Reducing Betta Fish's Reflection

I've had my Betta fish for about a month and a half now but he continues to flare at his reflection in the aquarium glass. I've put up aquarium background on three of the sides, moved artificial plants to the sides to try to break up his view, and stopped using the brightest light in his tank but nothing seems to help very much. He is very active and I wonder if this is due to the stress of seeing his reflection so often. I'm concerned this is not healthy for him so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

is it a male betta?

 

We've had a similar problem with reflections. Try a lighter coloured background, and be sure that his tank light isn't the only light on in the room. Just a couple things that worked for us

 

Bettas are sometimes very active, it depends on the individual. Are you sure it's a full blown flair, not just fanning to show off his beautiful fins?

 

A betta flaring at his own reflection is not a bad thing and isn't that stressful to them. And a active betta is a healthy betta, but if you want him to stop I would suggest a brighter light in the tank and maybe turning off or moving the room light to behind the tank. It looks like you might be using a yellow light for your room light and if you use a white light bulb this could also greatly reduce the reflection.

 

is it a male betta?

Yes he is.

 

maybe he is lonely...

 

We've had a similar problem with reflections. Try a lighter coloured background, and be sure that his tank light isn't the only light on in the room. Just a couple things that worked for us

Ok thank you! Ill give that a try.

Bettas are sometimes very active, it depends on the individual. Are you sure it's a full blown flair, not just fanning to show off his beautiful fins?

No I had not thought that he may be just fanning but now that you mention it I think he is doing that about half the time. Thank you for the insight.

A betta flaring at his own reflection is not a bad thing and isn't that stressful to them. And a active betta is a healthy betta, but if you want him to stop I would suggest a brighter light in the tank and maybe turning off or moving the room light to behind the tank. It looks like you might be using a yellow light for your room light and if you use a white light bulb this could also greatly reduce the reflection.

Ok I will give that a try too. Thank you.

maybe he is lonely...

Are you suggesting he is looking for a female?

 

Maybe it's just the background itself, I can't have any background on my tank or my boy will see himself constantly. Another thing could be the room is dimly lit while the tank is bright, so you could try to move him to a brighter spot in the house or not use a light. He may eventually get used to seeing himself but I don't know if they all do.

 

Maybe it's just the background itself, I can't have any background on my tank or my boy will see himself constantly. Another thing could be the room is dimly lit while the tank is bright, so you could try to move him to a brighter spot in the house or not use a light. He may eventually get used to seeing himself but I don't know if they all do.

I could try without the background. I will keep playing around with things. He is very curious so I'm not sure if he will get used to it. Thanks for your reply.

 

Are you suggesting he is looking for a female?

maybe. I mean if I was a fish and I was in a tank by myself I would be lonely too. Maybe that's why he is loking at his reflection.

 

maybe. I mean if I was a fish and I was in a tank by myself I would be lonely too. Maybe that's why he is loking at his reflection.

Holly22
If your fish is this active and reacts this way to his reflection, please don’t get him any tank mates. They can be community fish, but that is purely based on the individual personality of the fish. I have two boys. Eau is the perfect community fish, and Shippo could be a homocidal maniac. They are perfectly fine as solitary animals. The only time you would put a male with a female would be to breed them, and even then you remove the female after he puts the eggs in the bubble nest. You don’t leave them together.

 

Holly22
If your fish is this active and reacts this way to his reflection, please don’t get him any tank mates. They can be community fish, but that is purely based on the individual personality of the fish. I have two boys. Eau is the perfect community fish, and Shippo could be a homocidal maniac. They are perfectly fine as solitary animals. The only time you would put a male with a female would be to breed them, and even then you remove the female after he puts the eggs in the bubble nest. You don’t leave them together.

I second this. Don't put him with other fish, and definitely don't get him a female. Shrimp or snails could be good, though, they provide entertainment and some shrimp could provide something to hunt. I would also recommend copepods and dense plant material for them to colonize in if you want something for your betta to hunt.

maybe. I mean if I was a fish and I was in a tank by myself I would be lonely too. Maybe that's why he is loking at his reflection.

The thing is, a betta fish brain doesn't work much like a human brain. Bettas are hugely territorial creatures that live pretty solitary lives in the wild, whereas humans evolved in social environments. You crave social interactions because that is how your brain is wired - humans (and most other primates) have evolutionarily needed each other to survive. Bettas are solitary and actually fight (and often kill) each other when there are territory disputes.

 

The thing is, a betta fish brain doesn't work much like a human brain. Bettas are hugely territorial creatures that live pretty solitary lives in the wild, whereas humans evolved in social environments. You crave social interactions because that is how your brain is wired - humans (and most other primates) have evolutionarily needed each other to survive. Bettas are solitary and actually fight (and often kill) each other when there are territory disputes.

That's true. I saw a documentary about animals, and they did the mirror experiment with other animals. When put in front of mirrors, some animals would assume that there is another animal in front of them, and most likely get very aggressive. An example was a gorilla. The only animal that could tell that the animal that they were seeing was merely a reflection of themselves was a dolphin. It was quite interesting.

 

Holly22
If your fish is this active and reacts this way to his reflection, please don’t get him any tank mates. They can be community fish, but that is purely based on the individual personality of the fish. I have two boys. Eau is the perfect community fish, and Shippo could be a homocidal maniac. They are perfectly fine as solitary animals. The only time you would put a male with a female would be to breed them, and even then you remove the female after he puts the eggs in the bubble nest. You don’t leave them together.

Oh no worries! I have no intention of putting any other fish with him especially because he is only in a 5.5 gallon and appears to be aggressive. He is my priority and I wouldn't want to put any other fish in danger either. I also have no interest in breeding. I was only asking because I did not know what he was getting at but I realize you didn't know what I was thinking so thank you both for checking.

 

Oh no worries! I have no intention of putting any other fish with him especially because he is only in a 5.5 gallon and appears to be aggressive. He is my priority and I wouldn't want to put any other fish in danger either. I also have no interest in breeding. I was only asking because I did not know what he was getting at but I realize you didn't know what I was thinking so thank you both for checking.

Good to know, and thank you for not taking offense. It’s nice to see so many individuals that truly have the best interest of the fish at heart