[Chester41585]

My VT glass surfs every waking hour. He's been doing this since I got him a month ago. He's gone from a cup to a 2.5 gallon tank, to a 10 gallon tank, to a 20 gallon tank. Planted and unplanted, community and solo. I've rearranged the lights in my room, actually changed the lightbulbs to warm-white from cool-white, changed his diet, even put up paperon the walls of his tank to filter and block light, but he still glass skims. He will skim until it's time to chase food, or until he sees another betta. He never flares at his reflection. I don't think he's chasing his reflection, but he might be chasing his shadow.

I was gone for the weekend and came back to see that the tips of his fin rays are protruding beyond his fin membrane by 3-6 millimeters on his dorsal, anal, caudial and pelvic fins. I can only assume that this is from neurotic glass skimming.

I've got him in a hospital tank right now, where he's continuing to glass skim, to try to stave off any fin rot that I believe is starting to catch on.

My question is, what other methods are there to help prevent glass skimming? He's not at all gentle on his fins about this. Should I add a tumbler of Scotch to calm him down or what?

Before you ask me to fill out that diagnostic form, I've already checked water parameters and everything is fine. As always, my water is hard, but that's Florida for ya.

 

[Aerial]

hes over stressed from the environment changes an hes probably has ick get lifeguard an follow the directions hope this helps best regards

 

[Chester41585]

No Ick, his changes haven't been rapid as you might think. There's been at least a week between environment changes and he's glass skimmed in each one.

 

[Aerial]

betta skimming

there is something in the tank irritating his skin my betta was doing the same thing an i had to take the filter an the gravel out an replace the gravel with glass rocks an hes fine now he doesnt do it anymore an i had to get lifeguard so he didnt get an infection just a extra precaution cuz they get sick very easy my last betta lived 7yrs be4 he passed an my betta i have now is 3yrs

 

[Chester41585]

I'll give it a shot with an unplanted, ungraveled tank and see what happens and go from there.

 

[Aerial]

skimming

hope he gets to feeling better

 

[Aerial]

my betta sargent

this is my betta sargent hes 3yrs old an this is b4 i took out the gravel an filter he seems so sad in these pics bt hes a lot happier an back to his active self now

 

[Chester41585]

That's a cute little fish!
Unrelated to my red VT, I've got a DT that came n the mail a week ago. He's been in a hospital tank the entire time. He ate once shortly after I got him, but after that, he hasn't eaten at all from what I can tell. I've tried dried worms, floating pellets, and flakes. I've even tossed a little bit of a pea in his tank and he didn't touch it (another betta I got in the same package will tear a pea to pieces). The DT will swim up to the food, stare at it, then swim away.

 

[Aerial]

betta not eating

ya my betta was doing that a couple days a go he wouldnt eat for a week an im just now getting him to start eating again iv got him to eat a couple pieces of mini krill iv tried 7 different types of food an just ordered another to see if hel eat that

 

[Chester41585]

I'll see if I can get a hold of something live for him to chase. That's a good idea.