New Behavior In All 3 Bettas

[Gizaroo2]

Hello all,

This may seem like a silly question, but I'm just curious. All of a sudden in the last few days, all 3 of my bettas have become extra aggressive. They always build bubble nests throughout each week, but this week they've all gotten pretty protective over them and their tanks. Is there a breeding season for these guys? I'm just wondering why they have become so aggressive. Finneus lived peacefully with 2 snails for about a month and several ghost shrimp for a week. Yesterday he attacked, killed, and ate one snail. He has also killed a couple of the ghost shrimp, with one kill being this morning before I left.

Big Red has also peacefully lived with his 2 snail tankmates for a month. Yesterday he too killed his two snails-one of them was a brand new Gold Apple Snail, which was a replacement for another snail he killed (we assume- we found it dead last week and it was fine the morning before).

Levi has been attacking anything in his tank, and he promptly killed a ghost shrimp the same night we got it.

It's just weird that all 3 have suddenly become so aggressive towards anything in their tanks.

I've kept bettas for years, and this is the first time I've had this happen.

Thanks

 

[BethK]

I would first look at the water quality of the tanks, what are the full stats looking like? Have you added any kind of chemical too the water,t hat was different to a month ago?

 

[Gizaroo2]

I would first look at the water quality of the tanks, what are the full stats looking like? Have you added any kind of chemical too the water, that was different to a month ago?

No new chemicals. Aside from TopFin Dechlorinater, I don't add anything to their tanks. I never have except to put Melafix in Fins' and Big Red's tank quite awhile ago (at least 7 months ago for Fins, and 3 months ago for Big Red. Fin's tail had gotten torn pretty bad in the filter and I was putting in the Melafix to help his tail heal and grow. Big Red got really sick, we're still not sure with what. His stomach swelled up and he was constipated. I had my sister stop feeding him so much, and with 2 treatments of Melafix he got better and is now back to normal. I use well water to fill the tanks. (Live out in the country lol)

I have a Sentry AQ Mardel test kit.

Finneus' tank stats: (2.5 gal, filtered, heated, planted; has not had a complete water change in about 4 weeks...needs a partial one to get some of the dead snail and shrimp debris out, which he killed and ate the other day) temp stays around 78-80 degrees F.

pH 7.2
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <20
Alkalinity 120
Hardness 50~120 range (fell in between the colors)
Ammonia 0


Big Red's tank stats: (new 2.5 gal, filtered, planted, sits in front of a window; half of the water came from his old 1 gal tank and the other half was new)

pH 7.2
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate <20
Alkalinity 80
Hardness 50~120 range
Ammonia 0

Levi's tank stats: (1 gal tank, filtered, planted; Due for a water change, especially after killing the snail and shrimp which were promptly removed)

pH 7.2
Nitrite 10
Nitrate <20
Alkalinity 120
Hardness 50~120 range
Ammonia 0.25

I usually change out about 1/2 of the water for Levi's tank about once or twice a week; 1/3 of Fins' tank about once every 2-3 weeks; 1/2 of Big Red's tank was once or twice a week with the old one- now it will probably go longer without.

Nothing is new with the tanks except that Big Red's tank is bigger with a couple of extra plants and Levi's tank needs a water change.

Levi and Big Red get 2 pellets one to 2 times a day (maintains both of their weight nicely) and Finneus gets a small pinch of flake food (refuses to touch pellets) twice a day. I also occasionally give them a live brine shrimp or two or some freeze dried bloodworms or shrimp.

 

[loraxchick]

i suspect the snails and shrimp werent getting enough food and died and the bettas were 'playing' with the bodies. they are quite curious...unless you actually SAW them being attacked.
also in small tanks like that you REALLY need to up those waterchanges regardless of what your stats say-at least once a week 70% or more. just s suggestion.
cheers

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

i suspect the snails and shrimp werent getting enough food and died and the bettas were 'playing' with the bodies. they are quite curious...unless you actually SAW them being attacked.
also in small tanks like that you REALLY need to up those waterchanges regardless of what your stats say-at least once a week 70% or more. just s suggestion.
cheers

I agree. Although I am wondering if the tanks are cycled since there is Nitrite in there?

 

[loraxchick]

i suspect the snails and shrimp werent getting enough food and died and the bettas were 'playing' with the bodies. they are quite curious...unless you actually SAW them being attacked.
also in small tanks like that you REALLY need to up those waterchanges regardless of what your stats say-at least once a week 70% or more. just s suggestion.
cheers

I agree. Although I am wondering if the tanks are cycled since there is Nitrite in there?

with just having dead bodies in there, id suspect there would be nitrite..or the OP got the Ate and Ite mixed up.

 

[Gizaroo2]

i suspect the snails and shrimp werent getting enough food and died and the bettas were 'playing' with the bodies. they are quite curious...unless you actually SAW them being attacked.
also in small tanks like that you REALLY need to up those waterchanges regardless of what your stats say-at least once a week 70% or more. just s suggestion.
cheers

I agree. Although I am wondering if the tanks are cycled since there is Nitrite in there?

One of the snails the death is unknown. The ghost shrimp my sister and I both saw attacked. I had to remove the one from Big Red's tank as he was chasing it trying to kill it. (he had killed a previous one and my sister wanted to give it another go) Finneus killed one snail and a ghost shrimp the other day- I witnessed him doing it. The other shrimp and remaining snail are just fine-for now. Yetsrday morning before I left for clinic I saw Fin's attack one of the ghost shrimp.

I do try to change at least half of their water weekly when I can...Fin's tank just got a bit out of hand as I have been very busy with xray school. He is getting a water change tonight. I know Big Red's tank and Levi's tanks haven't been cycled...Big Red just got moved into a new 2.5 gal aquarium and Levi just got a 70% water change in his 1 gal last night. I'd like to get him moved to a 2.5 gal as well soon.

There was no nitrite in the tanks before the shrimp and snails started getting attacked. I will be testing Levi's tank again this afternoon when I get home to see if the waterchange helped, which I'm sure it did.

To be honest, I don't know much about cycling the tanks...our family has never done that, and I had never really looked into finding a fish forum until the other night. I am interested in getting a bigger tank sometime in the future and want to make sure I do it right.

Fin's tank has been up and running for the last 7 months or so. He normally get's partial water changes every week and a half, but they lately have gotten a little further apart. The water is crystal clear and I have some algae growth, which the snails have been taking good care of. There is also a film on all stuff in the tank-which I think is the good bacterial growth. I've never officially cycled any tanks- just kind of wing it as I go. Now that I've found this site though, I hope to learn alot more and be able to provide even bett4er care for my current fish, and any future fish.

Finneus would be in my 5.5 gal aquarium, but it is currently in use by a few of my hermit crabs. (My old betta, Oscar, used to occupy the 5.5 gal tank. He passed away several years ago. He was over 4 years old.)

 

[Gizaroo2]

i suspect the snails and shrimp werent getting enough food and died and the bettas were 'playing' with the bodies. they are quite curious...unless you actually SAW them being attacked.
also in small tanks like that you REALLY need to up those waterchanges regardless of what your stats say-at least once a week 70% or more. just s suggestion.
cheers

i have to get some sinking wafers for the shrimp- I do suspect they aren't getting enough to eat. I will be picking up those this afternoon on my way home. The snail gets quite a bit to eat as I constantly have an algae problem in Fin's tank. The shrimp are a recent addition- have only had them about a week. The pet store didn't tell me that I needed to give them extra food (said they should be fine just eating the wasted food), but I started researching them a little bit and saw I needed to. (I wondered about this, but didn't think to ask)

Big Red's snail I am picking up some food for. I put the old rocks (unwashed) from his old tank and most of the old tanks water into the new 2.5 gal, as well as am using the old filter temporarily. There isn't much for him to eat so he will be getting some food too. He had quite a bit to eat in the old tank though.

I will definitely be upping the water changes.