betta behaving strangely

[mecleve]

Our betta normally seems very happy and will respond when we talk to him by coming to the side of the tank where we are and flutter his fins. He has begun to swim wildly around the tank skimming the top of the water and at times swimming into the rocks at the bottom of tank and then he'll go to the bottom sitting still and sometimes it appears he is "leaning" on his plastic plant (which has been there since we've had him-approx 1 year). He is no longer coming over when we approach his tank and talk to him. He is totally out of character--he also doesn't seem to have his typical appetite. Would appreciate any info. Thank you.

[Arlie]

hi
Is there anyway your Betta could be seeing his own reflection in the tank or something new in or next to the tank that would give off his reflection?
My Betta acted the same way the other night when I left the tank light on too late and he spotted his reflection. He
got frantic, swam back and forth like crazy then went
to the corner of the tank behind the air pump tube and
hid on the bottom.
After I turned off the tank light and about half hour later he came out and was fine, acting normal.A nother member here said he had been frightened by his reflection thinking it was another male Betta



Arlie

[iamntbatman]

Could you give us some more information about your tank? How big is it? Is it filtered and heated? How often do you do water changes? Do you have a test kit, and if so, what are your values for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? What's the water temperature?

Since the tank has been set up for so long and the behavior change was sudden, I would guess that either your fish is in the early stages of some sort of illness or that the temperature change to cooler weather has made him lethargic. Bettas are tropical fish and need water that's 78-82 degrees in order to thrive. If your house has been getting a lot colder lately and you don't have a heater in your tank, I would invest in one.

[SolaceTiger]

How's your betta doing now?