Doing The Same Thing All The Time.

[jasminekiddell]

Ok, i have a male betta called shimmer, he's a blue/turquoise colour.
Since ive had him he's had an obsession with the filter, he swims onto it turns around swims, turns back around back tot he filter and just does this over and over again or he'll try and usually succeed to swim up the side of the filter then do the thing where he swims so far out turns around and does it again and again.
He doesnt investigate the little treasure chest or plants or anything he just does this 24:7.
Its making me a little worried.
Is this a problem, what can i do to help?
Tank detail, if needed:
Tank size - 21ltrs
In the tank - 1 live elodea, a silk plant, a treasure chest with a hole in each side, a rock and sand + a filter, heater soon.
Behaviour of the fish - Generally active, eating well.
Filter - Stingray 10, not very strong, turned off at night.

 

[bagu]

have you moved the filter? does he follow it?

also, how comes you switch the filter of at night? im just asking

 

[silverrabbit]

OK, before anything else, you must not turn off a filter - your good bacteria will die off and your betta will be constantly living in an unstable, uncycled tank!

Apart from that, don't worry too much. I think you could maybe get him some more plants for him to play in

 

[Forestpisces]

Yea turning a filter off is never a good idea.

He may just be bored try training him to eat off you finger or something that requires you interacting with him.

Some bettas do enjoy to play in water currents when they are bored, mine do!

Maybe give him a cave they love those, or another trick is so put a small marble or ping-pong ball in the water, they play with them by nudging them about with their noses.

It's adorable

 

[jasminekiddell]

Great idea about the small ball idea, ill try it, and the reason it urn it off at night is incase shimmer gets stuck in the filter or hurts himself, hes fine in the day so why not a night i guess, ill start leaving it on, sorry i didnt think it would do much by turnign it off.
THe currents fine, mayeb he just likes playing in it i assume, ill start interacting with him, thanks.

 

[Forestpisces]

Your filter always needs to be turned on to keep it cycled.

And i'll let u in on a secret

Stingray filters are VERY safe as they cannot trap or damage your fishes fins. Beleive me i know i have Radish in with kuhli loaches who are knpown for burrowing into filters and causing all sorts of havock. Well try as they might mine are having to settle with causing mayhem in the tank rather than the filter.

 

[jasminekiddell]

Your filter always needs to be turned on to keep it cycled.

And i'll let u in on a secret

Stingray filters are VERY safe as they cannot trap or damage your fishes fins.

Oh great!,

 

[betta fish]

Hi, yes, as others have said never turn the filter off as it will kill the much needed bacteria that live in the sponge, I have never had a filter harm a fish yet, most filters have the impellor, which is the only moving part, positioned at the top well away from the intakes which are usually so small that only a baby fish could get sucked in, also I have the exact set up as you, only difference is I have an Elite 5 filter which I find more than adequate for a tank this size, the outake is also positioned towards the back corner of the tank to deflect the flow a bit, how is yours positioned? perhaps the Elite 10 is producing too much of a current for your betta?

 

[jasminekiddell]

Hi, yes, as others have said never turn the filter off as it will kill the much needed bacteria that live in the sponge, I have never had a filter harm a fish yet, most filters have the impellor, which is the only moving part, positioned at the top well away from the intakes which are usually so small that only a baby fish could get sucked in, also I have the exact set up as you, only difference is I have an Elite 5 filter which I find more than adequate for a tank this size, the outake is also positioned towards the back corner of the tank to deflect the flow a bit, how is yours positioned? perhaps the Elite 10 is producing too much of a current for your betta?

Mines on the back corner right wall, pointing to the wall, my betta doesnt seem to mind the current, its not too much for him, ill focus on getting a small elite maybe when i have money.