Angry Betta

[Kellie]

So, our 5.5G betta/adf tank was upgraded to a 10G after one of the frogs died of suspected chytrid fungus (only had him a month). The old tank was cycled, so moved half the gravel and the filter and half the decorations to the new tank. Moved over the betta and ADF, added 3 ghost shrimp and 2 bunches of anacharis. Water parameters testing ok, trace amonia (definitly less then .25 but not the pure yellow of 0 on the API kit), 0 nitrite, nitrate between 5 and 10, testing twice a day since switching tanks.

Since being in the new tank the betta constantly flares up, it looks like its at his own reflection in the glass as its always on one side of the tank and the activity of the frog and shimp have nothing to do with it. In the old tank he'd only flare up when he was taunted with a mirror against the glass or if I stared at him too long, almost like he was showing off for me. Now its almost constant if the tank light is on. The old tank was incandescent light and this one is flourescent, is the difference in brightness what is letting him see himself in the glass you think? There is a backdrop on the backside. Where he flares is the corner by the front, this side of the tank faces away from the room light, the corner facing the room light doesn't seem to make him flare. He's gotta be wearing himself out flaring constantly like that. Do you think it is his reflection or something else? He's lived with ADF since we've had him and he hasn't paid a second of attention to the ghost shrimp.

I mentioned in a previous thread that I moved my work betta home and into the 5.5 (he LOVES it) but the tanks are no where near each other, not even within sight, so he's not flaring at the other betta. The new tank since its bigger then the old is sitting kitty corner on a dresser, it is within sight of my big tank, but the gap between them is large enough for a long dresser drawer to open with room to spare. I don't know if his eyesight is good enough that he can see the fish swimming in my 36G from that angle, I'd say its at least a 5 foot gap between the dresser with the 10G and my 36Gs stand. I was going to try draping a shirt on the side he flares at and seeing if that helps, any other thoughts? Could he just hate his new bigger home?

 

[marsh]

I think you sound pretty on the mark about the reflection causing his new behavior. I don't know the answer, some combination of outside and inside light source adjustments or perhaps lining of the glass surfaces.

I was looking for a way to line 3/4 inner tank walls with enough foliage to break up the reflection as my fish is an occasional glass surfer. I am thinking of planting lots of onion bulbs along the perimeter.

 

[Botanica]

If you went from incandescent to fluorescent lighting...it is possible that the brighter light is bothering him. I would try maybe floating pants or some other cover for him to shade himself.

 

[Kellie]

I'll try the floating plant route and re-arranging the anacharis in the tank already and then take it from there. I don't want to do too many changes at once, trying to keep the ADF as stress free as possible. So far he's not showing any signs of the chytrid fungus but he's got to be stressed after losing his friend I know they perfer friends. Eventually we are looking to have a pair but any new ones need to quarentined two months before putting him with the old one. I read up on that chytrid fungus and it sounds like nasty stuff and seems to run rampant on ADF. :-( Hopefully I'll find a set up that de-stresses the betta without stressing the lonely ADF and I'm sure the shrimp don't care much either way because they'd be in a fish tummy somewhere if I didn't buy them lol.