Betta Always On Heater

[Neal]

My betta is always on my heater and doesn't really swim around my tank, is he trying to say the heater is too hot or he likes it? He just seems to sit there all day, I would like to know if this is healthy for him or not. It's a 50W heater and my tank is roughly 2G. I know I should of got a 25W for the size of my tank, but I heard bettas like to be warm...

 

[Joby]

How long have you had him for? maybe he's just taking time to settle in if he's new

You say he has a heater but what temp is it set at? mine are usually kept between 77 and 79. The cooler the temp then the less active the betta will become.

Hope he perks up for you soon

 

[Neal]

I've had him about a month, but I only just bought the heater. So that could be the case, and the heater is set at its default settings, and I'm not sure what that is. How do I find out the temp/change it?

 

[Nevergone815]

I've had him about a month, but I only just bought the heater. So that could be the case, and the heater is set at its default settings, and I'm not sure what that is. How do I find out the temp/change it?

it could be that he is just getting used to the heater being in "HIS" space. but if it isn't... here is how i set up my heater:

my heater doesnt have a digital readout but does have a light indicator to let me know that it is heating the tank. so i used a floating thermometer and placed it into the water to get the general temperature. what i did to calibrate my heater when i bought it was... put it in the tank and let it sit for like 20 min (making sure the heating light was off). then i checked the watertemp on the digital thermometer. if it said (for example) 72 then i moved the thermostat until the light turned on and waited until it went out. i checked the tempo again on the floating thermometer. it said like 75. the temp i was looking for was around 77-78 so i turned the nob up just a little bit more. after the light went out the temp read 76-77 i was close enough so i just moved it a hair up and then let it rest. after you get your desired temperature just don't move the control knob and everything will be great. whenever the temp drops below your setting it will kick on and when it is above or at your level it will be off. this worked for me. it might not for you but hey... its worth a try!

 

[Neal]

I just need a thermometer now...

 

[soritan]

My betta sits on my heater all the time. I think he just regards it as a sort of handy chair. If you don't have anything else close to the surface for him to sit on, he'll probably wind up there often. I have plants near the surface of my tank, so he tends to go from the plants to the heater, as the mood hits him.

 

[Neal]

Well that's good to hear, I might have to get some plants and things, all I have atm is an ornament that is actually too big for the tank, so I may have to put that in my 3G and put some plants in my 2G along with a small ornament out of the 3G.

 

[Animation]

My betta occasionally does but when i managed to completely stop the current he topped doing it, May want to check that

 

[Styx]

From personal experience, my bettas wrap around their heaters when it’s too COLD for them. They’re trying to soak up the heat by staying where it's warmest in the tank. Usually, if I look at the temp in the tank, it is indeed too cold. After upping it to 80, the fish leaves the heater and is a lot more active.

That’s just my experience with bettas hovering by their heaters.

 

[fawnmodel]

I have one male that likes to wedge himself between the heater and the glass ITs very warm in there 80-81 , but its his special place.

I also agree that alot of males need a 'nest' Its quite adorable. I have two that always need a nest to sit in, a few inches from the surface. When I talk to them they come wriggling out to inspect and socialize.

Funny, one of my males loves current, and one female hates it...they are pretty individual.

I would get a thermometer just to be sure.

 

[soritan]

Yeah, I keep my tank in the lower 80s, as well. He just likes to sit there because... you know, he can, and because he feels safe there. He also likes to curl himself up on my anubias leaves. Same with my frogs, they also sit on the leaf. They all treat it like an underwater lilly pad.

Either way, bettas sit down. That's one of their daily activities... sort of like how a cat, naps. If you don't have any other place for them to sit, they'll plunk them selves down right there. I've only seen my betta sit himself down on the substrate if he has no other choice.