How do you interact with your betta?

[Shepaski]

usually from what i've seen in my country and the people around me. most of us just stare at our fish and oogle at them as they swim around the tank. Occasionally putting a mirror in from of them and such.

people here only interact with fish by staring at them. but i know different countries have different ways of interacting with their animals.

so how do you interact with you fish? I tend to call my fish by his name when he's floating near me and kind of stoke the glass as if i'm petting him ._. though half the time he ignores me.

[madmonahan]

I train my fish to jump for my fingers, I like to let them flare and follow my fingers on the outside of their tank. ^_^

[BrooklynGirl52473]

I talk to Chester as he swims right up to me and stares for a bit. Sometimes he swims right up to my hand on the glass. He also stares at me when I'm on the computer. I'll feel eyes watching me and voila, turn around and there he is eyeballing me.

Sprint stares at me sometimes and he will swim up to look at me but he's less interactive.

[Sena Hansler]

I usually am able to get them comfortable around me. My dumbo Lovelace no longer shies away. I interact with different things, depending on the betta. Some I can exercise via chasing whether with my finger or a long object (my giant loves this), or using a mirror, or merely just feeding them from my fingers.

[eatmice2010]

I usually lay my hand on top of the water for july to hide under like a baby as if the other fish are being mean to him... hes such a dadies boy and i also talk to him as if he will talk back

[Shepaski]

my sister use to annoy my very first successfully "kept alive" betta years back.

Roulette was cocky and would flare at anyone who puts their finger or face near the glass. so my sister would keep extending and withdrawing her hand from the tank making flare and relax for a couple of times < D

Originally Posted by madmonahan

like to let them flare and follow my fingers on the outside of their tank. ^_^

mine never follow my finger DX

[madmonahan]

Do they back away as soon as you put your fingers to the glass? They will do that at first but you have to let them get used to you, and your fingers being so close.

[Kiyi]

Spider backs away from my fingers as well, which is understandable, considering I've only had him a little over a week. But, whenever I'm using the big pipette to clean up uneaten food/waste, he always comes to investigate when I'm not looking. Since the pipette is a little shorter than his 10g tank, my fingers a little bit in the water, and he scares me sometimes when I look up and he's right there.

Bad experiences with biting. xD I've had anole lizards over the years, and when they bite, they don't let go. At least until they're feet touch the ground. Though I had one that bit me when I was putting him in his tank, right between my thumb and forefinger, and even though I put him down as quickly as possible, he didn't let go. He just bit harder in fact. I still have the marks! Ouch. :[ Never touched that one again, for as long as I had him.

[Shepaski]

Originally Posted by madmonahan

Do they back away as soon as you put your fingers to the glass? They will do that at first but you have to let them get used to you, and your fingers being so close.

not really, Drogo usually just stares at my finger and then me in away that makes it seem like he's asking "what are you doing...." in a suspicious manner. her wiggles away gently when i try to touch him.

Originally Posted by Kiyi

Bad experiences with biting.

i had one female betta bite my arm while i was cleaning the tank once. she was really an extremely aggressive/territorial girl, unlike now i use to hate my fish when they do such things and well....read my confession in my sig to know the rest of the story :(

[madmonahan]

When he stares at it, slowly move it sideways or downwards.