Is Betta Playing?

Picked this Betta up two days ago. I haven't owned a Betta in almost a decade so I'm unused to their personalities. Perhaps I'm being over worried?

1. Is this normal behaviour? (See attached video) . View media item 241574
2. Fish looked fine in small cup. Now I'm worried there are signs of fin rot?! (Split in fin) that wasn't there when I picked him up (2 days ago). Should I wait to do anything (currently watching water quality)

Tank info:
1 Betta, 1 mystery snail
10 g planted tank
Prime
28C
Today's readings:
Ammonia 0.25 (30% daily water changes till some new plants get situated)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

 

this is normal betta behavior, as of sickness sickness I don't have a great view

 

Thank you. He's quite active compared to the one I had a decade ago in a cold glass jar. Like night and day.

Its hard to get a pic of him not moving. Those fins were rounded when he arrived .Now I see that it's ripped or split? It's almost like there's a bit gone.
Again, maybe it's just the fish adjusting. Going from a cold small cup to a heated 10 g with plants and a bit of a current from the filter. ?

 

They do that sort of thing a lot for the first couple days in a new tank. Don’t worry. As for the sickness, I can’t tell either. Most of the time the best thing for mild fin rot or just damaged fins is clean warm water, which you’re already doing. He should heal up with no more than that. Are you certain there’s nothing in the tank that might’ve snagged him a little bit? He also might’ve just bitten his own tail, theyll do that sometimes if they’re stressed out. But he should calm down in a few days.

 

I have turned off the air pump. I just clued in that they probably prefer still water. It's like I'm looking at a different fish now. Calmed right down.

I will continue to monitor. Hopefully this is a stress thing.

Can this Betta live in a 10 gallon hexagon tank with no air stone just a filter agitating the water?

As for rough edges. All I can think of would be the sponge over the intake that he's swimming around in circles. It's a filter sponge cut in half. It's a bit rough. All the plants are real. He enjoys swimming in them.

I appreciate the advice. I'm a paranoid fish mom after some bad experiences in the past.

 

I have turned off the air pump. I just clued in that they probably prefer still water. It's like I'm looking at a different fish now. Calmed right down.

I will continue to monitor. Hopefully this is a stress thing.

Can this Betta live in a 10 gallon hexagon tank with no air stone just a filter agitating the water?

Yes they can live without a air stone as long as your filter has a decent flow. I don't have an air stone in my 10 gallon and the betta has no problem. As they are labyrinth fish, they take a certain amount of oxygen from air, and therefore don't need oxygenated water as much as other fish.

 

My sisters betta looked half dead when she got him (fin rot fungus...) I used my last tablet of tetra lifeguard and that fixed him right up.

 

My betta did the same thing when I brought him home and put him in his new tank. I don't think it's anything to worry about!

 

Add a sponge filter for him, it seems to be the best for bettas. It has very little water aggiation in general

 

Update: I've removed the air stone and turned down the filter to low. It's a trickle now. I've also covered the sides of the tank except one (light for live plants) to decrease movement around his tank. He had eaten the top of his caudal fin. It was damaged when he arrived and he has continued to grab at it. The light was reflexing him off to all 6 sides and he was flaring like crazy. So now it's quiet and dark. I'm checking water parameters daily as well as daily small water changes to keep things super clean while he heals. Feeding bloodworms by hand to him when he comes up to the top of the tank (once daily, not to much). I'm hoping that if I keep him well fed he will chill out and relax. .. Leave his tail alone .