Toys for Betas?

[GobbleDog]

I got my Beta about 9 months ago and I felt sorry for him sitting in his tank all alone. He looked incredibly lonely and bored.

So I took all the hooks off of 3 small bass fishing lures and tossed them in the tank with him. At first, he flared up and got defensive, even striking the lures a few times thinking they were alive. That was many months ago. Today, he seems to love his playing with his lures. He puts his head on the edge of them to sleep and sometimes he smacks at them while I'm watching tv (I often wonder if he does it just to get attention or to get fed). In any case, he sure seems happier now.

Anyone else give toys to their Betas?

[Plant_Guy]

I use to add a little toy fish that would float and my betta would think its another fish and would try to swim with it.

[GobbleDog]

A friend of mine has a female in the tank with his beta, hoping they'd mate but they never have. We were thinking of pimping her out to my beta for a few months. I think he'd enjoy having a female to play with.

:D

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by GobbleDog

A friend of mine has a female in the tank with his beta, hoping they'd mate but they never have. We were thinking of pimping her out to my beta for a few months. I think he'd enjoy having a female to play with.

:D

Bad idea unless you really plan to breed them. Male bettas will sometimes batter the females without warning. So there's a need to say, 'Do it at your own risk'.

[GobbleDog]

Originally Posted by Blue

Bad idea unless you really plan to breed them. Male bettas will sometimes batter the females without warning. So there's a need to say, 'Do it at your own risk'.

Oh. I just wanted my Beta to have some company for once in his life. There's no chance of the female hurting the male, is there?

[Kate]

I believe there is and have heard that they can possibly kill one another if they aren't ready to be bred.

[GobbleDog]

Is there any particular temperature that makes them want to mate?

[scottysgirl]

Temp around 80 degrees

[Siren]

Females can be just as territorial and violent as the males. Even with other females. It's a good rule of thumb if you want to keep female bettas to have a group of 3 or more, so they can establish a pecking order.

Male bettas can also be kept in a peaceful community tank, just avoid housing them with fin-nipping fish such as barbs.

If you plan on breeding them, keep a close watch on them. They can seriously harm each other in a very short period of time.