Does making my betta "flare" up stress it?

[Obsessedfishlover]

Ok so once in a while I put a little mirror by the glass my betta is swimming by and he'll flare up his front fins is this stressing it out or is it like excersize? Should I stop?

 

[joemamauggly]

Stop he will ram into the glass to try and kill his reflection

 

[Fishanatic]

Stop he will ram into the glass to try and kill his reflection

+1
It does that to show its dominance(Showing off)
If you don't remove the mirror, it will try to attack ''itself'', and killing itself by ramming into his reflexon.

 

[joemamauggly]

Yup yup

 

[thomasina]

I totally agree with the ramming into the glass and killing itself, yet when I was on line shopping... there was a mirror, which apparently floats in the tank. It is made by Zoo med, and they call it a Floating Betta Exercise Mirror. I just read about them, and don't plan on buying one. My cat loves to tap the tank with her paw and my betta flairs up, but doesn't ram. Guess he is getting enough exercise!!

 

[Gail]

I read it's okay for a few minutes, but not for more then 5 minutes.

 

[Obsessedfishlover]

I totally agree with the ramming into the glass and killing itself, yet when I was on line shopping... there was a mirror, which apparently floats in the tank. It is made by Zoo med, and they call it a Floating Betta Exercise Mirror. I just read about them, and don't plan on buying one. My cat loves to tap the tank with her paw and my betta flairs up, but doesn't ram. Guess he is getting enough exercise!!

That's what I was wondering about! I seen an excersize mirror but yeah that's why I did the whole mirror thing to give him excersize and he doesn't ram... He just does it and then just kinda looks at it and swims at it sorta but yeah....