Best Thing For A Super Territorial Betta?

so, I moved my two bettas into a divided ten gallon a week ago. It’s planted to the (pun intended) gills and there are a ton of hiding spots. Neither fish is hiding or acting super stressed, but my little fancy kleenex (the pale one) has turned out to be TERRITORIAL TIMES FIFTY. He obsesses over the other one. I’ve put plants against the divider on each side but he still flares over and over again at one spot in the divider. The other betta doesn’t care about him. He’ll swim up to the divider like “hey you’re a fish! SO AM I!” briefly but that’s it.

Is there a chance he could jump high enough to get into the other side? The divider goes up to an inch above the water. That other betta, Tom Petty, is my baby. I swear to you I will shiv a fish if Tom gets hurt.

Has anybody had bettas that took longer than a week to get tired and ignore each other? If my pale dude Warren Zevon can’t be a good neighbor I guess I have to put him back in his crappy 2.5 gallon. ...he did blow bubble nests in that, though. But in this tank he’s getting color back! I’m just confused all the way around.

 

Perhaps one of those bubblers that line an entire wall? It may block some of his view as well as deter him? But I know bettas are iffy on lots of water flow, so I don't know.

Theres no way to safely darken the divider so he can't see through it that will be done quick.
I think there ARE safe paints but I don't know about that enough

 

I think there ARE safe paints but I don't know about that

Acrylics, usually. I've heard a lot of people say Kyrlon Fusion spray paint. But unfortunately, you'd have to remove the divider and dry it, then wait for the paint to dry. I believe the divider has holes for water flow, though, so painting pry won't do anything.

Is there a chance he could jump high enough to get into the other side? The divider goes up to an inch above the water.

I mean, Bettas are really good jumpers. It's possible. I'm not sure if it's likely.
How obsessed is the fish? Does he ever swim away and do his own thing?
I haven't had a divided tank with 2 males in like 10 years or more, so I honestly don't remember. My current two females have a clear divider and have no problems with seeing each other, it's just when they're in the same space... Which has happened when my red squeezed underneath the divider and along the sides. My blue is hopefully growing her tail back. I haven't had any issues (knock on wood) since I added gravel to the red's side and a couple plants (I think she was jealous of blue's side, which had the giant pothos plant and gravel from her old 5 gallon).

 

Sometimes certain bettas may not be fit to be in a divided tank with another betta because they simply cannot calm down from trying to find the other betta on the opposite side, or if they become lethargic by their surroundings. This is very important to take note of when setting up a divided betta tank, as you may need to swap fish or move them back to separate tanks.

They can smell each other in the water, so they always have a slight sense of someone else being there for their whole time of being in that tank, but some just have issues adjusting to it, our betta personally have not had any issues adjusting to divided tanks with each other. It's normal to see both betta swim up to the divider at some point, especially during feeding, but if they do it constantly it is not a good sign.

 

I've never used this but you could replace your divider with this foam block from Swiss Tropicals. It will also provide more surface area for beneficial bacteria. Make take some playing around. Scroll down the page

You could probably just get ANY aquarium foam sheet and cut it to fit thinly even next to your existing divider just as a visual block. May take some playing around.You may have to insert a cable tie through the block into a couple holes if it won't stay put but it probably will once it gets water logged.

I would attach a some plants to the foam! You can Superglue the rhizome right to the block, or through the cable ties or probably just make a small hole and insert the stem through. Or you could just use fake silk - not plastic- plants and almost cover the thing with them.

Can't be too thick or you'll defeat the purpose of giving them more swimming space but I'm sure it can be done.

Mattenfilter - SWISSTROPICALS

 

Perhaps one of those bubblers that line an entire wall? It may block some of his view as well as deter him? But I know bettas are iffy on lots of water flow, so I don't know.

Theres no way to safely darken the divider so he can't see through it that will be done quick.
I think there ARE safe paints but I don't know about that enough

I’m liking the bubbler idea! This tank has sponge filters so the water flow isn’t insane, so maybe a bubbler wouldn’t add all that much.

My divider is black and opaque but it has holes for water flow and sticking plants in (I thought it’d be fun). As someone else said here, he probably smells Tom Petty as well as catches the odd glimpse through the holes.

To answer another question here, he does eventually go off and do his own fishy thing and he sleeps in his coconut shell cave. But the flaring can go for hours.

 

But the flaring can go for hours

Ooo, I don't like the sound of that. On one hand, it's mental stimulation. On the other, it could be stressing him. It's hard to tell/know which is the case.

Mattenfilter

I've considered getting a matten filter divider from there, myself. That way both sides will be filtered (I currently only have a filter on one side) and it should be way more solid than the over-priced flimsy thing I have. My only issue is that sometimes these filters require altering the tank and adhering the filter brackets, and I don't really want to deal with that.

 

Ooo, I don't like the sound of that. On one hand, it's mental stimulation. On the other, it could be stressing him. It's hard to tell/know which is the case.

It really is hard! I mean, he has no color anyway but since moving him his tiny patch of blue outlined scales has grown if anything. He’s super responsive to me and eats well. His fins look beautiful and full. For all I know he’s having a grand old time being a macho man. And the other betta is, again, not phased in the slightest. He plays in the sand, swims into my hand, wiggles through his plants, and looks at his reflection in the glass like “Tom Petty Fish only pawn in game of life”.

So I guess I’ll observe a bit longer, and next paycheck see about a bubbler.

 

Ooo, I don't like the sound of that. On one hand, it's mental stimulation. On the other, it could be stressing him. It's hard to tell/know which is the case.


I've considered getting a matten filter divider from there, myself. That way both sides will be filtered (I currently only have a filter on one side) and it should be way more solid than the over-priced flimsy thing I have. My only issue is that sometimes these filters require altering the tank and adhering the filter brackets, and I don't really want to deal with that.

I wasn't suggesting the complete Mattenfilter set up just the sponge for a divider. At the bottom of the page.

 

Sounds like he's flourishing then. I'd hate for him to lose his fun if that's what he's doing. The fact that he still eats and responds to you and will go off and sleep is a good sign, in my opinion. If all he did was flare, I'd be really concerned.
I also think it's good that the other betta isn't bothered by his neighbor's posturing. Doesn't seem like it's stressing him out, so at least you don't have to worry about that. It's funny when something stresses us humans out more than the fish.

 

Sounds like he's flourishing then. I'd hate for him to lose his fun if that's what he's doing. The fact that he still eats and responds to you and will go off and sleep is a good sign, in my opinion. If all he did was flare, I'd be really concerned.
I also think it's good that the other betta isn't bothered by his neighbor's posturing. Doesn't seem like it's stressing him out, so at least you don't have to worry about that. It's funny when something stresses us humans out more than the fish.

Ha, I know! Sometimes I yell at him. “****, Warren, I have had a nightmare day and now I’m home and all I want to do is watch fish being peaceful little hippies AND YOU’RE NOT HELPING”. But if he’s having fun then the anxiety goes away!

Here’s his tiny patch of outlines scales. ...that pink thing better not be a **** stress stripe.

 

Here’s his tiny patch of outlines scales. ...that pink thing better not be a stress stripe.

They're usually white, but that fish is so pale I'm not sure you'd see it, unless you mean the pink is the color and the surrounding are the stripes.
Bettas are sometimes tricky when trying to decipher whether something is abnormal or not since they can change colors.

I yell at my fish too. When I had convict cichlids, I'd yell at them when they were having territorial disputes but taking it a bit too far for my liking. I scold my piggy fish for hogging the food, especially the adults who eat the food before the babies can all get a chance to eat.