Some Bettas are VERY active while others not so much. Is he darting around in quick bursts or just kind of cruising/fast cruising? Is he rubbing against plants or decorations? I have a few that are in constant motion & a couple that are not so active. Sounds like there's probably nothing to worry about.

 

He seems to do a mixture of both. Sometimes he is just cruising quickly and then will suddenly dart somewhere. Other times he darts for a few minutes before cruizing. It seems the only time he is still is when he goes up to get air.

Crazy little guys with all their personalities ;-)

 

Summersea,

If your tank is still cycling, I wouldn't add more fish to it. Cycling does lnog-term damage to your fish -- even if they live, they won't be as healthy. Let the cycle finish.

GBse

 

Also, I've heard some bettas are really uncomfortable in large tanks. Try moving him to a smaller one and see if he settles down...

 

Unfortunately I have no where else for these fish to go. There will be no additional fish added and I test the parameters every day and do water changes (based on results). As it is a classroom tank, I have to set it up in a 2 week space since they shut power off during summer break and once school starts it is difficult to get fish here because the building is locked after hours.

I have kep the tank the last couple years (this is the third year) with various mixtures of species. So far, all of the fish I have kept have remained healthy with only a few dying within a day of being added (as in 2 fish a year). I know it isn't an ideal situation but I have to deal with my circumstances or not have a tank. My students really appreciate seeing fish they dont often have a chance to see (such as a betta in a large community tank versus a tiny bowl).

 

All I have is my school aquarium and as a teacher I don't have much money to spend on setting up my school aquarium let along buying a new tank for this guy. If he doesn't settle down in a few more days then I will have to see if I can find something for him but would much prefer him in my larger aquarium since the point of him being here was to show that bettas can be in community tanks versus in small tanks/bowls alone.

I made the post because I was afraid his "zooming" might have been a sign of a disease versus just adjusting to the tank. If it is just adjustment to the tank I was hoping someone knew how long it takes for a betta to settle so I could tell be long term and if this was going to be too stressful for him. As I stated, if he can't handle the larger aquarium I will find something for him but would much prefer him where he is.

So, does anyone know a general time frame it takes bettas to settle into their new tanks?

 

Many, many years ago, I put a Betta in a community tank, but he was very aggressive. He terrified my tetras so that they stayed in one corner and he wouldn't let them eat - so they ended up eating each other (not a pretty sight, believe me). I had to move him to his own tank.
However, not all Bettas are aggressive as he was, and don't mind being in a community tank. Many people are very successful in keeping community tanks with Betta fish. I would say to give it another week or so. But watch for illness, sometimes darting is a sign of illness.
For future reference, it's ALWAYS a good idea to quarantine a new fish for a few weeks before you put them in a community tank so that if it does have an illness, your whole tank doesn't end up getting it.

 

Thank you sainthogan, I appreciate the advice! I will definitely give him another week. If he doesn't settle down by then he will be re-homed. So far he hasn't shown any aggression other than to flare once at a cory that seemed oblivious to the betta's presence ;-). Other than that he hasn't chased anyone and no one is bothering him. Hoping it stays that way!

I will keep an eye on him to be sure he doesn't show any signs of illness. I kept his cup to put him in if I need to treat him. Any ideas on what diseases darting might be a sign of?

 

Darting can be a sign of bacteria, fungus, parasites, anything that makes him uncomfortable, either internally or externally. If he looks like he's rubbing up against things, it could be an external bacterial or a parasite like ich or vevlet.

 

So far he hasn't been rubbing on anything. I will keep an eye out for any odd behavior and go from there