a beauty! :wub:

OMG! he put such beauty in my 5.5 gallon tank. In there I have two black skirt tetra, one male guppy(female died recently but will put one more in for him because that female had babies which is in another tank) and two albino cory which is great to have because they help to clean food at the bottom of tank. Great cleaning crew! Sadly you can't put two betta in the same tank unless they are two females. Females are hard to find for some reason.

My other betta is navy blue with dark pink undertone. He got sort of a temper when it comes to other fish. Prefer to be alone.

I plan on getting a ten gallon tank soon because Petco is having a sale on ten gallon tank including filter, light, food, etc for $35. Great deal! I don't plan on setting it up yet because no room right now. I just want to go buy it so that I have something for later. I'm hooked! :hyper:

wuvmybetta · Jul 30, 2003

bettas are so so very addicting...I just got 4 more males today, I felt sorry for them and couldn't leave them in the state they were in (one was in a specimen container with...get this... a rotting dead betta on top of him, in the SAME container :grr:

) apparently someone thought it would be funny to watch them fight and the lovely fish dept. person never noticed the situation, there were several like that (all dead) so I had her clean him up and bag him for me, what a little survivor :wub:

but now it's a grand total of 13 males & 5 girls ,I spend a lot of my time getting to know them all & they're all so different with two things in common....a LOVE for FOOD :wub:

& of course my adoration :wub:

jaywings19 · Jul 30, 2003

Might as well throw in my 2 cents on this topic.

I've had my male betta for 1 week now. I purchased a underwater seascape background for my 3 gallon tank, but didn't put it up right away. Dexter (my betta) seemed alright without the background... just admiring his reflection and flaring a bit.

So 3 days after bringing him home, I decided to try putting up the background. Let me tell you... he HATED it.

Apparently, he was trying to go "into the background" since it gave the tank a new depth... so he kept swimming into the glass. :crazy:

I left it on all of five minutes, then removed it... he went back to "normal" as soon as it was off. :thumbs:

Very strange, but I guess I can understand their feelings. I wouldn't want somebody coming to my apartment while I was at work and painting the walls a different color.

All in all... I'd say try it, but be very observant of behavioral changes. Perhaps it might have been better to put up the background before introducing the fish.

Scarab · Jul 30, 2003

Thanks jaywings19,

I moved him back to his original location back on the coffee table and I took off the solid color paper I'd put on the back. He's back to normal now. I agree...if I'd already had the background when I first introduced would've been better. Although he seemed to be ok w/the solid background too....but I didn't like it. He seems to like being back where I'd originally set up the aquarium. And he's calmer and going back to taking his normal rest breaks on faux plant leaves.

Lipreader, I think you're right....he does have a temper. It was wild how wound up he'd get upon seeing himself in the mirror. He doesn't get as wild when he catches brief glimpses of himself in his reflection on the aquarium---just a little head shaking back and forth, but no flaring and racing around his home.

Wow, wuvmybetta...13 males & 5 girls!!

I agree they're addicting, but I don't have nearly enough room in my little apartment for that many! If you don't mind my asking, where did you buy them...that's horrible there was a dead one on top. Glad you rescued him. I bought mine at Petsmart.

wuvmybetta · Jul 30, 2003

, I hear ya, I barely have the room myself, the tanks have begun to creep into my bedroom :hyper:

, my daughter said "hey mom,when we run out of room we can always put more bettas in my room with the turtle" :lol:

but this is it...NO MORE, I refuse to ever look at the bettas in Wal-mart ever again -_-

....that's where most of mine came from,refugees, it's a good thing that my favorite local fish store takes excellent care of their bettas or I'd be doomed :lol: