Playing dead???

[Miss Jinkx]

A big hello to the forum :) I'm really pleased to have found a forum just for bettas!

My question is "Does a healthy Betta play dead?"

I have a new four month old lad "Blashko" who has been placed into a twin tank next to my more mature boy "Mladen" (yes I give my fish unusual names)... Blashko is incredibly active and happy (or so it seems) and he alternates between swimming happily to hiding behind large leaves, or under his bridge. Mladen is a little less interested in frivolity and he spends most of his time on guard, flaring up at Blashko and watching his every move.

This afternoon my daughter called out to me that my red fish was dead. I raced to the tank to find Blashko doing a very convincing impersonation of a dead fish. He was laying right next to the division in the glass with Mladen staring from the other side. In a split second, after sensing our presence he was up and swimming as per usual. I have caught him doing this a couple of times since.

I would not say that he shows any signs of SBD and he is from a great breeder.
Is there a possibility that he is "playing dead" because Mladen is being so relentless on the other side of the glass?

Pic 1 shows Blashko laying "dead" next to the glass divider.

[1077]

Originally Posted by Miss Jinkx

A big hello to the forum :) I'm really pleased to have found a forum just for bettas!

My question is "Does a healthy Betta play dead?"

I have a new four month old lad "Blashko" who has been placed into a twin tank next to my more mature boy "Mladen" (yes I give my fish unusual names)... Blashko is incredibly active and happy (or so it seems) and he alternates between swimming happily to hiding behind large leaves, or under his bridge. Mladen is a little less interested in frivolity and he spends most of his time on guard, flaring up at Blashko and watching his every move.

This afternoon my daughter called out to me that my red fish was dead. I raced to the tank to find Blashko doing a very convincing impersonation of a dead fish. He was laying right next to the division in the glass with Mladen staring from the other side. In a split second, after sensing our presence he was up and swimming as per usual. I have caught him doing this a couple of times since.

I would not say that he shows any signs of SBD and he is from a great breeder.
Is there a possibility that he is "playing dead" because Mladen is being so relentless on the other side of the glass?

Pic 1 shows Blashko laying "dead" next to the glass divider.

Healthy fish don't normally "play dead" Test the water or take sample of water to fish store and see if they will test it.
You want zero for ammonia and nitrites and temp between 78 and 80 degrees F.
If the tank isn't filtered,,then twice weekly water changes of 25 to 50 percent using a dechlorinator that detoxifies ammonia and chlorine. PRIME water conditioner is used by many.

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

He could be just sleeping, they can sleep in weird positions. I had one who was so deep in sleep, even shaking the tank didn't wake him up.lol

[Miss Jinkx]

Originally Posted by 1077

Healthy fish don't normally "play dead" Test the water or take sample of water to fish store and see if they will test it.
You want zero for ammonia and nitrites and temp between 78 and 80 degrees F.
If the tank isn't filtered,,then twice weekly water changes of 25 to 50 percent using a dechlorinator that detoxifies ammonia and chlorine. PRIME water conditioner is used by many.

Thanks :) I am very careful with my water parameters and perhaps I should add I am not new to keeping Bettas. The tank is filtered and heated, and yes I use Prime to condition my water..

Originally Posted by BettaxFishxCrazy

He could be just sleeping, they can sleep in weird positions. I had one who was so deep in sleep, even shaking the tank didn't wake him up.lol

I am thinking that this may well be the situation. He isn't showing any signs of illness or weakness I have no reason to think that he is sick. If he is a heavy sleeper, then I guess he's a fish after my own heart!

[Phoxly]

Goku does this but its usually wedged between two leaves or his java Fern :P

[smallvle]

Seuss sleeps like that alot; like BettaxFishxCrazy said, sometimes they just pick really weird sleeping positions. Usually when Seuss sleeps on the gravel like that, he spreads his fins out too. Scared the you-know-what out of me the first time I saw him! Just as long as it doesn't look like his fins are tightly clamped or anything, he should be fine. :)

[kuklachica]

My very active fish started doing this at the bottom of his tank. Then his fins started clamping and he started flashing against the things in his tank. The tank is cycled and water params were perfect, but he was suffering from external parasites. I treated with coppersafe and AQ salt and now he is back to normal. If he hasn't always done this, I would say keep an eye out for other abnormal things because he could very well be getting a case of parasites. My guy is in a divided tank as well and the other two fish didn't show signs of parasites.

[Jennyinurmouth]

Kiyosi would try to play dead if he got scared of my hand, like perfectly healthy fish tries his best to get still then kinda lay on his side.

[dr2b]

Flair used to sleep in weird ways and would sleep I such a deep sleep it was hard to wake him. I think your guy is probably sleeping... Keeping an eye on the enemy lol :)

[Miss Jinkx]

:) Thanks guys..