Too aggressive

[MadameMisfit]

Hello! This is my first time posting here, I hope you can help me.

My betta, Ivan, has become very aggressive lately. When I first got him a couple months back in September, he was very calm and happy. He would follow my finger around if it was close to the glass and be soo cute!

Now, at the slightest movement he flares up! Everytime he focuses on something - it could be the food sitting behind him or the pencils on my desk - he feels threatened by it. He had also taken to swimming head first into the sides of the bowl. :/

The only thing I can think of that might have shaken him is the fact that we've just moved around a lot going home from school and back. Is there any way that I can try to calm him down?

:[

[MollyJean]

If he gets over stressed and you think it's effecting his health, turn off his lights and leave him alone and quiet for a while whenever get gets bad. Also, test your levels and make sure his temp is good (76-82). It is probably just moving back and forth like that that's riled him up.

Can I ask how big his tank is, what and how often you feed him, if you use water conditioner, and how often you clean out his tank? If there is another reason, aside from moving stress, this might help target it.

[MadameMisfit]

It's only a half gallon tank but I'm looking into getting him a bigger one, he was so small when I got him. I usually feed him twice a day, a pinch of Top fin tropical flakes and a few Betta Bio-gold pellets. He likes the flakes better than the pellets. With the pellets, he either spits them out or just lets them float and get soggy. I've made it a habit to clean the tank every friday morning and I don't have a water conditioner... I'm not really sure what that is.

While I'm out tomorrow I'll be sure to pick up some pH strips.

[MollyJean]

Ok water conditioner is the chlorine remover drops you HAVE to put in a tank before you put a fish in unless you're using bottled water.

That tank is very very small, and I would imagine he has no hiding places at all. That might be a reason he is so aggravated. Betta need places to hide and feel safe when they are threatened. Without a hiding place, he's probably very stressed. I would suggest silk plants, or very soft plastic plants that have no sharp edges. A cup or planting pot makes a great cave, or anything you find at Walmart or the pet shop that isn't sharp or pointy. But I don't think you're going to be able to fit much in that little bitty tank.

Until you get a bigger tank, I would change the water more often. 1 time a week isn't enough for a half gallon tank. Ammonia builds up quickly, with larger tanks it has room to disperse, but with something that small, it might hurt the fish. Try cleaning it at least twice a week, 3 times if you can, until you get a bigger tank.

Any or all of these things could be stressing your fish. The sooner you deal with these problems, the sooner he'll calm down.

[bettamama]

Exactly what MollyJean said. Also you should pick up a heater when & if you get a bigger tank for your betta and maintain the water at 78-82 degrees. Unless your house is at a constant 78 degrees, you will need a betta. Keeping them in a spacious, warm, well decorated tank makes them thrive. You should get a tank that is NO LESS than 2.5 gallons. Walmart sells them cheap, as does many pet stores. You would be surprised at how much more lively your betta would be if you did these things.

Good luck!

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

I agree with what was said above. They're warm water fish so they prefer being in warm water. I recommend 76-82 degrees F, but the warmer the better. Most heaters will automatically keep the water at 78 degrees F for you, but I would still get a thermometer to make sure it doesn't go well above 80 on its own. A lot of people on here have kritter keepers that they love and they're reasonably priced ($10 or $15 for 2.5G I think). Also, some bettas are more aggressive than others. In those couple months he could've not seen his reflection and just been adjusting to the tank. Constant flaring isn't good for them because they can blow out a fin, so if he doesn't stop, just turn the light off or put a towel over his tank so he can calm down. Also, if you get a bigger tank you can put lots of silk plants for him to hide in and a hiding place for him so he feels safe. Good luck!!