New betta adapation time?

[LittleBlueFishlets]

How long does it take for a new betta to adapt?

I got a male HM from the local petstore a week ago. He had a traumatic beginning due to the actions of an employee, but he's been in a 3 gal tank at 79F for a week now. (He had a 100% water change two days ago. No ammonia detected.)

He eats. He sleeps (or lies still, at least). Occasionally, he poops. And that's about it.

His fins are clamped all the time. I finally got him to flare today, but his fins were still clamped. (I don't see dark or gray edges. They just don't open.) He darts to the surface, pauses, grabs a gulp of air, then darts into a hiding spot.

Is this still within a normal recovery time? I'm thinking it is -- But how long does it take for a newbie to adapt? (At what point should I start to worry and/or treat for illness?)

Would adding an oak leaf help? I don't have IAL, but I have access to oak leaves.

Thanks!

[shellieca]

Each Betta is a little different. It sounds like you are meeting all the necessary needs. Are you running the filter on the 3g? The filter could be too much for a tank that size, try turning it off for a day or so. I would do 2 50% water changes per week instead of 1 100%. When you say no ammonia detected, are you testing with a liquid test kit, strips or something else? Is there a light on the tank, you might want to leave it off for a day or two to see how he does, I've found that for some a light on a smaller tank is annoying.

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Thanks, Shellieca! No filter or lights. I've tried to keep the tank in dim light. I use the API Master Freshwater Kit liquid test for ammonia. The color stayed yellow. (I also tested it against my tap water, and it looked just about the same color.) Generally, I do one 100% and one 50% water change per week, but I got some of the icky-petstore-cup water in there when I put him into the tank so I did another 100%.

I guess as long as he's eating and pooping, he's OK. I really wish he'd unclamp those pretty fins though....

[shellieca]

It's possible he had an illness when you bought him, some things take a while to show up. I know its frustrating trying to figure out the cause & how to treat it. It is possible he's still adjusting. I'd keep an eye on him & see if there's any change good or bad, hopefully for the good. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[TheMCP]

Originally Posted by LittleBlueFishlets

How long does it take for a new betta to adapt?

One of mine basically came home with me and immediately took an attitude of "hi, so nice to meet you, let's be pals." One took a couple days and did the same. One took two or three weeks. The baby seems to have an attitude of "feed me now you idiot!" and may simply not be old enough yet to be interested in anything but food.

I found that for the ones that took their time, what did the trick was actually putting them in a small tank on my desk (at home) where they can watch me. Within a few hours they start sorta watching "the human show" from a back corner of their tank, and soon enough they're actively sitting in the front staring at me, begging for food, etc. As I type this my red guy is alternating between watching my face, watching my hands, and blowing a bubble nest. He's the one who took three weeks to stop hiding behind the decorations and unclamp.

[AyalaCookiejar]

For many sicknesses, if he happened to have one, all it takes is warm, clean water. Check.

I agree with the other posts. All of them are different. I have one pretty laid back betta and my newest one I got last week flared at everything at first, like he was claiming his territory. He's starting to calm down, now, even though he's still a lot more aggressive than my older betta. It could be his personality, or he could continue to get less aggressive. I usually hold my fingers above the water first before I feed them so they can get used to them, and he will sometimes try to jump at them aggressively, haha. Other times he is more calm and just follows my fingers along the water surface.

I'd give him quite a bit of time. Most of them are used to tiny, cold cups that are placed right next to a bunch of other bettas. Once he figures out that all the space is his and there isn't anyone to compete for territory with, he'll probably become more outgoing. Try to teach him that you are his best friend because you will give him food :) lol