gmann21193

do bettas bite?


if so, does it hurt at all?

im going to be setting up a heavily planted betta tank and want to know if he will stand his ground when i clean it

Devon

Heh, well, they do nip. How aggressive they are with it really depends on the personality of your betta. The best way to test his mettle is to offer him a piece of garlic or pea by hand (tiny pieces, sliced and uncooked), you can hold the edge of the food just below the level of the water, sometimes it takes a lot of patience for them, but most times unless they are very shy fish, they will bite... whether it's your finger or the food they get. Betta bites don't hurt at all, though it's a bit of a surprise (and in my opinion, totally a treat!) when they snap. When they nip at you, it's kind of loving, they KNOW that's you, and suddenly you feel this close connection with the fish, like a deeper understanding. Silly, huh?

Lucy

Not silly at all, Devon. Betta love bites are so cute!

Allie

Yeah they nip, but it's not in a mean way nor does it hurt. It's like they get too excited to see you or something. Jumping and nipping, very cute.
Betta are like cats in a lot of ways.My cats nip me or give me love bites too, they get jealous if i pay too much attention to another one, and bum for food.
Betta are cats with fins & gills. lol

Martinismommy

This should answer your question lol

sirdarksol

Okay, Allie, I've got to disagree with half of your first statement. It depends on the betta whether or not it's mean. I've had a betta try to protect his territory from my finger.
However, they don't hurt. They're too small, and their teeth too short to even break the skin. It's just kind of cute.

gmann21193

yeah the jumping thing was another thing i was curious about... how high can they jump?

the tank im setting up is a hex 5 gallon that i have had for 6 years and that has been empty for 1, so the filter is pretty old and doesnt work well. The lighting in the hood isnt powerful enough, nor can it hold a powerful enough bulb for lots of plants, so i was thinking of removing the hood and built in filter all together and replace it with a lamp and in-tank filter( I bought the whisper in-tank filter that works for up to 40 gallons, so it should work pretty good in a 5). However, with the actual hood gone, would i need to cover the tank? or just lower the water level since the filter is underwater and doesnt need to be filled up all the way...

Martinismommy

If you put the Whisper 40 in that 5 gallon tanks it will toss your boys around like Hurricane Katrina! I'd get one far less powerful for you betta....And yes, you should have a cover on the tank just to be safe....Bettas have been known to jump out of the tinest openings.....

sirdarksol

The smallest Whisper "i" series would be great for a 5g tank, as would a sponge filter. The smallest of the "i" series is an air-pump-driven thing that sits inside the tank, and provides very little current.

Butterfly

I have this in one of my 5g Betta tanks and with the flow control on the back it's perfect.
Betta boy even swims under it.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...5&pcatid=12085
Carol

gmann21193

I bought the version of that filter today and will put the 40 gallon one in a 20 that i got for my crayfish (upgrading from a 10) today. but now i need to figure out how i will cover it, because it is hexagonal.. any suggestions?

biscotti

I've heard of people buying acryllic pieces for crafts that can be cut to size. I'm not sure where to buy something like that. Maybe Home Depot or Michael's. Good Luck

jdhef

Home Depot and Lowes sells acrylic sheets. You'll also need a acrylic cutter (their cheap) to cut it. Or you could go to a glass shop and get a peice if glass cut to fit.

welshalien

Around here we say "he's hugging you with his mouth!"

Kelly

COBettaCouple

I love the little Betta nips.. some just nip gently, some latch on and try to shake your finger like a dog shaking a chew toy.