Concerned...

[BettaGirl201]

Hi everybody.

If you read my topic yesterday about me finally gettting a female Betta, then you'll know what I'm talking about.
My new female who I got yesterday is too shy for words. Is this shyness or something else? I mean, she and and her sister were the only ones who hadn't died because of a spreading illness in their tank at the petstore. Now, Melody (my Betta) is acting all strangely.

Everytime I come around to see her, she's floating at the top of the tank. She just sits/floats there until she spots me, then she quickly swims away under her tree and stays there until I go away. She wont eat when I'm around, and barely swims around at all. All she does is sit there. Usually I think she's dead, but when I look closely I see her gills slowly moving. Is this normal? Or did she perhaps catch the illness? v.v

 

[Glod]

It's not uncommon to see Bettas at the surface of the tank, they can breathe atmospheric air. It's also not uncommon for them to be flighty when introduced to a new tank. It's a stressful time for the fish being ripped out of a familiar environment and added to a new one with not so much as a "by your leave".

Does she have stripes ? Stripes can be a sign of stress, personally I would keep an eye on her for the next few days and remove any uneaten food. Bettas are picky at best and will often refuse food for a few days, even a week when moved. As long as there are no other signs of illness I think she is just settling in. Congrats on your new Betta