FishPerson

I have finally gotten a betta for my 10 gallon CYCLED tank! he looks so cool, can't wait to find that digi camera to show you ppl!

KonaBoy

Very cool Name? Pictures? Colours?

FishPerson

no name yet, no pictures yet, but he has turquoise, and purple-red fins, a turquoise body, and has a peach/black head. WOW!

FishPerson

I tried turning on the lights, and almost immediatly, he went to the back wall and started flaring at the wall. he hadn't flared until a couple seconds after I turned the lights on. Does thins mean i can't have the lights on for him or will he eventually get over it? do i have to "phase" him into the lights? please tell me how thanks!

Allie

They flare at things all the time...it's normal unless he seems stressed out. One of my males flares a lot more than my other.

KonaBoy

Maybe somehow the light is reflecting and he's seeing a reflection of himself? Is it a Hex tank?

chickadee

You can try getting him used to the lights a little at a time and making it a policy never to have the tank lights on in a dark room. He is going to have to learn that the fishy he is seeing in the wall of the tank is not going to hurt him and will not invade his territory. You can try to put something like a dull piece of paper up on the walls of the tank where he is going to flare, but there is no guarantee that this will work. He will grow used to the fact that the fish will not hurt him and eventually it will lessen but there is usually one or two spots in a lighted tank where they can see reflections. This happens in most every tank not just hexs. You need patience and perhaps to get plants or something to sit in front of the area to block the light from reflecting there so much. Nice tall plants work wonders. He may fight it for a while but when the other fishy does not engage him in battle he will eventually go on to something else. Try the lights on for short periods at first and then he need some things to occupy his time in the tank. Caves to explore, hamster tubes to swim through, plants to investigate, bettas have curious natures and will be distracted by places to see and get into. Just be sure nothing has holes in it so small that your thumb does not go into it and come back out easily. That way no matter when he decides to investigate he can get into it and through it without getting stuck. When you go to purchase or get something to put in the tank, please take a nylon stocking or something made of that type of material along with you. If the item does not snag the stocking or material or catch on anything, it is safe for your betta. If there is a small rough spot or area and you are really wanting it sometimes a bit of sandpaper or an emery board like you would use on your nails will help to smooth it out and make it safe. Be sure to rinse anything you sand or buff well before adding to the tank.

Rose

COBettaCouple

Is he flaring at the filter box? You can also try a desk lamp (one of those little ones with a lampshade) near the tank on a lower setting when the tank light's on and the room light's off to try to use the lamp's light to cancel out the mirror reflection(s).

FishPerson

ok thanks

I was thinking of dividing the tank and getting another betta. we'll see

FishPerson

Another thing, he has these "rays" at his top and bottom fins. not as major as a crowntails, but still there. there's also a bit of ridges on his tail. could this make him a sort of Crowntail Veiltail betta?

chickadee

We would need a picture to be really sure but I would think that the tail is one or the other but doubtful both. Be sure to get pics for us asap. We are really curious about this little one.

Rose

FishPerson

Lol ok. Now where did I put that Camera......Argh!

FishPerson

I have read that bettas have some tank mates. this is a quote i took from a different site:

"Good tank mates for a Betta that I'd recommend, depending on the size of your aquarium, would be a Plecostamus (it's a bottom feeder that's related to the Catfish. They're common name is typically Bushy Nose Catfish.), a few Neon Tetras, Mollies of any type usually do well with Bettas, Rainbow Fish would be suitable if kept in a school and you had the space for it and/or a Platy or two. A Swordtail might be a consideration but if it's a male and has an impressive tailfin, depending on how aggressive your Betta is, the Swordtail could end up with a nipped "sword"."

Are most of these claims true? can you point out the fish in this that would never work out?

If this is true, could i add two baloon mollies to the tank?

chickadee

Let's see, the fish that are unacceptable would be:

Tetras
Mollies
Rainbows
Platies
Swordtails

The only one who MAY possibly be acceptable depending on the size of the tank involved (it would have to be a big one) would be the Pleco.

The Tetras are known fin nippers and will have your bettas fins infected. The Mollies, Platies, Swordtails will be in harm's way from the Betta as they resemble bettas in the respect of having long fins or in the case of Platies very much looking like female bettas. Rainbows are just not compatible for a variety of reasons on both sides. For one thing the schooling part and the other it generally takes a large tank to keep a large enough crew of them and they and the bettas would be getting into each others space. That would not work with fish as territorial as bettas. You need bottom dwelling fish like cories or otos or plecos or those who are going to stay out of the bettas territory.

It is really much simpler and more to the bettas liking to leave them in the tank by themselves. I do wish I had not gotten the fish I have in my tanks with the bettas. I wonder if I got them for the bettas to have as company or for me. The bettas do not seem to care for them and I really think would prefer it to have the tanks to themselves. I do love the other fish, but if I had it to do over would have nothing but the bettas, as Stacy and Dave do.

Rose

FishPerson

But balloon mollies really look nothing like female bettas. could two of them possibly work with a betta?

COBettaCouple

Bettas might get along with livebearers, but you're more likely to end up with livebearers missing fins. Bettas are territorial and don't like fish swimming in their area, even if they look totally different.

chickadee

The Platies look just like female bettas and the Mollies have long flowing fins and will remind the bettas of another Male Betta. This is a recipe for disaster and if you try it do be sure to have a backup plan for an emergency rescue. It would really be my recommendation NOT to try it, but I cannot make the decision for you.

Rose