The Angry Jeffery

[TharBePirates]

So Jeffery, has always been a fairly cranky little fish. When I got him from Petco he was downright mean, attacking the side of the cup, sulking, ect. We've had him for about 3-4 weeks now, and his attitude did improve....

Until this last week.

He became downright aggressive with us. Instead of swimming up to the side of his cookie jar to greet us he now comes up, flaring and charging and acting territorial. He does this even if we come and sit at the table! Also now when we feed him (we were trying to teach him to eat from our fingers) he charges up flaring. If it's just a lone finger in the water (something he has gotten used to, we thought, what with water changings and water tests and everything) he flares and tries to bite.

We think it's hormones. He acts like he's patroling and yesterday during a height of flaring/charging he made a bubblenest.

What do you guys think?

Stats-
2 gal.
unfiltered
water changes every 4 days
heater, water's about 80
live plants
has a coffee cup cave
ping pong ball in the water he plays with
fed 2 pellets twice a day, bloodworms are a once a week treat
ammonia and Ph levels are perfect
cookie jar is on the kitchen table

The little cookie monster himself. His finnage is much nicer now, and he's starting to turn purple/red on his head, fins and body, while his anal fins are turning white. We think he's a marble.

[TharBePirates]

Here's some pics from right now. He's MUCH redder, and you can't see but his anal fins are long and white.

It should also be noted that I put him for a second in front of Gyarados' tank before I took these. He flared like mad, the much smaller Little G simply stared back curiously.

[Miss Jinkx]

Wow, he looks and sounds SOOO much like my boy, Mladen... (see my dp)
Mladen is a cranky pants also. He is very territorial and he patrols EVERY inch of his 5 gallons.. I do feed him live mosquito larvae once a week and I have wondered if this contributes to his sassiness but in all honesty he has been like this since day one.. He blows a bubble nest the covers his ENTIRE water surface. Perhaps its a personality issue, or as you say HORMONES.. It's never bothered me that Mladen is the way he is. He is healthy and active and it looks like Jeffrey is also.. He's just lovely, even if he is a little cranky!