siamese non-fighting fish

[AngelaOlsenFan]

I've had this fish for 8 months now:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/sin_ful2/fish/IMG_3109.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/sin_ful2/fish/IMG_3159-1.jpg

and I've never, ever seen him fight! He'll do the motions of fighting against the glass (turning his head back and forth), but he'll never stick out his gills, like most do. He was in pretty bad shape when I got him. (I rescued him from a dirty little container from WalMart. The poor thing didn't eat or swim much for a whole week afterward.) He seems to be thriving now though!

Anyone else have a Siamese-non fighting fish? Or know why he'd be like this?

 

[LandGhoti]

I think they only fight with other bettas. His fighting against the glass is most likely because he sees his reflection and thinks it's another fish.

 

[rich311k]

He is a handsome fellow. They all have their own personalities, he just may be a mellow dude.

 

[An t-iasg]

Different bettas have different personalities. I have had some bettas that would not flare even at a mirror, and others who would flare for a good 15 minutes at the red knob on the heater.

Personally, I don't hold a mirror up to my bettas anymore. I find that if they are hapy and active, they hold their fins up nicely.

Of my two current bettas, one is quite calm. He "stretches" nicely but rarely flares. The other betta does flare and spread his gills occasionally in one corner of the tank. He must see his reflection there. I think he enjoys going to that corner to "spar" a little, and then he just swims away. My two bettas are different in their mannerisms.

As long as your betta is happy and healthy (he looks like he is!) I wouldn't worry that he doesn't flare.

 

[shayfish]

I agree with all of the above... that is a very nice looking fish. Love his tank too... from that great historical period of Roman Asia It could be Asia Minor

 

[AngelaOlsenFan]

^^ it's the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku at Joshi-ji) in Kyoto

Thanks for the replies. I thought all Bettas flared their gills. I've had 3 Bettas before him and they all did that. I guess I just have a mellow one

 

[tropicfishman]

they only fight same sex bettas, its more of just pestering really, like tiger barbs, its not pirahana like lol

 

[Sidi]

they only fight same sex bettas, its more of just pestering really, like tiger barbs, its not pirahana like lol

Even piranha are very mild mannered among their own species (assuming it's one of the schooling species, such as the formerly common red-bellied piranha). It's only when you introduce a food source that they start going nuts, and then they don't attack each other.