JackieN

have NO luck..aaaargh. My betta WAS in my community tank, along with, yes.. DG, and tetra's and danio's. Suffice it to say he's out now..he was hiding for two days..I thought he was dead..but thankfully, just in hiding. I had been trying to get a small 5 gal tank cycled, it's been running for a couple of weeks..I'm doing more than 50% water changes to keep the nitrites down.
Ok..my PROBLEM is...the darn thing has very reflective "glass". I've tried putting stuff up against the outside..and wow..I can not see it..BUT he can see himself..and was flaring alot. THAT's THE LUCK I have.
Sooooooo..what I did is put a very tall silk/plastic aquarium plant in the tank, against and near the side he is hanging out at, it tends to lay over and rest on the top of the water also...it's working a bit...plus he can rest on the top of it to sleep and breath at night.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?? I'm trying to keep the little guy alive..and shoot..I am stressing him out again..
Jackie

chickadee

This is normal and if you are patient and only leave the lights on when there is sunlight in the room or lamps on he will get used to it I promise. We all had to go through this with our little ones. If you have put paper or some backing up on the glass and put a plant up for him and are not leaving the light on when the room is dark, then you have done all you can do. You may try just having the light on for short periods at first until he gets used to the tank. He will be better off where he is, just give him time and give yourself a great big pat on the back for being so nice to your little friend. You are a very nice betta parent. Just take a couple of deep breaths and relax a little.

Talk to him quietly when you feed him and try to build up a friendship with him and it will help him to settle down.

Rose

nmwierman1977

Jackie,
I too am currently having the same problem with Mr. Red. I just recently moved him into a 5 gallon tank because he was no longer happy in his 1 gallon. He is starting to really enjoy his new home, but he too was flaring at his reflection the first night I had the light on. I did the same thing you did. I put some paper around the back side of his aquarium. He too still saw his reflection, but not as much as he did w/o the paper. I ended up just starting very slowly with the light. Yesterday, I had it on for a couple hours in the afternoon and he did a little bit of flaring, but not too badly. Then after a couple of hours I turned it off to settle him and give him a break. Then, when it got darker out and it was time to put light's on in the condo I turned it back on. He did much better that time around. I did not see him flare too much. Today, when I got home from work I turned it on again and he did really good. He didn't flare at all. Of course I had the kitchen light on and I moved his tank a little so that he could see me while I was cooking dinner. He seemed very content and I caught him numerous of times watching me cook. After dinner though I turned some lights off and he started flaring again, so I just put the light on that was nearest his tank and turned the other light off that was furthest from his tank. So, if you have any light's nearest his tank, just put that light on for awhile instead of another light until he get's used to it and seeing his reflection doesn't bother him so much. That's what I will continue to do until I know he is fine with it. Natalie

JackieN

Hi Rose and Natalie..thank you for your replies Right now, he doesn't seem too interested in food. He's nestling in that very long plant that's bent over and resting on the top. I tried feeding him..put my finger in the water first to catch his attention..but nada!
I hate when things aren't going well. I'm trying like heck to keep him alive and happy.
I will do the light thing, it's dark here now, cloudy and rainy, I have a counter light near his tank that's on..What I'm planning to do is get the height measurement of the tank walls..and buy silk aquarium plants that are the same height, and place them all around the walls..it will cut down on his view of his "enemy". LOL
Thank you again! Jackie