Afraid skittish Betta will get fin rot

So... I rescued a male betta from a tank with innappropriate tank mates where he spent most of his time hiding behind the heater or under the log decoration. I have him in a 2.5 gal of his own now, with a few fake plants and a little cave-like thing. One of my plants in there is a vinelike one, looks cool, kinda lays along the bottom. He keeps almost burrowing under it, and I'm afraid he'll get caught or tear his fins and invite finrot.

Is his hiding behavior going to stop, and should I worry about him getting caught? I don't really want to take out the plants, because if he feels like hiding, I want him to have something to hide in...

Other than that, he's perked up a lot since I got him, and when he's in the cave, he pops his head out, and it's so cute.

 

HI AlisonChristine

What I would do is change the plant to something that still gives him a lot of cover and makes him feel safe, but that has no risk of him being trapped. Like silk or other fabric plants? If you buy really densely leafed ones, you'll have lots of cover.

What also works well in making them feel safe, is to 'plant' a soft, small, fake (or real) plant in front the entrance to their cave decoration. Then they feel really safe inside, instead of hiding in the plants.

 

You should get him a live plant like a java fern (very easy to take care of) or at least some bushy soft silk plants. Plastic plants are very bad for male Bettas. They can tear fins very easily and if he is also stressed this may cause finrot. He should calm down and realize he is safe soon. Try keeping his light off (if he has one) and just keep the area around his tank sort of dim. This will help calm him until he begins to feel safe. Don't allow kids or other pets to stress him.
Congrats on rescueing him (does he have a name yet?) and please keep us updated on his progress.
Post a pic if you can. We love Betta pics!

 

Well, his tank doesn't have a light, I was just trying to think of how to remedy that eventually, but this works out well. I'll take out the plants for tonight, and just leave the cave for now. I made sure it was smooth inside before putting it in there.

I just wanted to get him out of that tank just for the sake of getting him out, and then pass him off to one of my friends so that he would have a good home, or at least a gourami-free one... But then when I was watching him swim around in the temporary home I gave him, I just liked him. He's very calm, and he's a big guy, not one of your little scrawny babies. Even though his fins look all nipped up from the other tank, he's so elegant. He's the purple/blue/red variety that is just stunning in full coloring.

I haven't come up with a good name for him yet...

 

Oh I hope it works out. My betta hates bright lights, so I guess it's not such a bad thing. I have a reading lamp next to his tank, and the lamp is on timer.

 

He seems to enjoy the flow from the filter, oddly enough. He keeps swimming under it, and riding it down like a slide. It's really endearing... I'll get some pictures of him tomorrow when I have better light.

 

yeah, mine does that too for some reason. To think that officially you're supposed to cover your filter outlet for the bettas (if you do it by the book). Mine would not be a happy bunny if I did that.

 

it's just taking him time to learn that things are different and he doesn't need to hide, but their personality does come out with regular care and attention.

 

Okay, been trying for about half an hour now....


Yay it worked! Okay, this is him in his little cave. So cute.

 

A side shot of his full coloring (maybe not full, but it's not a bad picture of him), and of course his cave. He spends a lot of time in and around it.

 

One more. For now, anyways.

The viney plant by the filter intake is the one he was kinda burrowing under, but he seems to have it arranged to his liking now, he likes to sit under there and watch my other tank.

 

He is definitely one handsome Betta. I like his cave, and apparently, so does he!

CherryRose

 

He looks somewhat like my new guy KR! Beautiful coloring.
Its so funny when the boys go "surfing" in the current from the filter. I had one who was so into it that when I moved the filter to the other side of the divided tank he laid down on the bottom and wouldn't move unless I was feeding him (the division didn't stop water circulation overall, just the major current). I moved the filter back and he perked up immediately. I made sure to keep at least a bubbler with him even when he was being moved back home for the summer, because I didnt' like him moping so much. Poor guy was one of the ones who died this summer when the heat went beserk on my fishsitter.

 

Great save, AlisonChristine...and he is a beauty. Welcome. ( Cool cave, also ).

Val & crew

 

The cave was kind of an impulse buy, actually. I was just visiting some of my coworkers over the weekend while I was home, and was wanting to find something small for the babies to hide in for when I moved them into the "big" tank (by "big" I mean 10 gal), so I was looking at the little ornaments, and saw that little cave. I remembered Dave saying that one of his little females liked a castle ornament to hide in, and then I figured, why not? I got that, and the vine-ish plant to go with it, and commandeered that tank from the basement where it has been sitting dry since my family's last goldfish died.

It's no 20 gallons, but it's 2.5 of his very own.

 

P.S. Picked a name for him finally! Ajax.

 

those are real cute pics of him.. where'd you find that cave?

 

Aww he looks like my Nigel who died in June.
Pretty fish.

 

those are real cute pics of him.. where'd you find that cave?

Petsmart. I need to stop visiting my coworkers there, because when I do, I always buy things or get more fry.

 

we'll have to check out the petsmarts around us when we get to denver, i'd love to pick up a few of those for our bettas.

 

What a stunning boy you have!! Flame loves to surf!! He ripped his fins at first dive bombing so I have arranged plants (real ones) to take the impact and soften the blow! he loves them!

Great pics, we NEED more!