[maggiee]

Hi everyone!
So yesterday I was off to get a betta fish. My previous had passed away a month ago - awful, chronic swim bladder. No amount of peas or fasting helped my little man :-(

Anyway, my LFS is pretty good. They know their stuff. They recently expanded and are now carrying bettas. Their prices for bettas were super reasonable compared to the Petsmart I had just been to the other day - they wanted 40$ for a very sad looking half moon betta. I hate it when you have to walk away wanting to rescue them all :/
Back at my LFS I surprisingly found a "Giant Betta", which at first I confused for a dragon scale betta. I knew mildly about them but never thought I see one just chilling at reasonable price. I slowly acclimated him to my cycled 10gal - no one else in there, he's king of the castle. There are 3 moss balls in there as well as some floating plants. Fake plants here and there as well. Smooth transparent/slightly colored marbles as substrate (first time I've tried this look). Entire beach house to himself. Parameters: A:0 NI:0 NA:<10 pH: 7.4-7.6
Here's where things get strange:
I'm used to bettas during their first few days being slow moving and shy, especially if they looked to have been kept in poor condition. But then they start to perk up. This guy - he's digging (just his face) into the marbles. He's wedging himself between rocks. I can't tell you how many times I've checked up on him just to think he's dead underneath a rock! He has shown no interest in food. He definitely prefers the lights out. I'm concerned because
1. I've never seen a betta so aggressive shove itself between hard objects.
2. He has to be about 3 inches, I don't know his age.
3. Finding info on giant bettas is really hard! I was so surprised to find almost nothing about them. I know the fit most of a regular bettas needs, but there are thicker, larger and apparently are prone to blindness due to their scales covering their eyes.
4. Do you think between the glass tank and the reflective marbles (they are just under or about a half inch each) it's freaking him out?

Just as I feel I have begun to really round my "betta knowledge", I'm completely stumped and concerned. I realize he's had only 24 hours in the tank so far I'm seriously concerned about his stress levels. I will post pictures if I can catch him not hiding.
Thank you for any info you can provide, I greatly appreciate it! If you know of a good website (I'll take a book at this point!) that specializes in their care and behavior - that would be amazing. Thank you again !!! :roll:

 

[Fin Fancier]

I had a betta that really loved wedging himself underneath things, thinking back I never offered him a cave of any sort so I think he created one for himself. I'd suggest providing more cover for him as he sounds nervous. Silk or live plants work nicely, and bettas will cradle themselves in large leaves. There are plenty of caves offered in the fish department, but I prefer to stack some pieces of driftwood. Lots of members suggest small terracotta pots with a piece of sponge shoved in the bottom so your betta doesn't try to fit through the hole.

I'd also suggest removing the marbles and replacing them with some fish appropriate hides. Marbles are smooth so I doubt he'll hurt himself on them, but they roll and if he's aggressive about it he might trap himself.

 

[maggiee]

When I added him to the tank, I already had two "cichlid" caves - dark, secure and the perfect size for him. He shoves himself underneath it. I had also made a make-shift slate cave which he loves...to dig his face into the marbles holding it up -.- I had this beach house decor that I originally thought would be overkill, but I ended up putting it in anyway today. Just another hide away. Perhaps I'll take the marbles out and make it bare bottom. I also just picked up some terracotta pots for my WIP 40gal, but maybe they'll end up in with him. I don't want to be counter-productive by sticking my hands too much in there and scaring him.
If this continues I might put him in a side breeder box (he's a JUMPER) to rearrange things to really make it a "giant betta" safe environment. He certainly has material for an interesting name.
Thanks for the advice!!! I really appreciate it!

 

[dannifluff]

How about a large Indian almond leaf, softened up with tank water and laid on the bottom? He could snuggle under that a bit safer if he wants to? And several marimo moss balls might be good for him as well?

 

[maggiee]

I already have 3 moss balls in there..all of them about medium sized. I thought about maybe the Indian leaf but I don't have any on hand - mayyybbee my LFS carries them. He's discovered the beach house, as he is now shoved between the bottom of it and the marbles. Oy.

 

[BettaSplendid]

Is he digging a foundation for a new hide-away? LOL.

So he doesn't roll the Marimos, huh?

I swear I had something useful to say but it has completely slipped my mind. :/

 

[TripleP]

Do you think the slight reflective surface of the marbles could perhaps be causing him to be aggressive, esp when the light is on? I have glass marbles as well and while my Betta has been fine with them, I could see how the glassy shine of them may could cause a problem for an aggressive Betta.

I remember years ago, when I was a child, we had a Betta that after every water change (we did full water changes, including taking everything out and rinsing it) he would rearrange the gravel under the bridge in his tank until there was a bare spot and that is where he would hide.

 

[maggiee]

Yeah I'm thinking perhaps the marbles reflectiveness are bothering him. It's worth taking them out to see if it helps. Will do in the morning (and will hopefully have a photo)

 

[maggiee]

find/keep an eye on him in his tank. A little bit of his ich is gone but he is just laying on the bottom of the tank. The only way I know hes alive is because I can see his gills moving. I've seen him dart up for air twice. I started the ich treatment yesterday but he seems to have just gotten worse.
Here are some photos I managed to get of him after putting him in the hospital tank. (dont mind the displacement of things, I had everything ready to go and once he was in somehow the heater moved, so I was mid-fixing that)
I know I can't expect an overnight miracle. I've treated ich before with api's cure with success in about a week, and then a week of monitoring. But never a fish who was barely responsive.


I'm doing some more research now, I'm open to any suggestions..thanks

 

[TripleP]

I have no real advice but I was wondering since you mentioned Giant Bettas are prone to blindness, have you considered that possibility? I don't really know how to tell if a Betta is blind, but I could see how that could cause his symptoms if he was. The not responding to food, lying in one place wedged between objects (if he can't see it maybe the only way he feels safe), perhaps even the ramming his head into the glass marbles. Does he respond to your movement at all? If you slightly touch him with something, does he move then?

As I said though I don't really know what could be wrong, but that popped in my head so I wanted to throw it out there. Hope you are able to figure out what is going on and that he improves soon!