androol

I just got my first betta fish today, introduced him to his new home - a 3 gallon Hagen Waterhome. I think it's a pretty normal rectangular tank, with a curved front.


This morning he seemed happy, but in the evening somehow he noticed his reflections on the walls of the tank. He's been swimming up and down against the walls and hitting the gravel with his nose, hard. It seems the only way to calm him down is to cover up all sides of the tank, leaving him in complete darkness.

I need some help with lighting issues to reduce reflection, so my fish does not commit suicide.

Lucy

Welcome to Fish Lore
How is the tank decorated? Maybe you can put plants around the sides so he can't see himself as well.
Perhaps it's the room lights thats causing him to be able to see his reflection in the evening since he didn't act that way this morning.
Have you tried moving the tank to a diferent location or turning off the room lights to see if he calms down?

Good luck, I hope you get things worked out.

androol

Thank you, that's a good advise. I'll buy some plants and decorations and relocate the lamp.

My fish currently lives in a pretty empty tank, only one 7" plant in the middle. He seems to like the plant, swimming through gaps between the leaves. I'm going to buy some ceramic coral reefs to make his home more comfy.

kimb

Welcome to Fishlore! Sounds like your Beta is going to have a really nice home. Since your aquarium info says you just started...did you cycle this tank? If not, you may want to read up on the nitrogen cycle (sticy at the top of the page). This will help keep your fishie safe from the dangerous ammonia that will soon build up in your tank. Good luck

jdhef

Sometimes not enough light around the tank makes their reflection easier to see. For instance, if it is night, and all the lights in a room are turned off, but the tank light is on, the inside of the tank becomes very reflective.