Flaring....?

[Breezy79]

Okay, My kinda new CT betta named Percy is in a community tank and he loves it, that's not the problem tho, at night I have the tank light on before i go to sleep and he swims at the top back and forth flaring. I am not going to lie I think he is really pretty when he does it but I worry that it is bad for his health and maybe he is stressing or something. I have done some research and some people said it was bordem. I don't know! There isn't any female bettas or other colorful fish in their either.. Hmmmm..

[Laki]

Good that there is no females in with him- shouldn't mix them unless you're breeding.
The pacing could be caused by the light, turn it off at night! Fish have a natural wake-sleep cycle just like we do.
With the light on, he might see his reflection and be flaring at it. There's a difference between showing their full fin display in warm comfortable water and agressive shows for "another male".

[laoshun]

another possibility is just that he can see the reflection when the other lights are turned off while the tank lights are turned on.

[Whittni]

Well said laoshun

[bettalover2033]

Laoshun is completely right. It's simple and that's what the thing is. He can see his reflection and gets excited.

Also as for being stressed, don't worry about it. Bettas will eventually stop flaring at themselves if they constantly see their reflection. When you want a betta to flare after he or she has been used to other bettas me no longer flares is by putting it in solitude for a few days then show another betta.

[Breezy79]

Thank you so much for al the great replies! I always turn of the light it is only on when I feed my fish at night before I go to bed, before I fall asleep I turn it off.

[Blue Fish]

One of my boys flares at his filter. I have to put up a peice of white typing paper to keep him from fighting with the big blue and white betta who lives in the filter all the time... ;)
I was curious about the flaring being bad for them as well, so I'm glad I found your post and saw the answers others had left, good to know! :)
Your boy sounds really cute! :)