New Betta named Mars.. not happy.. lots of flaring!

[sunnedee]

I bought a male betta last week and had him in a 1G bowl. I felt really bad for him in that space so I ended up buying a 10G tank. I let it run with the filter on for 2 days and put him in. I realized after I should have let the tank cycle for a few weeks. I have checked for ammonia and it is at 0.
He now has a small filter, heater, cave, real bamboo, and fake plants. It's a pretty nice home if I do say so myself!

I picked him up at petsmart. I'm not sure if he is in the best health due to his prior living conditions (small cup, blue water, stress from being beside other males). He is flaring A LOT at me, his reflection, the filter, pretty much everything he sees. I'm worried he is really stressed out.

His fins seem a little droopy and frayed and sorta white. He is also trying to fight his own reflection almost constantly when not puffing up at the objects in his tank. He only seems comfortable around the bamboo.

I'm just worried about him as I want him to be happy. Not sure what is wrong with him (if there is anything wrong with him!). Temperature is at 78. Is it just going to take some time for him to adjust?

Here is a picture of Mars..
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[stephenmontero]

watch out for that bamboo it will throw your water chemistry way out of whack.

[iamntbatman]

The bamboo is also not meant to be fully submerged, so eventually it will start to rot. You could either return it and swamp it out for a fully aquatic plant, or plant it in a flower pot.

A flaring betta is usually a healthy betta, but if he's doing it constantly it could stress him out. Do you have a background on the aquarium? A dark background can do a lot to calm your fish, not to mention make the whole aquarium look better.

[SlavetoImpulse]

Are those plants plastic or silk? They look plastic, and if they are, I would suggest getting rid of them. Plastic can tear their fins to ribbons.

[okiemavis]

It looks like you're providing a good home for him, and he's probably overexcited. I noticed the tank is decorated with a lot of bright colors- it may be a good idea to darken the tank for a while to calm him down. Also, I agree with the statement about plastic plants. Bettas have very delicate fins and they like to rest in plants, so switching to silk, or live ones, would probably be safer.

[JMeenen]

how long do you keep the light on...sometimes if you turn the light out they will calm down.

[sunnedee]

They are plastic plants. I took 2 of them out and added a silk one.
He seems a lot better now.. although I do think he is suffering from fin rot. Poor little fishy. Thanks for your replies!

[studioskim3]

awww... I hope he gets better... fin rot is a b**** to take care of... all of my bettas had it (3) and it is a big pain to get rid of/ cure... takes several days/ weeks...

my betta is like that all the time w/ me... every time i walk by him, or go near his tank, he flares at me.... then I put my face or my hand up against him, and he hides away. ahahaha. he flares at the mirror, but cowers away after he briefly looks at the mirror.

It'll take time b4 he gets better... do you have a shelter for him? like a cave or something, where he can hide from the light and current and ppl? my 2 bettas have this cavelike thing and they LOVE it... always below it. :) just like ppl... they need a house :) it makes them happy and sheltered